Bargains!! Bargains!!!

This essay confirms what we've seen in other news-blogs:  the American consumer has stopped all that consumin' goin' on out there.  (Historical reference)

Three weeks ago, we showed readers what happens when the infamous "Bullwhip effect" reversal takes place by presenting the unprecedented surge in the "Inventory to Sales" ratio for a broad range of US retailers covering the furniture, home furnishings and appliances, building materials and garden equipment, and a category known as “other general merchandise,” which includes Walmart and Target. Since then, this ratio has only gotten even more extended, and as shown below it is now at the highest level since the bursting of the dot com bubble!

 

Another item mentioned that Samsung has told its suppliers to hold off shipping goods to them; they're seeing an inventory buildup of its products:  stoves, refrigerators, phones, (etc.)--generally, 'durable' consumer goods.  A Wally-World exec noted that purchase of milk is now in quarts rather than half-gallons.

So.  There will be bargains aplenty to be had, if you can afford the gasoline to get to the damned store.