本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛After years of conspicuous consumption, many middle- and upper-income Americans are morphing into cautious shoppers. The change in mood could have a dramatic effect on consumer spending on everything from cars and travel to electronics, fashion and jewelry, especially heading toward the holiday season. That's a radical change from the 2001 economic slowdown when many people shopped to feel better.
In Chicago, Fanchon Simons, an avid 60-year-old shopper, says she couldn't bring herself to buy a $360 blouse that she tried on at a designer-clothing boutique last week. Ms. Simons says she hasn't bought much for herself in the past couple weeks -- and not because she can't afford it. Buying "is not that important to me right now because of the climate," she says. "Maybe it's a way to be in sympathy with the rest of the people...or maybe it's that I don't really need anything."
High-end consumers aren't the only ones pinching pennies or turning to window-shopping. Synetha Chambers, a 31-year-old single parent from Cedar Hill, Texas, who makes $25 an hour as a service representative for AT&T, says she has pared her grocery list to the necessities -- milk is a must, but she no longer buys soda and chips. "And I will be honest with you, Christmas is no longer a necessity in my household," Ms. Chambers says.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
