Signs of upcoming economic crash Costco

My local Costco has been a good litmus predictor on so many levels.
Lots of TP, no panic buying etc.

What I saw at Costco the other day makes me quite worried.

The warehouse was filled to the brim with products, Christmas items and food.
More than I have ever laid eyes on. There were some end caps so tall it appears the product has
not even been touched. It occurred to me immediately. People are just not buying things this year.
Yes it is early December, but I have never seen the warehouse like this. I imagine without a true Black Friday
they are overstocked...

Of course it's Covid related, and economy related. If people aren't getting together they might not
exchange gifts this year, or have a party. If they are working remotely, there is no office gathering.
Kids aren't have school parties...
It may seem small but those things have to translate into hundreds of millions of dollars...
I even saw two men scoff at the price of meat. Costco has amazing meat at great prices...
I've been shopping at Costco for years, there is always a line to checkout. Not any more, you'll zip right through.

There are people that are laid off, and those that are tightening their purse strings worried about what is to come.
Whatever it is, people do not seem optimistic!

Costco is big and they will survive, but I do think this is a litmus test of things to come. I also notices price reductions on
a lot of their goods.

I know a lot have been saying this, but after the new fiscal year, I think we are going to see some sad stuff.
We haven't had hardly any store closures here, we'll see how that looks in February or March...

a reply to: JAGStorm

I was in hobby lobby and menards yesterday and both of their Christmas sections were nearly empty. People are really looking for some Christmas cheer I guess.

Black Friday was dead this year but to be honest, the last few years the crowds have tapered off so I kind of expected a small showing.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: JAGStorm

I was in hobby lobby and menards yesterday and both of their Christmas sections were nearly empty. People are really looking for some Christmas cheer I guess.

Black Friday was dead this year but to be honest, the last few years the crowds have tapered off so I kind of expected a small showing.

People have more time to decorate, and since many are stuck at home why not.
I do try to avoid Hobby Lobby since ours refuses to hire people and they will have a full store and literally one cashier open. How do you even have a store that sized with one cashier?

Aren’t you happy though? You were pushing for everyone to cower in their house and cut off their families and friends, so you could be safe from COVID. Glad you got what you wanted.

Costco up here looked normal last time I went, that was a few weeks back. Will report if it is any weird next time I go, will probably be pretty soon lol.

originally posted by: Middleoftheroad
Aren’t you happy though? You were pushing for everyone to cower in their house and cut off their families and friends, so you could be safe from COVID. Glad you got what you wanted.

No I wasn't.
Go back to my posts, you'll see in them I
promoted the S. Korean style of handling Covid. (and still do) Which is not a lockdown.

A total lockdown would only be possible in a country like China or N. Korea.
I do not believe it is possible in a free society. Which is why I always liked S. Korea's
methods. Heavy Testing, stay home if you are sick, sanitation & proper ventilation etc..

The problem I've always had is that people really don't stay home when they are sick, and that's unfortunate.

I am giving what I usually give for Christmas, around twenty pounds of grass fed organic beef...steaks, burger, roasts, cube steaks, etc....

I don't like giving gifts that are not used. I know my gift eventually turns to crap, but oh well.

a reply to: JAGStorm

It's called internet purchasing, not hard to understand. Last time went to a physical store was two months ago. Hell, we even order from grubhub 3-4 times a week. Local groceries and whole foods delever in 2 hours.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I am giving what I usually give for Christmas, around twenty pounds of grass fed organic beef...steaks, burger, roasts, cube steaks, etc....

I don't like giving gifts that are not used. I know my gift eventually turns to crap, but oh well.

That's the best kind of gift!

a reply to: JAGStorm

I can't speak for the whole country but from what I see in the stores here it's actually pretty busy.
I don't know how it translates to Christmas spending though.

Something wicked comes this way for sure.

I feel like the mechanism that drives this world isn’t lubricated as it is normally by human emotion and experiences.

Our little societal machine, like an unoiled clock, is about to break down

I usually respect your topics but your tagline of 'flipped doom' lately has seemed the opposite. You are all doom.


That said, we have a lot of Commercial real estate close around here but people are not jobless.

a reply to: JAGStorm

gimme gimme gimme gime gime gimmme gime can i give you my address?

what do you want?

have you been a good boy?

a reply to: rickymouse

a reply to: chris_stibrany

I usually respect your topics but your tagline of 'flipped doom' lately has seemed the opposite. You are all doom.

You misinterpreted my tagline...
I'm just quirky, it's just that mood is doom flipped, just like the word mom still reads mom flipped........

flipped mood?

a reply to: JAGStorm

a reply to: chris_stibrany
mood spelled backwards is doom

a reply to: TKDRL

*shame face*
doesnt mean that her OPs have not been all doom.

i think they have been.

hiding behind a cute flip.

a cute plif

originally posted by: chris_stibrany
a reply to: TKDRL

*shame face*
doesnt mean that her OPs have not been all doom.

i think they have been.

I'm actually quite the optimist, but I am also realistic.
I'm also of an age where I've seen things happen a few times before.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Who needs black friday when everyone grabbed everything they wanted already in the riots?

i once shopped Costco but the Sams' was 5 miles closer & been annual member for 8 years now

i regularly pick up a carton of those Special Dark Chocolate Bars by Hershey, for their health benefit
i also get 8 of those 6volt 'wet' batteries for the maintenance/landscape Golf Cart i've had in service since Nov 2009

so with maybe 10 visits per year, i cannot really compare public floor traffic in the Store
or compare filled-up ...cubic yard big shopping carts

to bad Sams' not selling construction scaffolding ... You'd think i be able to pick & choose with the COVID lockdowns harming construction suppliers/ pawn shops--- but affordable scaffolds are rare as hens teeth here abouts