Shoppers' New Mantra: Treat Yourself
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How has the pandemic changed overall U.S. retail spending?
Here's your Money Briefing for Thursday, December 17th. I'm J.R. Whelan for The Wall Street Journal. U.S. retail sales figures fell in October and November as an indication that consumers cut their spending amid rising coronavirus cases, more shutdowns, and overall economic uncertainty. But even as consumers pull back, many are also selectively splurging on higher-end items they might not otherwise consider.
You know, it's been a tough year. Maybe your friends or your kids or your family, you know, have struggled this year. You want to do something nice for them and you want to do something nice for yourself.
Coming up, our retail reporter Suzanne Kappner will discuss how the pandemic has shifted consumers' mindsets. And we'll hear from one who ditched the store brand products in favor of something a bit nicer. That's after the break.
Why are some consumers 'trading up' to higher-end products during the downturn?
The economic downturn is putting a strain on retail sales, but it's actually boosting an unlikely area. More consumers are treating themselves with higher-end and luxury items. Our retail reporter Suzanne Kappner has more on the trend. Suzanne, thanks for being here.
Thanks for having me.
So the pandemic has hit households particularly hard this year, yet many people are splurging. So I guess my first question is, where's the money coming from?
Well, people are spending less on traveling, entertainment, dining out. And, you know, even those, from the data I've seen, even those, you know, have lower incomes or maybe have had some, you know, impact to their income and their employment, you know, overall, they are still spending less. So there is more disposable income to be spent on other things.
Okay. So who's doing the splurging?
Which shoppers are splurging and what items are they buying more of?
And is this widespread?
Well, it seems like it's really taken off during the pandemic. What they're talking about are these aspirational customers. These are people who love and crave luxury items, but they can't afford them on a regular basis. So now when they feel like they have a little more money in their pocket, they might treat themselves to the designer handbag, the expensive watch, the diamond jewelry. And even, you know, it goes down to sort of everyday products like olive oil and spaghetti sauce. You know, a big market research firm that looks at $1.1 trillion in consumer spending across grocery stores and consumer products, they found this across all income segments people are trading up to the premium bottled water, the premium detergent.
You know, even if you're making sort of at the lower end of the income spectrum, this is happening. You know, the trend pre-pandemic had been toward experiences, and this was especially true for younger people. They had shifted their spending away from things to experiences like travel, you know, concerts, dining out with friends. And during the pandemic, that has shifted back. And what a lot of retailers are seeing is that the CEO of Bloomingdale's told me that people are realizing they can buy really nice things that don't cost nearly as much as experiences do.
Now, wait, I want to go back to something you said a moment ago. Jewelry sales are up. People don't really have anywhere to go to show it off. What's the thinking behind that?
Well, executives at Signet Jewelers are saying that women want Zoom-worthy jewelry, so they're buying larger diamond studs that show up online. Or people just want to treat themselves. One of their customers bought three luxury watches. They cost $10,000 a piece.
Why are jewelry and ‘Zoom-worthy’ accessories selling despite fewer social events?
They said it's very unusual to see someone buy three of these watches in one shot. So, you know, it's a little bit of guilt gifting, as one commentator told me, that, you know, whether you're giving to someone else or giving to yourself, You know, it's been a tough year. Maybe your friends or your kids or your family, you know, have struggled this year. You want to do something nice for them and you want to do something nice for yourself.
Oh, those Zoom calls. I guess everybody wants to be a video star.
Well, yeah, there's a whole, you know, the lighting, the makeup, you know, there's a whole production that goes into looking good on Zoom.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How has the pandemic changed overall U.S. retail spending?
0:05–0:56
2
Why are some consumers 'trading up' to higher-end products during the downturn?
0:56–1:44
3
Which shoppers are splurging and what items are they buying more of?
1:44–3:26
4
Why are jewelry and ‘Zoom-worthy’ accessories selling despite fewer social events?
3:26–4:12
5
How did a New York City consumer’s shopping habits shift toward luxury cosmetics?
4:12–6:39
6
Did increased video meetings (Zoom) influence consumers’ beauty purchases?
6:39–7:51
7
How are retailers making luxury purchases more accessible with payment options?
7:51–8:58
8
Will retailers and consumers revert after the pandemic or keep the 'treat yourself' trend?
8:58–10:09
Speakers
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