Wait a minute….. Are Financial Analysts/Media Playing Games With Holiday Growth Rate of Consumer Spending?

CTH:

Here’s a weird question.  I’ve been looking at this all day.  Something sketchy is afoot.  I waited specifically for CBS to report so that I could share an exact comparison.

In 2017 total holiday sales were reported as follows:

2017 CBS – […] They had a lot of company across the country. Total retail sales this holiday season added up to a record $598 billion dollars — up $33 billion from last year. (link)

In 2018 total holiday sales were reported as follows:

2018 WSJ and CBS – […]  Overall, U.S. consumers spent over $850 billion this holiday season, according to Mastercard. The figures suggest a stock-market swoon and partial government shutdown haven’t curbed consumer confidence and spending. (link)

See the issue?..

In all 2017 financial media reports $598 billion was the holiday spending total.  And in all of 2018 financial media reports $850 billion was the total holiday spending.

That’s a difference of $252 billion more spent in 2018.  An increase of 42%.

A forty-two percent increase !!

Now, you might say it’s simply a difference in the media source.  However, CBS is cited specifically to avoid this possible disparity.  MORE

See Also:

Former Walmart CEO Bill Simon Discusses Strong Holiday Sales and What It Means for Economy

It’s a little funny to watch this.  The chicken little pearl-clutchers at Fox Business: ‘orange-man-bad tariffs‘ -vs- former Walmart CEO Bill Simon on strong holiday retail sales, global growth and the U.S-China trade reset.

The Wall Street business-pundits are pre-programmed, at an institutional dna level, to jump into the “tariffs are bad” talking points.  Mr. Simon aptly dispatches them with a dose of reality from the Wal-Mart/Main Street perspective.  [It’s kinda funny]