The Economy, from a Local Perspective
On Saturday, Nov. 1st, I was tallying up the sales numbers here at the store for October.
October was good. October showed a big increase. Every month since opening in July we have had an upward trend.
Business was good.
Judging from that Saturday and the following Monday, it looked like we were on our way to an even better November... and then Election Day.
Not a single customer!
I didn't get too alarmed-I had seen the same kind of thing during our local Election Day back in August. Biz was very light on that day. But it bounced back the next day. So maybe it was just a local thing.
The next day I had one customer. Bought a pack of smokes.
Thursday was just as bad. By Friday I was wondering if I should even bother with opening the store that day!
It was weird. It was like this whole area of the county went into lock down. Even my regulars, who always stopped in on their way to work just kept driving by and never stopping. Maybe the shock was just too great. Maybe the natives were hunkering down, fearing the worst after the election. I had never seen this neighborhood so quiet and dead. It was creepy and unsettling.
I always had a slight drop in biz towards the end of the month. The last week of a month being the slowest. But this was the first part of the month. This wasn't right. Something was afoot.
It was bad enough to make me reconsider my plans for deer season, or at least scale them back some.
This slow to none existent biz continued into this week. By Wednesday it was slowly picking back up. But folks weren't much in a chatty mood- just pay for their goods and split. And more than one had put something back, after pondering it for a moment. Like that can of tomatoes or candy bar was gonna break 'em. Strange. I think I was seeing fear, or at the very least worry of uncertainty.
Finally, by this past Friday it appeared that the shock had wore off. Friday was a good day.
Today is opening day for rifle deer season. I'm up bright and early and will be opening for biz extra early with hot coffee and assorted pastries and sausage biscuits for the hunters. I've stocked up on freezer paper and other incidentals essential for deer cabins, I have plenty of bagged ice on hand for their coolers. Now we wait and see.
A good week during deer season will make up for that freaky "Obama Effect".
And we really need a good week!
Was it shock? Was it fear and worry that led to my worst week ever, sales wise? Dunno. Just throwing this out there.
Now, I'm off to open the store...and hope for a good day.
October was good. October showed a big increase. Every month since opening in July we have had an upward trend.
Business was good.
Judging from that Saturday and the following Monday, it looked like we were on our way to an even better November... and then Election Day.
Not a single customer!
I didn't get too alarmed-I had seen the same kind of thing during our local Election Day back in August. Biz was very light on that day. But it bounced back the next day. So maybe it was just a local thing.
The next day I had one customer. Bought a pack of smokes.
Thursday was just as bad. By Friday I was wondering if I should even bother with opening the store that day!
It was weird. It was like this whole area of the county went into lock down. Even my regulars, who always stopped in on their way to work just kept driving by and never stopping. Maybe the shock was just too great. Maybe the natives were hunkering down, fearing the worst after the election. I had never seen this neighborhood so quiet and dead. It was creepy and unsettling.
I always had a slight drop in biz towards the end of the month. The last week of a month being the slowest. But this was the first part of the month. This wasn't right. Something was afoot.
It was bad enough to make me reconsider my plans for deer season, or at least scale them back some.
This slow to none existent biz continued into this week. By Wednesday it was slowly picking back up. But folks weren't much in a chatty mood- just pay for their goods and split. And more than one had put something back, after pondering it for a moment. Like that can of tomatoes or candy bar was gonna break 'em. Strange. I think I was seeing fear, or at the very least worry of uncertainty.
Finally, by this past Friday it appeared that the shock had wore off. Friday was a good day.
Today is opening day for rifle deer season. I'm up bright and early and will be opening for biz extra early with hot coffee and assorted pastries and sausage biscuits for the hunters. I've stocked up on freezer paper and other incidentals essential for deer cabins, I have plenty of bagged ice on hand for their coolers. Now we wait and see.
A good week during deer season will make up for that freaky "Obama Effect".
And we really need a good week!
Was it shock? Was it fear and worry that led to my worst week ever, sales wise? Dunno. Just throwing this out there.
Now, I'm off to open the store...and hope for a good day.
posted by white trash republican at Saturday, November 15, 2008
3 Comments:
we were all sick
Good luck. I hope you are stocking up on ammo.
First off amiga, I apologize fer not havin been around as much as I once did, but fer a spell there, you weren't posting much so I sorta lost track.
Secondly, I agree with both anonymous and Lem, and especially the ammo part.
Liz, from what I'm seeing presently(and have witnessed following election day) both on a personal level (locally), and nationally via several media, you just described a microcosm of what happened, and is still happening throughout our nation.
Conservative, traditional and folks who believe in some form of a benevolent Higher Power, all across this country are really scared and concerned about what the future holds. I know I personally am very concerned.
Couple this with the fear and uncertainty of a coming recession (and God forbid...a depression), and the result is exactly what you and other business owner's have, and are, experiencing. Your post is spot on.
So, where am I going with this? The thought that comforts me is this. In that I believe in God as an all knowing creator, he (or she ;-) ) knows everything that ever has, or will happen, and also knows the outcome. I personally believe that God simply lets things happen as they are meant to happen, and although something may have a bad or negative outcome, the "Big Guy (or Gal") will then turn it into a positive and something good will come out of it. This my personal belief based on my own experiences and observations.
When I'm bothered and worried about existing circumstances, I find this belief somewhat comforting knowing that something good will come out of all this. It also helps me immensely when I say the "Serenity Prayer", which I believe you are familiar with.
So, now that I've taken up a goodly amount of your time, I'll leave you with this short piece of wisdom, "Never trust a skinny Cook".... ;-)
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