DISQUS

AMERICAblog: British retailers see "seismic shift"

  • OlderAndWiser · 1 year ago
    Well, Chris, what do you think the French will say about this?

    http://movies.aol.com/celebrities/hot-celeb-gos...

    I can understand Americans' excuses for the very rich ("if you have it, flaunt it", etc.), but the history of the continent often says otherwise since their sense of class is much more pronounced.

    In an age where many are suffering, why are the rich shoving their wealth in our faces? I think Joseph Stiglitz is right about Americans being obsessed with TV, celebrities, etc., but are Europeans similarly going that route?
  • BarrieT · 1 year ago
    The English certainly are. And God, I know, I'm one.
  • Nigel Elliott · 1 year ago
    In Britain, fuel costs over 125p/litre = $2.50/litre = $10.00/gallon.

  • BarrieT · 1 year ago
    Most of which is tax.
  • OlderAndWiser · 1 year ago
    And Leona Helmsley leaves $8 billion to dogs...which I love, having 3, but what the hell? She truly remains the "Queen of Mean" since children are hurting in this country.

    $8 billion would have funded a lot of early education, health care, food programs, you name it.

    Instead, the money goes to the dogs...that's a hell of a lot of kibble.
  • jr · 1 year ago
    the war on the middle class never lets up
  • Indigo · 1 year ago
    British shoppers remain welcome here in central Florida where the pound buys ever so much more than than it does at Harrods. Welcome, Britorists, bring money and remember to go home.
    (We have a little issue here in Florida about Brits hanging around after their visas expire. Homeland Security doesn't fret about that because . . . well, they're white, arent they?)
    [ahem . . that's a hot tip, John. Investige illegal immigrants from northern Europe and you'll find a nasty nasty. Just saying . . . you want tips? that's a tip.]
  • hardeknox · 1 year ago
    Imagine buying something for 20 bucks, and seeing it in the UK for 20 pounds. This is the usual procedure, no matter what the exchange rate. US shopping's been a bargain for a long time. Part of the increase is a vicious VAT schedule, but remember that most states have their own sales tax, which is half or more the VAT.
  • RobertCMH · 1 year ago
    People driving less wouldn't be such a bad thing if you could actually get someplace without a car in this country. Too much of this country is built in a way that makes it impossible to go anyplace without a car -- and I mean the suburbs, where most have chosen to live.

    Columbus is by no means a particularly dense city (especially compared to my previous home, Boston), but I'm able to do almost all of my daily living -- school/work, shopping, groceries -- withing walking, fairly convenient public transit, or biking. I drive my car (small truck) about 150 miles a month. I barely even notice gas prices -- sure a fill-up has gone up a lot, but I really don't mind when I fill up once every 2 months.

    We're going to have to make new choices for our way of life -- no more easy motoring. Living amidst sprawl is inefficient. No amount of Priuses will change the fact that we are entering the decline of oil availability...it will only postpone the inevitable. We need to live where we can walk or ride a train to our jobs, shopping, groceries, etc -- in cities, in towns where there are actual neighborhoods with a mix of residences and businesses.
  • minidriver · 1 year ago
    That's why they have been building the mega strip malls in the suburbs Still a really long walk, but I can find most of the normal national chain restaurants and retailers within 10 miles of the house. Now I just wish I could have more of the mom and pop places in there instead of just the big box places.