Returns, Polls and Ratings

Food for Thought: Always remember when people disagree with your economic and or, political views is what they are really saying is I have a closed mind because I have my beliefs. Liberal is not a bad word. It means to have an open mind. It is okay to be conservative too and base your beliefs on values. However, people at one time believed in many false truths like the world is flat.

It is a new year and the RPR is a popular forecast sandwich. We, at Evolution believe that the "Return Factor" is an overlooked aspect. It holds a deeper meaning with the amount of merchandise returned. We are not scholars that spend a lifetime looking at aspects to make a determination. We may not be as accurate as those deeper intellecturals, but we feel that we are 300-hitters using a baseball analogy. Anyway, we feel the larger the volume of retrurns forebodes a weaker consumer and it is an indicator for consumer spending for the coming year. 

At one time, reteail firms took returns and refunded or offered another product with no questions asked. Today, you need an ID, a receit, and if paid by credit card, the same card. You go through a thorough check at customer service to verify the product. This also happens, although unseen by e-commerce. Of course, paying by credit card makes the process easier. With that said, e-commerce is beginning to charge shipping costs. In the future we see retail adding fees for returns. There is no free lunch.

Polls

A media service asked their patrons for their opinion on things that they were concerned about for 2024. This is the results from 34 nations with an average of 25,000 responses.

1) 71% say climate events is their biggest worry.                                                                                        2) 71% say immigration will continue and they worry about the consequences.                                          3) 64% say AI will cause the loss of many jobs.                                                                                            4) 59% say workers will return to work at their office.                                                                                  5) 35% say Trump will be re-elected in 2024.                                                                                                6) 31% say they do not believe the Ukraine war will end in 2024.

Ratings

The Fitch Ratings Service downgraded the US standing in global ranking from AAA to AA. This means the US will have to pay a premium in seeking loans from international lenders. They based their results on the excessive US debt, now at $34 trillion and poor governance. This should be a headline, especially in an election year. Sadly, American citizens are numb to debt figures since we have a deficit every year. The number is not understandable and people do not grasp how wealth is made. In addition, there are multiple trillions that are off the books like social security. Our society does not realize the dangers of the US losing its currency as the world's reserve. There are forces seeking to dethrone King $Dollar. We have stated this before. We need an amendment to force our government to have a balanced budget. We don't need to wake up one morning to the news that our dollar is no longer king. If that were to happen, we would be a Third World country with an atomic bomb like India, Pakistan and North Korea. 

Try to find peace. As for me, I'm trying to locate my receipt. I still shop at brick and mortar stores. Later.