Summertime blues?Many retailers, such as Starbucks, Whole Foods Market, and Williams Sonoma, have reported a decrease in sales. Among the causes could be increased gas prices, which make drivers think twice about both the drive to the store and their discretionary spending. So the Business Journal asks: Are gas prices or any other economic concerns making you change your spending habits when it comes to upscale purchases? Madeleine Drake Director of Marketing Singer Lewak Greenbaum & Goldstein LLP LLP - Lower Layer Protocol I have recently changed jobs and increased my commute TO COMMUTE. To substitute one punishment in the place of another. For example, if a man be sentenced to be hung, the executive may, in some states, commute his punishment to that of imprisonment. by 60 miles per day. My 16-year-old daughter just got her drivers license. I have realized a $300 a month increase in what I spend at the pump. I don't like it, but it is something I will live with, because you really have no choice. Will I avoid going out to dinner or buying a gourmet latte? Probably not. Will I buy a new set of copper cookware or remodel re·mod·el tr.v. re·mod·eled also re·mod·elled, re·mod·el·ing also re·mod·el·ling, re·mod·els also re·mod·els To make over in structure or style; reconstruct. my bathroom right now? No. Richard Baratta Director of Risk Management Port of Long Beach I commute a long way and spend a lot on gas. When gas goes up five or 10 cents and I have to buy gas every other day, it does make a difference in my spending habits. I don't eat out as much and I cut down on shopping. I've never been big on impulse spending, but now I think about purchases even more. Even things I need, I sometimes hold off on buying. I still shop at the same places; I just don't spend as much. For example, I used to spend around $200 at Costco; now I try to keep it to $100. The "I want's" get left on the shelf and the "I really need's" are bought. Michael Kim Michael Kim (born January 26, 1964) in Fulton, Missouri, is an anchor on ESPNEWS flagship program The Hot List along with Brian Kenny and is also contributes to ESPN's flagship program SportsCenter. Vice President and Project Director HKS HKS Harvard Kennedy School (John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; Cambridge, MA) HKS Hrvatski Košarkaški Savez (Croatian Basketball Federation) HKS Silver Hake HKS Hong Kong Standard Architects Inc. Rising gas prices haven't affected my spending habits at all. That's partially due to the fact that I didn't spend that much on luxury products to begin with. I have two small kids, so everything I buy is what they need. Gas prices also haven't impacted where I shop or how far I drive to shop, although they probably should. But although this hasn't impacted me personally, the gas prices have had a tremendous impact on the construction industry. From a construction stand point, we're getting hit three times because the cost of raw material, the cost of energy required to produce the product and the cost of energy required to transport the materials have gone up immensely. Matt Rohr Vice President of Development Pacific Lodge The Pacific lodge style of architecture is based loosely on vague notions of cedar lodges and log cabin dwellings of early inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and Canada. Youth Services I used to work in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or . Now I work in Woodland Hills and, unfortunately, I drive an SUV. So the rising gas prices have affected my purchases. I used to be more brand name conscious and now I do a lot more comparative shopping. I shop among different retailers to find the best price. Although there are still some things I can't live without, like my morning Jamba Juice Jamba Juice is a high-end chain of smoothie restaurants headquartered in Emeryville, California with over 640 locations operating in 21 states, the District of Columbia and the Bahamas. Over 400 locations are company-owned, with the remainder being franchised. . Ruth Drizen-Dohs Founder and Chief Executive Drizen-Dohs Corporate Communications Corporate communications is the process of facilitating information and knowledge exchanges with internal and key external groups and individuals that have a direct relationship with an enterprise. Inc. Before, gas prices were not on my radar screen, but now they are. I'm more aware of the amount of time and distance that I drive than I was before. A $70 price tag on tag on Verb to add at the end of something: a throwaway remark, tagged on at the end of a casual conversation Verb 1. a tank of gas shocked me into being aware. However, my business is tied to me being mobile. And although I'm more aware of rising gas prices, they haven't caused me to change my shopping habits or travel shorter distances. All things being equal, I would choose a closer store or restaurant even without the high gas prices. |
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