Hot in Recession: Chocolate, Running Shoes, Spam

[steven johnson]

It's not a down market in everything. People may not be buying cars or airplane tickets but they are buying gold, guns, gardening supplies and cheap basics.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's not all doom and gloom in the U.S. economy. Some products are bucking the recession and flying off store shelves.

Sales of chocolate and running shoes are up. Wine drinkers haven't stopped sipping; they just seem to be choosing cheaper vintages.

Gold coins are selling like hot cakes. So are gardening seeds. Tanning products are piling up in shopping carts; maybe more people are finding color in a bottle than from sun-worshipping on a faraway beach.

Strong sales of Spam, Dinty Moore stew and chili helped Hormel Foods Corp. post a 6 percent increase in first quarter sales in its grocery products unit.


Hot in Recession: Chocolate, Running Shoes, Spam

Text

[Warpy]

1. Don't knock Dinty Moore

Back when I ate meat I could get 4 meals out of a can of that stuff, parsimoniously doled out to flavor rice.

Then I discovered beans.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Spam, Dinty Moore and Corned beef hash at Dollar store prices

can feed the 2 of us, with rice and beans and cheese, for a week, for under 10.00.

The Dollar store, the local produce stands and one tiny "been here forever" community grocery store
which sells great local meats, keep us fed very well, very cheaply.

Love small towns.

[BeFree]

2. So

I should begin making Spam and chocolate flavored running shoes that melt in your mouth as you are running at work to play?

[soothsayer]

4. I myself have bought chocolate, running shoes, cheaper wine, and tanning products in the past week

oh and gardening seeds too.

Guess I need to try Spam!

[Moondog]

5. Don't knock Dinty Moore

It's really not bad at all. But on the other hand, I tried Spam some years ago. I just couldn't get my mouth to swallow it.

[PassingFair]

6. Auto repair, used cars, pawn shops.coin shops and bankruptcy lawyers....

in Michigan, these are the only businesses
that I see thriving.

Fields you might think are booming, but are NOT:

Divorce lawyers are DOWN, because
people don't have home equity to
split.

Bail Bonds are DOWN, because people
don't have cars or home equity for
collateral...people are just staying
in JAIL.

[Danascot]

7. ... and condoms

What's the last thing people want in a recession? More kids, apparently. According to data-tracking firm the Nielsen Co., dollar sales of products in the "family planning" category, which include condoms and over-the-counter female contraceptives, were up 10.2% for the first two months of this year.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1884149,00.html