We’re all juggling a lot of topics these days. Conflicting and disappointing economic news, the barrage of fatalistic political ads, and before long ghouls and goblins will be knocking on our doors in search of things that no self-respecting dietician could support. (Please read more about trick-or-treat below.)
But cheer up…the fighting Phils are on a tear, in a dozen-days-and-a-wake-up political season 2022 will be over (we hope), and while we can’t individually do much about the international economy, we can affect the viability of our local merchants and service providers.
Tomorrow, the third quarter report of gross domestic product will be released. Most analysts who the Chamber tracks are suggesting that modest growth of 1.7% will be reported. On its face any growth, after reporting the first two quarters of contraction, which is the technical definition of a recession, will be good news.
But it’s the ‘internals’ of this report which will be the most concerning. Wise economic influencers will laser in on third quarter consumer spending. Weakness here would be very troubling. We know that tech spending has been lackluster. Many businesses, particularly small business, depend on year-end and holiday-related spending to vault them into profitably for the coming year.
That’s where we all come in. Let’s launch a “Buy Local, first” sensibility for the Greater Susquehanna Valley. Building on the highly successful Small Business Saturday, the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau’s Shop Local promotions, and the many Late Shoppers Nights throughout our valley we can push back against any downturn in local consumer confidence.
So, it’s not all ghouls and goblins. We know that the unknown can be scary, but when we focus locally, and we come together, we all win. Speaking of coming together, here are just a few items that I wanted to make sure you knew about:
Rise & Shine: What happens now?
On November 10th at 8:30 am, in a virtual format, you and your colleagues are invited to hear from an expert what the outcome of the November 8th election means for our valley, our state, and the nation. Please register at gsvcc.org.
Trick or Treat-Yikes, ghouls and goblins are at the door…
From Where I Sit
