[nikrdc]

Re (1): It looks like (consumer durables / consumer expenditures) returned to the level it was at prior to the late-2000s recession. Do you have any explanations for what happened from 2010 to 2020? Seems like 12-15% is a more "normal" level than the 10-11% we saw during the 2010s.

[TradingPlaces]

Very good question and long discussion. But the short of it is that people favored experiences over things with their spare income. A trip to Disneyland instead of a new TV. Now Disney seems too dangerous for many, so they buy more TVs. This is the most dramatic shift in consumer preferences ever.

[hooande]

do you have a link to a source or more discussion on this?

[finance_astroid]

This is a solid article, a bit old and less economically authoritative, but underscores what everyone has been seeing if you watch the economy (economic data lags, the best place to look is usually quarterly earnings reports and commentary i.e. transcripts) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/business/public-gathering...