LFG!

Taylor Swift continues to carry the US economy on her shoulders, this time boosting the sale of Travis Kelce football jerseys. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/taylor-swift-effect-travis-kelce-sees-huge-spike-in-jersey-sales-amid-romance-rumors-with-pop-star/.

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1706072572939669639

Selling RV's is always a great tell on the mood of the consumer both because of the high ticket price and the usual need to finance the purchase. Thor Industries last night in their earnings release said "In planning for fiscal 2024, current mixed macroeconomic data and cautious dealer sentiment serve as a reminder that the retail environment, though showing signs of improvement over the course of the summer selling season, continues to be challenging. As a result, the Company continues to be cautious on the global economic outlook and associated impacts on consumer demand and appetite for discretionary purchases." 

Here was some macro talk from last week's Darden Restaurants call which owns everything from Olive Garden, to Longhorn steaks, Ruth's Chris, Capital Grille and Eddie V's. They did see some softness in the 'fine dining' category in particular. "Overall, we think the consumer continues to be resilient, but they seem to be a little bit more selective. We are seeing a little softness vs last year with household incomes above $125,000, and that primarily affects our fine dining brands, but it does affect all of our brands. Now this could be because the luxury travel, particularly international travel, which you've heard a lot of people talk about. But as I've said before many times, there is a tension between what people want to pay and what they can afford, and they're going to continue to seek value, not always about low price. They're making trade-offs and food away from home is one of the most difficult things they can give up."