March 12, 2015
For the first time since records have been kept, Americans have spent more in restaurants than in grocery stores. Mark J. Perry, a University of Michigan economics professor, says spending in restaurants has soared in the past six months—a time when the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq have reached record highs. Perry said eating in restaurants has become “less of a special occasion” and for some people an “everyday occasion.” A March 6 Yahoo! News article cites Anna Weinberg, founder of three San Francisco restaurants, who said local companies have begun using her restaurants as meeting places. In January, spending in restaurants totaled $50.475 billion versus $50.466 billion spent in grocery stores.
Restaurants are a focal point for the expression of positive social mood. Learn more about social mood’s influence on society by checking out our flagship publication, The Socionomist.
If you look closely, you can see patterns in social mood that help you predict social trends. Learn more with the Socionomics Premier Membership.
The Socionomist enables you to see trend-shaping waves of social mood, as reflected by the stock market — and capitalize on them. The June issue looks at phases of social mood and features a “Research Roundup,” which highlights five academic studies that shine a light on important aspects of socionomic theory. Mood Riffs topics include “quiet luxury,” loneliness, the Writers Guild strike and efforts by countries to trade in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Read the June issue when you become a Socionomics Premier Member.
