The Consumer Mind and the Impeachment

There’s a lot to cram into the holiday season, the consumer brain and the body politic right now. With just 26 days between carving the turkey and unwrapping the presents, it will be a quicker-than-usual sprint this year, and there are more headlines and news alerts than ever to distract shoppers. If the House’s investigation into President Donald Trump leads to an impeachment in relatively short order, the Senate will be in the midst of a trial to determine if he should be removed from office just as retailers are putting up the holiday discounts. With the Senate firmly led by Republicans, Trump seems set to stay. But the process promises to bring the fiery rhetoric around all things Trump to a new fever pitch. Already there is enough for merchants to fret. Total retail sales fell unexpectedly in September. And the broader economy appears to be faltering, with the International Monetary Fund projecting global growth will slow to 3 percent this year — its slowest since the financial crisis — based on rising trade barriers and geopolitics. Is there any chance consumers will log off e-commerce and stay away from stores as they tune in to the trial or put their finger to the

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