ACCORDING TO THE REPORT ON THE WEBSITE OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES ON MAY 1, THE EXECUTIVES OF SOME ************ RETAILERS, MANUFACTURERS AND CONSUMER GOODS MANUFACTURERS IN THE WORLD SAID THAT THERE ARE SIGNS THAT AMERICANS ARE INCREASINGLY UNWILLING TO BEAR THE RISE IN PRICES.THE MANUFACTURER OF MARLBORO, ALTRIA GROUP, SAID THAT DUE TO THE RISE IN GASOLINE PRICES, THE DISPOSABLE INCOME OF SMOKERS HAS SHRUNK, AND SOME SMOKERS HAVE TURNED TO BUYING CHEAP BRANDS. SLEEP DIGITAL COMPANY AND TAIPU SILIAN GROUP HAVE WARNED THAT DEMAND FOR MATTRESSES AND SOME LARGE ITEMS IS DECLINING. FLOWER AND GIFT E-COMMERCE COMPANY 1-800 FLOWERS SAID THAT THE COMPANY BELIEVES THAT CONSUMER SPENDING ON FLOWERS HAS DECREASED, PARTLY DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT RISING INFLATION.CONSUMER SPENDING ACCOUNTS FOR THE MAJORITY OF U.S. ECONOMIC OUTPUT, AND ECONOMISTS ARE CLOSELY WATCHING HOW AMERICANS RESPOND TO THE SITUATION OF RISING INFLATION. THE WIDENING TRADE DEFICIT AND SLOWING DOWN OF CORPORATE INVENTORY INVESTMENT LED TO A CONTRACTION IN THE US GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN THE FIRST QUARTER.GOVERNMENT DATA SHOWS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INTENSIFYING THEIR PURCHASES OF TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION SUPPLIES RECENTLY. HOWEVER, SEASONALLY ADJUSTED SPENDING ON DURABLE GOODS SUCH AS CARS AND APPLIANCES DECREASED FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH IN MARCH THIS YEAR.JONATHAN MATUSHEVSKY, AN ANALYST AT JEFFERIES GROUP, SAID, "YOU WILL SEE THAT CONSUMERS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY TIRED OF CERTAIN PRICE INCREASES. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT CONSUMERS WANT TO SPEND ON TOURISM AND ENTERTAINMENT, BUT THEY WILL FEEL ECONOMICALLY FINE AND REALLY GO AHEAD AND SPENDNOT ALL COMPANIES ARE FACING A SALES SLOWDOWN. DAILY CONSUMER GOODS MANUFACTURERS LIKE PROCTER&GAMBLE HAVE STATED THAT CONSUMERS ARE STILL WILLING TO PAY FOR HIGHER PRICED BRANDS SUCH AS LAUNDRY DETERGENT AND RAZORS. PROCTER&GAMBLE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED QUARTERLY SALES GROWTH OF ****** SCALE OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES. THE BARBIE DOLL MANUFACTURER MATTEL SET A RECORD FOR SALES IN THE FIRST QUARTER.COCA COLA REPORTED THAT IN THE THREE MONTHS ENDING APRIL 1ST, SALES IN ALL BUSINESS SEGMENTS OF THE COMPANY INCREASED, EVEN THOUGH PRODUCT PRICES WERE HIGHER THAN A YEAR AGO.MCDONALD'S EXECUTIVES SAID THAT DESPITE THE PRICE INCREASE ON THE MENU, THE COMPANY HOPES THAT THEIR PRODUCTS WILL STILL BE PERCEIVED AS GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY BY DINERS. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER KEVIN OZAN TOLD ANALYSTS ON APRIL 28TH THAT ONE THING THAT IS FAVORABLE FOR THIS FAST FOOD CHAIN IS THAT THE INCREASE IN DOMESTIC FOOD PRICES HAS EXCEEDED THE INCREASE IN FOREIGN FOOD PRICES.DURING MOST OF THE PANDEMIC, STRONG CONSUMER SPENDING PROVIDED MOMENTUM FOR THE US ECONOMY AS AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS BENEFITED FROM GOVERNMENT STIMULUS PLANS, WAGE INCREASES, AND A REBOUND IN THE US JOB MARKET IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC. THE REBOUND IN THE JOB MARKET HAS PUSHED THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE TO NEAR PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.FROM BABY WIPES TO WASHING MACHINES, COMPANIES THAT PRODUCE VARIOUS PRODUCTS WERE ABLE TO INCREASE PRICES WITHOUT SUPPRESSING DEMAND. NOW, SOME EXECUTIVES AND ANALYSTS SAY THAT INFLATION - WHICH REACHED ITS HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE 1981 IN MARCH THIS YEAR - IS CURBING THE PURCHASING POWER OF AMERICANS. FOR EXAMPLE, GROCERS AND OTHER FOOD AND STAPLE FOOD RETAILERS SAY THAT SHOPPERS ARE INCREASINGLY SEEKING DISCOUNTED PRODUCTS AND LOW-PRICED BRANDS.IN RECENT MONTHS, SEVERE INFLATION AND GEOPOLITICAL UNCERTAINTY HAVE SHAKEN THE CONFIDENCE OF AMERICAN CONSUMERS, "SCOTT THOMPSON, CEO OF TAIPUL SILIAN GROUP, TOLD ANALYSTS ON APRIL 28THAMAZON EXECUTIVES SAY THAT EVEN AFTER THE RETAIL GIANT ANNOUNCED ITS SLOWEST QUARTERLY SALES GROWTH IN ABOUT 20 YEARS, THEY STILL HAVEN'T SEEN ANY SIGNS OF WEAK CONSUMER DEMAND. AMAZON'S HOPE FOR CONSUMERS TO TIGHTEN THEIR SPENDING IS ACTUALLY BENEFICIAL TO THE COMPANY.AMAZON'S CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER BRIAN OLSAVSKY TOLD ANALYSTS AND INVESTORS ON APRIL 28TH, "WE RECOGNIZE THE CURRENT INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS. HISTORY HAS REPEATEDLY SHOWN THAT PEOPLE ARE USING AMAZON PRECISELY AT THIS TIMETHIS HEALTH CRISIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR OVER TWO YEARS, AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING VACCINATED AND RETURNING TO THEIR NORMAL LIVES, ONLINE RETAILERS ARE ALSO STRUGGLING TO COPE WITH SHOPPERS SHIFTING MORE EXPENSES TO PHYSICAL STORES.WHIRLPOOL CEO MARK BITZER SAID THAT ALTHOUGH SALES IN THE MOST RECENT QUARTER WERE LOWER THAN A YEAR AGO WHEN NORTH AMERICAN CONSUMERS WERE HEAVILY PURCHASING HOME GOODS DURING THE LOCKDOWN PERIOD, THEY WERE STILL SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.HE SAID THAT VARIOUS FACTORS, INCLUDING PEOPLE'S INCREASING USE OF HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES, SHOULD STIMULATE CONSUMER DEMAND FOR THE COMPANY'S DISHWASHERS, REFRIGERATORS, AND OTHER PRODUCTS.THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CONSUMER DEMAND TRENDS WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR MANY YEARS, "SAID THE CEO OF THIS ELECTRONICS COMPANY AT A FINANCIAL REPORT CONFERENCE ON APRIL 26TH