Not So All-Consuming

The pandemic is disrupting more than our health and our economy. It's changing our habits.

Apotheosis of the Dutch East India Company (Allegory of the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce of the VOC) by Nicolaas Verkolje, early 18th century (public domain - Google Arts)

“Give us the luxuries of life, and we will dispense with the necessities.” — John Lothrop Motley, 1858

A funny thing happened on the way through the pandemic.

The dueling forces of those who are primarily concerned about public health and those who are concerned about the economy are at odds with each other, when in reality, the two are intertwined.

We can’t have a thriving economy without sound public health initiatives. Nor can the health and well-being of citizens without a strong economy to ensure their livelihood.

And yet, sheltering in place meant that our visits to stores necessarily decreased. Fear, uncertainty and product scarcity also meant that online shopping took a hit as well.

But something else happened: our very will to consume was affected.

We don’t need the same things we did before the lockdown began. Stops at the gas station that perhaps yielded a drink, a snack, or a magazine were less frequent. Sales of tops outstripped sales of pants at Walmart (thanks to video calling that only required fashion sense from the waist up).

First, we saw a spike in essentials as prepared (toilet paper, cleaning supplies, flour, yeast), followed by an increase in in-home entertainment once they settled in (Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, etc.). Then the dust settled as we prepared for lockdowns of 6, 8, or 10 weeks or more.

And it seems like our consumer-centric society has cooled a bit.

Unemployment numbers have spiked, with some 33 million Americans out of work. For many it feels hopeless; the bankruptcies of companies like J. Crew, Nieman Marcus and J.C. Penney (as well as the liquidation of Pier 1 Imports) make the already grim retail apocalypse that preceded the pandemic to seem even more stark.

Other Americans begin to wake from this bad dream, groggily heading off to work as certain parts of the economy begin to open again.

From my perspective, it doesn’t seem like our hearts are in it, though.

The Bookends of Economic Tragedy

When you consider other significant economic crises in our past such as the Great Depression and World War II, they were bookended with consumerism.

The Great Depression followed the Roaring Twenties, when the markets were strong and spending was off the charts. But the market crash in 1929 led to a slow-moving economic hit that was unstoppable by Herbert Hoover and his business-friendly solutions. By 1933, unemployment was at nearly 25%.

At that point, the results looked remarkably similar to what we’re experiencing: shuttered businesses, families too worried about the future to make big purchases, and long lines at food banks.

The newly-elected President Roosevelt marshalled as many government and civic forces as he could to get people back to work. The Public Works program employed some 2.5 million people, putting the infrastructure of our country in place. By the time he was finishing his second term of office, we were back on track.

World War II halted much of our economic recovery, and Americans were asked to sacrifice again. Rationing was the norm. But we pulled together and won the war.

But by the time it was over, Americans were tired of doing without. As the economy was rebuilt, so too was a culture of consumerism. Radio and television were littered with advertising, and David Ogilvy learned through research what the consumer wanted.

“The consumer today is the victim of the manufacturer, who launches on him a regiment of products for which he must make houseroom in his soul.” — Mary McCarthy, 1947

If you know of anyone from the Silent Generation or Baby Boomers, you probably know they like their “stuff.” They collect, they consume, they hoard.

There’s a sense of the need to have physical things perhaps because of the uncertainties of past economic disruptions. Or perhaps to refrain from focusing on what really matters.

QVC, The Home Shopping Network, Walmart, Amazon — all of these have enjoyed varying degrees of success because we have made it possible. Our insatiable demand for things is the cornerstone of commerce.

Just as we build monuments to ourselves, we build monuments to commerce. Amazon is the Olympus of shopping; Jeff Bezos is Zeus.

And yet…