Shoppers—tired of pinching pennies—are beginning to treat themselves again, according to a report on MSNBC. A stock-market rally and income tax refunds are prompting more people to splurge a little. Consumer spending grew by 2.2 percent in the first quarter of the year, the government said in late April, the biggest gain in two years. Gallup, which interviews about 1,000 people daily, points to spending stabilizing since February, after a precipitous drop since last summer.
-- Sarah
Posted by: |