"Consumers are getting more selective" has become the most overused corporate euphemism of the past 5 years.
Every earnings call, every analyst note, same line.
What they actually mean:
- Our stuff is too expensive
- People are broke
- We misjudged demand
- Competitors are eating our lunch
It's never "we priced wrong" or "our product isn't worth it anymore." Always the consumer's fault for being "selective."
Meanwhile real consumer behavior: they're just buying what they need, skipping what they don't, and hunting for deals. That's not being selective. That's called being normal when your rent went up 30% and your grocery bill doubled.
Corporate America has spent years blaming inflation on supply chains, wages, and now "selective consumers" — anything except their own pricing power addiction.
If you hear this phrase in an earnings call, translate it: margin pressure incoming.
Every earnings call, every analyst note, same line.
What they actually mean:
- Our stuff is too expensive
- People are broke
- We misjudged demand
- Competitors are eating our lunch
It's never "we priced wrong" or "our product isn't worth it anymore." Always the consumer's fault for being "selective."
Meanwhile real consumer behavior: they're just buying what they need, skipping what they don't, and hunting for deals. That's not being selective. That's called being normal when your rent went up 30% and your grocery bill doubled.
Corporate America has spent years blaming inflation on supply chains, wages, and now "selective consumers" — anything except their own pricing power addiction.
If you hear this phrase in an earnings call, translate it: margin pressure incoming.