It certainly appears that the macro U.S. economy is in recovery mode. Bloomberg news reported today:
"Inventories in the U.S. rose 0.5 percent in February, the most since July 2008, as companies boosted orders to try to keep up with sales". The report went onto state: "Efforts to stabilize inventories contributed 3.8 percentage points to the U.S. economy’s 5.6 percent annual rate of expansion in the fourth quarter of 2009. Last quarter’s growth rate was the strongest in six years."
Great -- unfortunately when I look at my backlog and sales forecast I don't see it yet. When I speak to an office furniture colleague in Florida, he echoes my experiences of declining sales and gross margins, with an uncertain sales funnel. When I speak to a local east bay commercial broker, he tells me things are as slow as they have been in months...
This is what golfers call "grinding"...
"Inventories in the U.S. rose 0.5 percent in February, the most since July 2008, as companies boosted orders to try to keep up with sales". The report went onto state: "Efforts to stabilize inventories contributed 3.8 percentage points to the U.S. economy’s 5.6 percent annual rate of expansion in the fourth quarter of 2009. Last quarter’s growth rate was the strongest in six years."
Great -- unfortunately when I look at my backlog and sales forecast I don't see it yet. When I speak to an office furniture colleague in Florida, he echoes my experiences of declining sales and gross margins, with an uncertain sales funnel. When I speak to a local east bay commercial broker, he tells me things are as slow as they have been in months...
This is what golfers call "grinding"...
