What is the "lipstick effect", and why is it important?

Hmmm....

I don't know. Seems kinda dubious to me. Like someone is Playing with numbers and stuff.

For instance: In hard times people don't buy big items they buy small luxuries.

Ok. So interest rates rise. Um, yeah people won't buy a big priced item. Because, hot dang, it will cost more due to higher interest. So do they top spending? Of course not, they just buy stuff that doesn't require interest. Money still flows, right?

Point is, people still Want to buy the big items. It's just the High Interest prevents them.

So LOreal has increase in sales.... compared to???? Same time previous year? Fine, how about the year before, and the year before that and the year before that and so on? Isn't it the goal of all business to have Increased Sales from one year to the next?

It's not like LOreal would have had sales losses for years but now, looky look, sales increase heralding the bad times.

Sorry, without knowing what they compare their sales numbers to, nor the historical sales record, the claim linking the two is dubious.

Sales Increase. What's that even mean? Gross revenue increase? Net profit increase? SKUs sold increase?

Hey, lipstick at half price, come get a bucket full.

Boss, we increased sales.

Yeah, but we didn't make as much money dummkopf.

Or...

Boss we increased sales.

Yeah, and made more money thanks to our new whizzbang manufacturing process that lets us halve prices while increasing profits. Of course, all the articles we paid to have run in the brainwash women's mags that advised lipstick helped a treat. And Operah's suggestion to wear lipstick was dy-no-mite! (tip of the hat to J.J.)

Or

Hey, Boss, good idea to lower prices to get rid of our overstock and thus Increase Sales

Dubious claims.

So Japanese women buy more accessories instead of new clothes. And?

Have you seen the fashion? It sucks. Bad! If I was a woman I'd be keeping my older stuff and wearing it instead of buying the Crud that's foistered into the women of today. Crud like grandma clog heeled shoes, tops that go just under the breast line to be worn over tops that go just past the hip line, while wearing lowrider jeans and revealing some bloated belly.

Geeze. Go visit a shopping mall. You'll see all the horrid female fashion you can handle. The Jap women are voting with their wallets. Good on 'em.

This "Global Financial Crises" da da daa - film at 11, doesn't seem to be hurting the mobile phone sellers. And Wow Sight and Sound and JB HiFi are raking in the moolah la la to.

I went to Ikea on Xmas eve to buy some stuff for Us. Safe in the knowledge that, X-Eve at Ikea is usually quiet. Boy, was I wrong. It was busy busy beaver. Even the long time staff were amazed at all the money being spent by all those people on X-Eve during the "Global Financial Crises" da da daa film at 11. And when you go to Ikea (only one in the city so Everyone travels quite a distance) you don't go there to spend $5. You buy BIG. If all you spend is a $100 that's a small buy.

Interesting Observation: On the way back from Ikea, not many people looking at cars in the car yards, but the Motorcycle yards were flatout busy. Busy like a one armed wallpaper hanger, or a one legged man in an ass kicking contest. Busy as, Bro.

That's Bro and not Bros - the pop due from the 80s whose member Luke plays elven Prince Nuada in Hellboy II.

Onward. Odd hey. Gas goes down, bike sales go up. Wouldn't just be natural ebb and flow and trending. Babyboomers reliving their youth? Dirt Bike Heros and Crusty Demons wouldn't be getting people interested surely not. Nah, has to be the "Global Financial Crises" da da daa film at 11 stopping people buying Expensive cars and buying Cheaper bikes.

I just wish someone would tell all those people at Bunnings Warehouse that there is a "Global Financial Crises" da da daa film at 11, so it wouldn't be so darn crowded when I just want to buy a packet of nails.

Hmmm. I wonder if we compare sales of Camcorders to years ago what we'll find. Or how about BIG Screen TVs. Now vs years ago when they were so darn expensive you had to sell your first born into slavery just to afford the downpayment. Mmmmaybe, I can say due to the Global Financial Crises" da da daa film at 11, people are buying LCD and Plasma TVs to Cheer Themselves Up.

HEY. Did you know that Gun Sales have increased. They did so after 9/11 (must be cheering themselves up, right?) and also before and since the election. I don't think Darth Obama's anti gun stance has anything to do with it. Must be people cheering themselves up so they can enjoy shooting as a hobby, after all it is fairly cheap compared to some other hobbies.

You know that Andre Rieu guy? His sold bulk loads of tickets. People cheering themselves up at $300+ a pop for a ticket instead of seeing much cheaper and free entertainment elsewhere due to the Global Financial Crises" da da daa film at 11 - or - due to all the free press he'd received about his extraordinary set - the largest in the world and a one-to-one scale of a castle?

Now, if I've convinced you it's not about Lipstick, Good. That'll be fewer people buying lipstick when I go to get my usual supply of Diamond Sparkle pink.



I just wish someone would tell the pantyhose makers about the Global Financial Crises" da da daa film at 11 so they'd lower their prices. My pantyhose bill is humongous.

Michael Ross