The truffle market has collapsed, Starbucks' profits are down 97 percent and there's been a surge in lunch box sales, all apparent consequences of the collapse of the slow markets.
A white truffle weighing nearly two pounds auctioned off this week brought in about $30,000, 84 percent less than at a similar auction last year, reports Bloomberg.com.
Starbucks, the ubiquitous coffee chain, told Wall Street that fourth-quarter profits would be way down due to slower sales and substantial charges for closing stores. The chain earned about a penny a share.
And lunchbox sales are up by double digits as families look for corners to cut.
If the Richter scale measures earthquakes, what can we call the scale that measures economic cutbacks/hardships? And what's the next milestone you expect it to hit?
