I don’t know about you but whenever someone uses the word "resilient" to explain what's behind a rebound in consumer spending -- I always cringe. What exactly does that mean? Typically, the term is heard in the following context. An analyst or economist, when pressed to justify an unexpected jump in household shopping, will often respond by saying "it looks like consumers are showing amazing resilience."
"Showing amazing resilience?" Where’s the insight in that observation? How does that explanation enlighten anyone?
By definition, someone demonstrating resilience means they are resourceful, imaginative, or creative in their actions. OK, we get that. But it seems to me it is such a vacuous term when used to explain consumer behavior.
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