美国国家公共电台 NPR--Walmart says inflation is helping it to attract more upper-income shoppers

Walmart says inflation is helping¹ it to attract more upper-income shoppers

Transcript²

As retail³ prices continue to climb, customers are adjusting their shopping habits. Meanwhile retail giants like Walmart are tweaking their merchandise mix in response to customers' shifting demands.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Rising prices are forcing many families to adjust their weekly shopping habits. The cost of groceries, for example, has jumped more than 13% over the last year, which leaves less to spend on everything else. Retail giant Target announced this morning that its quarterly profit fell nearly 90% from a year ago. So it and big-box rival Walmart are tweaking their merchandise mix to better respond to customers' changing demands. NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE⁴: Walmart's sales in the most recent quarter were up more than 8% from a year ago, but the company's profits were down. Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey says customers have become more sensitive to rising food prices. They're increasingly filling their shopping carts with less expensive items.

JOHN DAVID RAINEY: As an example, instead of deli meats at higher price points, customers are increasing purchases of hot dogs as well as canned tuna or chicken.

HORSLEY: Cash-strapped shoppers are also opting⁵ for more private-label products rather than brand-name goods, and in some cases, they're having to get by with smaller package sizes. Walmart is a retail bellwether⁶ and a sign of how consumers overall are coping with high inflation. That's important because consumer spending is by far the biggest driver of the U.S. economy. Walmart says so far back-to-school sales have been strong, but customers are still wary⁷ of spending outside the grocery aisle⁸. Rainey says that's forced Walmart to offer deeper discounts on other merchandise as it tries to unload unwanted inventory⁹.

RAINEY: We've cleared most summer seasonal¹⁰ inventory, but we are still focused on reducing exposure to other areas such as electronics, home and sporting goods.

HORSLEY: Walmart's prospects¹¹ have improved over the last month, though. The company now expects a smaller hit to profits than it was forecasting back in July. Falling gasoline prices are part of that. Gas prices have dropped more than a dollar a gallon from their record high in June. Walmart says it expects overall inflation to remain elevated for some time to come. The chain says that's helping it to attract more upper-income shoppers who are newly interested in finding bargains.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

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1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 opting   

v.选择，挑选( opt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• What courses are most students opting for? 多数学生选什么课程？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Wells doesn't rule out opting out and then re-signing with Houston. 威尔斯没有排除跳出合同再与火箭重签的可能。 来自互联网

6 bellwether   

n.系铃的公羊，前导，领导者，群众的首领

参考例句：

• University campuses are often the bellwether of change.大学校园往往引领变革的新潮。
• For decades the company was the bellwether of the British economy.几十年来，这家公司一直是英国经济的晴雨表。

7 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

8 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

9 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

10 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

11 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。