Buy and never look back

Mannequins wearing the latest fashions in Macy's in the 1950s.
American Express credit card during the 1950s.

There was a revival in consumer culture during the 1950s. Many Americans began to live in suburban areas and because of this trend, shopping malls evolved and most of the shopping was done there. Since the shopping malls were only reachable by cars, automobiles became a major trend in consumption. Macy’s was New York’s leading department store and many people poured in to shop and look around for the latest trends in fashion. The Roaring Twenties brought about tons of consumption, but never before had that period of time met the excessed in demand by the 1950s. Purchasing was so widespread since it meant freedom to obtain marketing wants.

Another rebirth of consumer culture was the buying on credit. The result of buying on credit was the Great Depression in the 1920s. Fast forward 30 years and the attitude towards credit is a bit more lenient and less hostile. Banks promoted low interest rates, so borrowing money was cheap. Credit cards allowed and persuaded many Americans to borrow money to spend on goods and services. They once again adapted the life of everlasting debt.

This entry was posted in November 16 Assignment and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.