then* americans are the only ones with thousand of stores with thousand of things? maybe it has to do with the millions of people. and im pretty sure a teeny tiny little store is making profit too. what does that mean "if they can have tons of things and still have profit" im pretty sure they will have profit no matter what as that is the point of buisness.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

No, Americans are not the only materialistic nation, but I live in the USA, so I talk from my experience. Millions of people? Yes. And probably enough "stuff" to provide each person with thousands of things, as much as they can afford. I'm not going into business principles. My point is materialism. And I'm guilty of it too, not making a judgment without reflection

by Anonymous 14 years ago

most people i know are having money issues and cant afford to be materialistic.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Hey, there are a lot of situations out there. Not everyone is materialistic. But there are a LOT of things that most Americans have that they don't need in the first place, even for people who struggle to get by. My family doesn't have a lot of money to spare, but we've got more stuff than we need. And a lot of people with "money issues" got there how? By spending more than they could afford, on things they didn't need

by Anonymous 14 years ago

you dont need tv in ternet or a phone or any other expensive item you own that doesnt make you materialistic. spending more than you could afford makes you stupid. but it raises your credit score.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

A lot of people buy beyond their means, but that doesn't mean everyone does. Example: If one person among ten buys 3x as much stuff as each of the other 9, that is going to skew the numbers. It also depends on what kind of stores you're talking about. A lot don't turn a profit - many just break even. They don't take all your cash at the register. There are taxes to pay, leases to pay, logistics to pay, merchandise to buy and fill their shelves, employees to pay, etc. Your post could easily be applied anywhere around the world.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Well, it could be applied in a lot of western or modern nations, true. I'm not specifically digging the USA, it's just where I'm from and what I know about. And if stores aren't making a profit, they go out of business. Even "average" consumers who don't spend excessively have a lot more stuff than they realize. Look around the room you are sitting in at the moment. A lot more than necessities, that's for sure.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Stores sell things for a price higher than they bought them/the cost to manufacture them. They make enough supply for demand. They turn a profit. That doesn't mean people spend a lot.

by Anonymous 12 years ago