Business at Chicago Gold Coast’s Space 519 boutique is so good the owner calls it the new “Roaring Twenties.”

“People splurge on things that make them feel good,” says Lance Lawson, co-owner of the retail store with Jim Wetzel. One such item, a $ 595 black taffeta bow blouse from Paris-based Patou, has been ordered multiple times this season.

“It sells out in a few days. We sell more expensive items, but this is the one that keeps stealing over and over again.

Like many retailers, the retailer’s owner had careful planning for the year, as did the suppliers, he noted. Now that consumers are shopping, demand is on the rise.

“Certain categories like fine jewelry are seeing their turnover increase by 100% from the pre-pandemic level,” Lawson said. “And our cafe is full every day with a waiting list.”

Retail spending is an indication of a nationwide spending trend among Americans who can afford to shop. Case in point: Retail sales rose 0.6% in June, according to the latest report released by the Census Bureau. Monthly sales totaled $ 621.3 billion, up 18% from June 2020. Sales from April to June were up 31.5% from the same period last year.

The top performing categories in June included clothing and clothing accessories stores, up 47.1% from June 2020, and food services and drinking places up 40.2%, according to the report. compared to last year. In contrast, furniture and home furnishings stores fell 3.6%, motor vehicles and parts fell 2%, and building materials and garden equipment fell 1.6% .

Analysts point to this increase in pent-up retail spending.

“Consumers are starting to leverage some of the estimated $ 2.5 trillion in savings accumulated during the pandemic,” said Tyler Higgins, head of retail practices at global consulting firm AArete.

“This is evidenced by the huge 18% year-over-year increase in overall retail spending last June, although we compare June 2021 to the depressed sales levels of June 2020.”

The economy may still be in transition, but analysts say the report is proof that things are moving in the right direction.

“Consumers and the economy are doing well,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com. “While retail sales have stabilized since March, they have leveled off at a high level. And they’ve done it without stimulus for the past three months.

Post-pandemic spending may reflect revenge spending or a lack of experiential spending, says Marie Driscoll, general manager of luxury and fashion at Coresight Research, a research and consulting firm.

“As buying luxury goods in and of itself can be an experience for many buyers, trading and practicing a form of sustainability without buying, but with a better buy replaces ‘experiences,’ explains Driscoll. “Add to that the positive impact of a wealth effect reflecting a strong stock market and rising real estate prices and the stars are aligned for a booming luxury market, be it jewelry. , small leather goods, handbags or shoes – designer sneakers and high heels. “

Designer clothing and ready-to-wear have suffered throughout the pandemic as people have stayed at home, but those categories are expected to continue to make significant returns as people return to the office this fall.

The “wealth effect,” says Driscoll, has benefited people at all income levels. Designer and luxury brands can feel a positive effect.

“With the government injecting massive amounts of stimulus through Economic Impact Payments, people earning less than the median income have enjoyed a financial boost,” Driscoll said.

“The middle class swapped for ambitious brands and items, and the rich also spent on luxury goods. I see lines outside most luxury brands in the malls I have visited and here in the New York flagships, and the ones that make up the lines are neither the 1% nor the 10%: luxury democratized.

Beyond retail, the world of luxury travel is booming, another indication that consumers are willing to spend on experiences.

“Rental rates in the Hamptons are up double digits year over year and people are flocking to the islands as well,” Driscoll notes.

GILLETTE – Mikelle Schmit looked at the stack of transparent plastic bags that have only grown and widened since May. She inhaled the damp garage air and exhaled the relief that she still had over a month to reach her goal.

Beside the hill of pairs of shoes as tall as her, with bags and rubber bands, more lightly used sneakers, sandals and boots were in a separate, smaller pile, waiting to be sorted .

There are about 12,600 pairs in all.

“This is insane,” she said of the Herculean collection effort.

But for those who incorrectly and categorically define insanity as repeating the same actions over and over again in anticipation of different results, understand that this is not the case with Mikelle and her husband, Josh.

They are open to anything and have tried everything when it comes to raising funds for their upcoming adoption, which could cost around $ 50,000.

Now, they’ve turned to a shoe drive to help them reach their adoption fundraising goals. Thanks to Shoes With Heart, an organization based in Florida, the Schmits have until August to raise 25,000 shoes. Once this goal is reached, the organization will pick them up in exchange for $ 10,000 for the adoption of the couple’s first child.

Shoes With Heart sends the shoes to developing countries like Haiti and parts of Latin America and Africa, where they help boost local economies. They can be resold, donated or used to make other things. The organization calls this an evolution of reusing things as “purpose reuse”.

The Schmits’ latest effort to make their adoption a reality turned their garage into a shoe warehouse. Before that, they sold t-shirts, hot chocolate bombs during the holidays, and even organized an Easter Egg side activity to cover the costs and expenses of adopting a child.

“The cost is a huge hurdle for a lot of people,” Mikelle said.

But coming from a family where adoption was the norm, the idea of ​​starting your own family in the same way has long been in the making.

When Mikelle was growing up, she always knew she wanted to start a family of her own through adoption. She and her biological sister, Jes Hallock, were joined by two foster brothers when they were children.

Her mother, Karlene Hallock, had also always wanted to adopt since she was a child. This same idea of ​​family, that you don’t have to share blood to share a bond, was passed on to Mikelle.

TJ, who is now 26, first joined the family from South Korea as a baby when Mikelle was 6. Then came Luke, now 19, a few years later.

Both grew up and still live in Gillette with the family.

“For me, it’s very natural to add a family member in this way,” she said.

Seven years ago, on their first date, Mikelle shared with Josh her interest in raising her family someday through adoption, as opposed to the more traditional route.

While that might be a lot of information to incorporate on any date, let alone the premiere, Josh agreed to the idea, but wanted to take the time to think about it.

“He came back and said, ‘I don’t need my kids to be like me to love them,’” Mikelle said.

They are now in the process of a national transracial adoption. If all goes according to plan, they could adopt their first child next spring.

“I’m finding more and more that with transracial adoption, it’s not just about what you’re open to, but also how you’re going to integrate your child’s heritage and culture as well.” , Mikelle said.

Growing up in a white family in a white community with two non-white brothers, Mikelle thinks Gillette is a good place to raise this kind of blended family and says it’s even better now than when she and her brothers were growing up.

The mantra Josh adopted about adoption on their first date still holds true for both of them.

“We don’t need our child to be like us to love him,” she said.

But before they can meet their future child, they have about 12,000 pairs of shoes to find.

When he left the nearly seven-hour drive east to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Josh wondered if he should drag a trailer.

The life of a used shoe supplier was still new to him. Just a year ago, hauling an empty truck and trailer across state lines to pick up used shoes wasn’t exactly on its cards.

Yet he was there. Alone in the cab of his truck, wondering if he was going to bring a nearly empty trailer back to Campbell County. But a stop in Sioux Falls and 1,000 pairs of shoes later, Josh had his pickup bed, backseat, and trailer all stocked with a variety of shoes.

Josh even came back before the smell of all those used shoes got too bad.

“If you let them sit in there, especially in this heat for a few days, it definitely starts to smell,” he said.

Just a few months ago, when the call for donations started, Josh wasn’t sure that 25,000 pairs was a realistic goal.

“I told him it was going to be impossible to start with,” Josh said. “I’m like ‘Twenty-five cents? I can see this. Twenty five thousand? This is an other story.

But Mikelle, well aware of the indirect effects of consumerism and American excesses, thought the opposite.

“Americans have a lot of shoes,” she said.

So far the shoes have arrived in their garages from everywhere. Collections have been collected and even mailed from other parts of Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska.

As donations poured in, the Schmits realized both how well the region was able to meet their fundraising needs, as well as the space actually occupied by 25,000 pairs of shoes.

When a car is dropped off, it is usually about 100 pairs. While that’s a lot of straps and soles by most standards, it’s still a deceptively small part of the grand total for as much space as it fills.

Just over halfway through their goal, it’s hard to imagine that mass of sneakers getting wider or taller.

Until he does.

“People keep coming out of the woods (with donations),” Mikelle said.

One of those people is Christy Stauffacher, who had never met Mikelle before seeing a video she posted on a Facebook page for fundraising.

In the video which has gained several thousand views, Mikelle has taken to the abyss of social media to bring her used shoes for her future adoption.

Stauffacher cried and watched the video three times before reaching out to help.

“I felt something that I can’t explain to you, but I knew I had to help,” she said. “It turned out to be really fun. They are good. They are a great couple. “

Now she’s traveling around town picking up donations from various drop-off sites across Gillette. She and her husband even pack pairs of shoes in their own garage before taking them to the main pile, saving Mikelle and Josh an extra step.

This year at Sleepy Hollow Days – a neighborhood garage sale that takes place in the Stauffacher housing estate – she handed out leaflets for the shoe drive and contacted all of her neighbors who were having garage sales.

In the process, she collected 1,000 pairs.

“I’m so ready to make this pile twice as big,” Stauffacher said.

It’s almost as if the bigger the mound of laces and leather grew, the smaller the garage got.

Before the pile got out of hand, Josh stowed a boat there. But he kept getting closer and closer to the edge of the garage until he finally moored outside.

“I was working on a boat and then the shoes took over and cleaned it up outside,” Josh said. “Yeah, there’s no room for both.”

There may be no more room for boats, trucks, or mowers, but a waiting family must have its priorities. Before they free up space for a nursery, they’ll need to find room for the next load of shoes.

“I think people want to be a part of something good,” Mikelle said.

Considering the number of foreigners who have already made donations across the country – and the countless others who have worn and donated the shoes accumulated in the Schmit house – so far this has proven to be true.

NEW YORK – Once again, the Red Sox received a boost from second baseman Christian Arroyo on Friday night.

Leading 1-0, Boston had a runner in second when Arroyo intervened against Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery in the second inning. On a 2-1 count, Arroyo drove a fastball from Montgomery to the opposite field for his sixth homerun of the season to give the Sox a 3-0 lead.

Arroyo has continued its sequence of clutch circuits in recent months.

“When he uses most of the pitch he becomes very dangerous,” manager Alex Cora said. “He had a change in the zone, stayed on it and knocked it out of the stadium. Hit the double down the line. The last one at bat was good. When he’s not trying to do too much he’s so good.

Arroyo performed well in the first half (0.270 on average, 0.794 OPS in 48 games), but is in danger of losing playing time now that field best prospect Jarren Duran has been promoted to the majors. When Duran starts in the middle, Kiké Hernández will get most of the time on second base. It could push Arroyo out of the lineup, especially against righties.

The 26-year-old isn’t worried about the possibility. In fact, he trained on first base in order to make himself more versatile.

“Jarren is a hell of a player,” Arroyo said. “I got to watch it firsthand during spring training and even more so when I was in rehab several times. He brings a dynamic to our team and I’m never going to complain about the guys who are going to come here and contribute to our success. I’m here to win baseball games and that’s all I care about.

Arroyo has impressed Cora so far.

“This kid, he was a first round pick and these guys are special,” Cora said. There is a reason why you are selected in the first round. Some of them occur earlier in their careers. Others take time. We have been patient with him. He’s doing a great job. He’s a guy who was amazing in the first part of the season and today was a good start.

Revamped rotation

Thursday’s postponed game means the Red Sox will reshuffle their rotation this weekend in New York.

Martín Pérez, who was originally scheduled to start on Friday night, will be pushed back to the series final on Sunday so Nathan Eovaldi can retain his scheduled start on Saturday, Cora said. Originally, Eduardo Rodriguez, Pérez, Eovaldi and Pivetta were to start – in that order – in New York. Rodriguez was pushed back to Friday after Thursday’s game was postponed.

Now, Pivetta will begin the series opener on Monday against the Blue Jays in Buffalo with Garrett Richards on Tuesday and Tanner Houck launching the final on Wednesday night. The Red Sox will use six starters in the first round of the second half.

Richards will face a particularly long layoff, as he last pitched on July 9 against the Phillies. For right-handed people, there will be 11 days between departures. Cora doesn’t think this will be a problem.

“He feels like with his side job and stuff, he’s going to be fine,” Cora said.

Sale ready for Tuesday in Maine

Lefty Chris Sale felt great on Friday after pitching three innings in a rehab start for the Florida Complex League Red Sox in Fort Myers on Thursday, Cora said. The sale is in the works for its next rehab outing Tuesday night at Double-A Portland.

“I texted her this morning,” Cora said. “He felt good physically, he played the pitch today. Everything went well. He’s really excited, like I said yesterday. The way he’s been able to bounce back on a daily basis, it’s not that he’s surprised but he’s made a few adjustments around his nutrition and his workouts and stuff like that. He’s a lot stronger now than he was a few years ago.

Cora reiterated that she would like to see Sale play at least five innings on a rehab outing before being activated. He didn’t say how many starts the southpaw will make before returning to the majors.

COVID issues still at stake

Thursday’s postponement reminded Cora and the Red Sox that despite improvements, the COVID-19 pandemic is still a challenge that every club faces on a daily basis.

Ahead of Friday’s game, the Yankees placed three other players – wide receiver Kyle Higashioka, outfielder Aaron Judge and third baseman Gio Urshela – on the COVID-19 injured list after putting two pitchers (Nestor Cortes and Wandy Peralta) the day before. New York is shorthanded for the weekend series against the Red Sox, leaving manager Aaron Boone in a stressful situation.

“It’s tough,” Cora said. “I spoke to him yesterday and with this situation I don’t want to be in his shoes.”

Cora is proud of how the Red Sox – who haven’t had a positive COVID-19 test since spring training – have handled MLB protocols.

“I have been worried since day one,” Cora said. “As long as we keep doing what we’re supposed to do … our medical service has been exceptional, I think the players have cooperated and done an amazing job. That’s what we can control. So far everything is fine. good.”

Other injury updates

Reliever Ryan Brasier (concussion) still hasn’t made it past wrestling since he was cleared in late June, Cora said. His return schedule is still uncertain.

“It’s the only thing he’s done in baseball,” Cora said. “Other than that, he’s fine. “

Utility man Marwin Gonzalez (right hamstring strain) may need more than 10 days minimum on the injured list, Cora said. Gonzalez has injured his hamstrings twice – first on July 6 in Anaheim and again on Sunday against the Phillies.

“It was actually worse than the first one,” Cora said. “It was bad compared to when we slowed it down a bit. We’re not going to rush him. Let’s put it that way.

Infielder / outfield Danny Santana (left quad strain) is eligible to join the Red Sox on Saturday because his time in IL was backdated to July 7, but it’s unclear if he will. Santana

Related links:

Eduardo Rodriguez dominated for 5 inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Yankees, 4-0; Christian Arroyo and JD Martinez both hit home runs

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