On this week's episode of The Business Lunch Podcast, Roland and Ryan dive into the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping stats. 

They analyze if record online sales and in-store spending were really a sign that consumers are confident - or if it was just pulling forward purchases. 

Roland shares how some of their portfolio companies performed over the holiday weekend. They also debate whether interest rates will need to be lowered to manage rising debt levels or if inflation needs to come down first. 

Tune in to hear their take on the state of the economy and what it could mean for businesses in 2023.

Highlights:

"It will be interesting to see if the logic of the more I spend, the more I save during this discount period, damages sales going forward if it's basically just borrowing from tomorrow, and compressing."

"If consumers are confident and consumer spend, then the economy turns along because if consumers spend, then that means businesses can spend."

"The more I spend, the more I save during this discount period, damages sales going forward if it's basically just borrowing from tomorrow, and compressing."

Timestamps:

00:00: Introduction

01:40: Black Friday

06:11: Economic Outlook

12:14: Brand Loyalty

18:47: Pricing Strategies

21:22: Personalized Texts & Guarantees

27:27: Black Friday Sales Strategies

32:03: Acquisitions