We can't overlook the fact that the economy is growing, despite the gloomy attitude of most consumers and business owners.
Eagle-eyed readers and those with really good memories may notice that this year’s January cover bears a striking resemblance to last year’s January cover. In fact, it is the same photo that has been enlarged for a different focal point. Before you start thinking that the editors of Modern Baking have finally lost it, we actually did it on purpose.
No, we haven’t lost our ability to come up with new ideas; rather using the same photo drives home the point of our cover story–New year, same refrain. Our January issues for the past several years have included a forecast story where we talk to analysts and bakers in different markets to get an idea of what the industry will be like in the coming year. And since 2010, the year after the U.S. economy officially came out of the recession, the chatter has been the same–small growth but a hope for better days ahead.
But we can’t overlook the fact that we are growing, which is much better than the alternative, although you wouldn’t know it by the general “meh” attitude of most business owners and consumers. A decade or so ago, we were in the same situation where the news every year also was very similar to the previous year’s. The only difference was the growth was phenomenal, but we didn’t complain then that all we heard was the same things we heard before.
It’s amazing how the perspective can change. And 20 years from now, when we enter into a second Great Depression, according to a talk Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics gave at last year’s NAFD conference, we will desperately wish for the glory days of this decade. Again, it’s all about perspective.
So, while the editors may get tired of reporting the same news year after year, we can’t complain as long as we’re reporting about growth. In this case, the same old, same old is much better than the alternative.
