But the fact that there is no longer like a huge amount of inventory of these low-end chips sitting with manufacturers tells me that it's good conditions for those who are now looking to maybe replace a mouse that they bought during the pandemic when they were home because it's been a couple of years.

So maybe that's a trend that we'll see some life in 2024.

I'm Ricky Mulvey and that's Motley Fool senior analyst

Osset Sharma.

Deidra Woolard caught up with Osset and Motley Fool contributor Toby Bordelon to wrap up the year in retail.

They discuss how spending trends changed and what that means for home improvement retailers,

fast fashions come back, and why everybody wants to be Lulu Lemon.

So let's start with one of the core stories of 2023, which is of I've called before the kind of un-sinkable consumer.

The consumer just kept spending.

Good news, bad news, whatever was coming its way.

You know, we just all kept spending, we kept going out. Now the good news for the future

is that inflation is going down, but the bad news is, you know, student loan payments are back. there are some signs of a little

consumer weakness people are saving less they're putting more on credit cards they're

using more by now pay later so as as you think about that I said I'll start with you how much are you think about that, As let I'll start with you.

How much are you worried about the consumer

in the coming year and how are you thinking

about the consumer habits of the past year?

Ditra, I'm looking at the year ahead as one of a reset for the. year. driving a little bit more hesitancy on the part of the consumer.

The student loan payments starting up just higher interest rates in general,

which means that you've got a bigger payout to maintain your credit status

if you're using credit cards to make those purchases.

But I do think over the longer term the fact that the U.S. economy has been able to pull off somewhat of a soft landing so far is a good sign for the

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