This is CBS I on the World.

This is CBS I on the World.

Here's John Bachelor.

This is CBS I on the world. I'm John Bachelor welcoming Jim McTague, Lancaster County, the best county in the best state, Pennsylvania

And we're watching this for the economy.

Jim is the former Washington editor for Barron's magazine, now a novelist.

Mr. McDay, you've been traveling up and down Lancaster talking to store owners and diners, and at the same time observing the shopping at

Costco. The best Costco in the nation because it has a hay barn for the Amish.

Let's begin with Costco. Now their earnings came in and they were very good. Do you see it in the store? Good evening to you.

Good evening, John. Now first of all, Lancaster County, I think we've proved it's a bellwether for the economy of the nation.

So what do I see this week in Costco?

And I've talked to the employees to confirm this.

Moderate traffic, unusually moderate.

So that means, you know, they're making money.

They have people in the stores, the people I saw were not shy about buying, but there was much fewer people than usual.

So the checkup lines, I just flew out the door in the checkout line. That's extremely disturbing for a

Costco. It just bolsters my opinion that the consumer is running out of gas.

Were the carts filled?

Oh, the carts were filled, but there just wasn't the volume of shoppers that you usually

see. So I think it's, you know

know, well, we're, you know, the higher end shopper, I think the, you know,

well, we're middle class shopper is really squeezed right now and they kind of vanished from the store.

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