I wrote in an earlier post, early in the financial crisis (May 2008 to be exact) of the
"Car Wash Factor". The premise being that the car wash at a local convenience store (Weigels) was a leading indicator of the financial health of the economy. Today, to my amazement given recent news on plant closings in our area, the car wash was six and seven cars deep while I passed by. I have to declare, based on my earlier surmise, that optimism is rebounding and that the economic recovery is underway. This may be more based on my own hopes for the future, but, like all predictions, time will tell. Welcome back to the American consumer.
