Starbucks' penetration is perhaps most remarkable of all, given that China is a country of devoted tea drinkers who do not take readily to the taste of coffee.

ECONOMIST: Learning to love a strange brew

Soon they could well be joined by lots of other sites devoted to enthusiasts that currently do not sell books but which might offer them as one of a range of products for people interested in science fiction, gardening or whatever.

ECONOMIST: On-line retailing

We know that people do not spend equal amounts on the above items, and we know their share of income devoted to them has changed over the decades.

FORBES: Doubting The Big Lie That Inflation Is Not A Threat

While consumers do carry more debt than they used to, the amount of income devoted to servicing that debt has not gone up that much, thanks to falling interest rates and longer maturities.

ECONOMIST: Morally bankrupt? | The