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In the 1920s, the manufacturing and advertising innovations of the previous 40 years began to coalesce, accelerating the transition of America to a mass consumer society. Fisher Investments knows lifestyles changed rapidly, financial excesses were enjoyed, and technology accelerated at a brisk pace—it was the "Roaring Twenties" indeed.
During the decade, newfound ability to produce goods on a mass scale was met by widespread advancements in transportation. Automobiles proliferated, airplanes emerged, and continued progress was made in rail and ship transportation. Fisher Investments believes these changes improved distribution capabilities for large firms and made consumers more mobile.
Working people at many income levels experienced a rise in their standard of living. From just 1922 to 1928, the index of industrial production increased 70 percent, while the real wages of employed workers increased a startling 22 percent.*
Automobiles, radios, and durable consumer goods like vacuum cleaners and washing machines emerged as some of the top-selling new products of the 1920s, reshaping daily lives. While these products are Consumer Discretionary items, Fisher Investments believes they played a role in shaping the Consumer Staples landscape by opening the door to more prolific use of Staples items.
For more information or to purchase Fisher Investments on Consumer Staples, click here.
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