翻译 Oct.12 · 2022

Americans splurge on beauty, despite pullbacks elsewhere

美国人在美妆上肆意挥霍，却在别处削减开支

Many major retailers slashed their financial outlooks for the year after seeing shoppers pull back on many discretionary items in the latest quarter. But among the notable exceptions: beauty.

在很多消费者都在最近这一季度减少了生活费必需品的开之后，很多大型零售商大幅下调了今年的财务预期。

但是除了明显的例外：美妆行业

slashed：大幅下降

shopper：购物者

discretionary items：生活非必需品，discretionary：自主选择的反过来说就是可要可不要

notable：显著的

exception：例外

Ulta Beauty, the largest beauty retailer in the country, said overall sales spiked nearly 17% in its most recent quarter, compared to the same period last year.

犹他美容，美国最大的彩妆零售商，称在最近一季度总销售额相比去年同期大幅度上涨了接近17%。

retailer：零售商

overall sales：总销售额

spiked：v.（通常指在下跌前）上升至非常高的位置（作名词表示尖头、尖刺）

recent quarter：最近一个季度

same period：同一时期

A possible explanation for why beauty is thriving when consumers are more apprehensive about their spending is a long-held theory known as the "lipstick index, " which posits that lipstick sales rise during times of economic downturn.

对于这种出现在消费者非常有消费担忧时期的现象，一种可能的解释是一个长期存在的叫做“口红指数”理论，一个对于口红会在经济低迷时期销量增加的假设。

explanation：解释

thriving：欣欣向荣、繁荣

apprehensive：担忧、忧虑

downturn：低迷

The reasoning goes: When consumer sentiment declines, Americans seek escapism by looking for small ways to indulge themselves, such as by purchasing a new lipstick instead of pricier alternatives they can no longer afford. The lipstick theory has held, though not always.

这个原因是当消费者消费情绪很低落的时候，美国人就会去寻找一些小的方法去让自己沉溺其中，来让自己逃避现实，例如去购买一支新的口红，而不是那些他们不能长期负担的起的昂贵替代品。

sentiment：情绪

escapism：逃避现实

indulge：沉溺、放纵

Makeup sales spiked during the Great Depression and the recession in the early 2000s. But sales declined during the 2008 economic collapse, according to market research firm NPD Group.

根据市场调研集团NPD的信息，在2000年的大萧条和经济衰退中发生过一次化妆品销量急剧上升的事件。但是在2008年的经济崩溃当中，化妆品的销量又下降了

spiked：同上

Great Depression：大萧条

recession：经济衰退

collapse：崩溃、坍塌

The same happened during the early days of the pandemic as Americans stayed home — or behind masks — and shifted their interests towards wellness and skincare.

同样的事情发生在疫情的早期，当美国人待在家中的时候，或者是他们戴口罩之后，他们的兴趣转换至健身和皮肤保养上。

pandemic：大流行、流行病

toward：朝、向、对于、往

wellness：健身

skincare：皮肤保养

Now, makeup is roaring back. Americans have bought more eye, face and lip makeup — roughly 2%, 5% and 12% respectively — in a year-over-year analysis of sales across stores.

现在化妆再次风靡一时。美国人开始购买更多的眼部，脸部和嘴唇的化妆用品 —— 在各门店的销售额的同比分析中，分别约为2%，5%和12%。

roaring：咆哮着

roughly：粗略地

respectively：分别的；各自

in a year-over-year analysis：同比分析

"Customers are not willing to give up their beauty purchases, " Kohl's CEO Michelle Gass recently told the Associated Press. "People need to feel good at this time with so much pressure on them."

Kohl’s的CEO MG近期告诉美联社：“消费者们并不愿意放弃她们的美妆采购，人们在有很多压力缠身的时候需要感到美好。”

生肉 Oct.12 · 2022

Americans splurge on beauty, despite pullbacks elsewhere

Many major retailers slashed their financial outlooks for the year after seeing shoppers pull back on many discretionary items in the latest quarter. But among the notable exceptions: beauty.

Ulta Beauty, the largest beauty retailer in the country, said overall sales spiked nearly 17% in its most recent quarter, compared to the same period last year.

A possible explanation for why beauty is thriving when consumers are more apprehensive about their spending is a long-held theory known as the "lipstick index, " which posits that lipstick sales rise during times of economic downturn.

The reasoning goes: When consumer sentiment declines, Americans seek escapism by looking for small ways to indulge themselves, such as by purchasing a new lipstick instead of pricier alternatives they can no longer afford.

The lipstick theory has held, though not always.

Makeup sales spiked during the Great Depression and the recession in the early 2000s.

But sales declined during the 2008 economic collapse, according to market research firm NPD Group. The same happened during the early days of the pandemic as Americans stayed home — or behind masks — and shifted their interests towards wellness and skincare.

Now, makeup is roaring back. Americans have bought more eye, face and lip makeup — roughly 2%, 5% and 12% respectively — in a year-over-year analysis of sales across stores.

"Customers are not willing to give up their beauty purchases, " Kohl's CEO Michelle Gass recently told the Associated Press. "People need to feel good at this time with so much pressure on them."