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Retail sales up 0.7% in September as American consumers defy rising prices, interest_我的网站

一 |     日前，记者走进中国石油抚顺石化研究院的样品展示室，五彩缤纷的各类瓶盖令人眼花缭乱，而令记者感到惊奇的是，制造这些多彩瓶盖所用的原料竟是洁白如雪的颗粒。

二 |     NEW YORK -- Americans showed their steadfast resilience and kept spending online, at restaurants and other outlets in September even as they grappled with higher prices, rising interest rates and a host of other headwinds piling up.Retail sales rose 0.7% in September, more than twice what economists had expected, and close to a revised 0.8% bump in August, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Retail sales in August were inflated after gasoline prices spiked, however. That was not the case in September when gas prices rose more slowly.A closely watched category of retail sales that excludes auto dealers, gas stations and building materials and feeds into the gross domestic product jumped 0.6% last month compared to the prior month.Tuesday's sales figures aren't adjusted for inflation, but the cost of goods barely rose last month, so the increased spending isn't a reflection of higher prices. Prices for durable goods, such as those sold by appliance and electronics stores, actually fell last month.The government’s monthly retail sales report offers only a partial look at consumer spending; it doesn’t include many services, including health care, travel and hotel lodging. But it does cover spending at restaurants, which had a solid 0.9% increase. Spending online rose 1.1% last month, according to the report. Sales at general merchandise stores rose 0.4%. Sales at home furnishings and furniture stores were flat, while electronics stores and outlets that sell building materials saw declines reflecting a difficult housing market. The retail sales report, which reflects the sixth consecutive monthly gain, reinforces the fact that American consumers, as a whole, are showing no signs of pulling back on their spending, which powers most of the economy. That spending comes despite attempts by the Federal Reserve to cool spending and hiring. That's good news heading into the critical holiday shopping season. But the robust sales report also means that the Fed officials could leave the door open for additional rate hikes. That means that shoppers could face higher interest rates for awhile.“If the cost-of-living crisis has hit consumer confidence, you wouldn’t know it judging by a second month of strong retail sales with the consumer buying everything that wasn’t nailed down,” said Christopher S. Rupkey, chief economist at FWDBONDS LLC, a financial markets research company. “Fed officials have another rate hike this year up on their forecast board, and they will need to use it, if the economic data continues to surprise economists on the upside.” Still, questions remain whether shoppers will finally buckle under more bad news piling up from federal budget wrangling, the resumption of student loan repayments, and new global tensions tied to the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas in Israel. The moratorium on student loan payments lifted Oct. 1. Analysts say that shoppers could also become rattled if the Israel-Hamas war is not contained.Moreover, the relentless spending by shoppers also comes at a cost to their household finances.“We have repeatedly under-estimated the U.S. consumer, “ said Tim Quinlan, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Economics. ”But in pulling off this spending spree, consumers have dented their household finances, a theme that is evident not only in the diminished savings, but also the trend rise in credit card delinquencies.”Healthy consumer spending is expected to lift the economy's growth rate to about 3.5% or possibly even higher in the July-September quarter. September's strong sales also suggests the economy may not slow as much in the final three months of the year as previously expected, analysts said. The retail sales report came as businesses across the U.S. economy ramped up hiring in September, defying surging interest rates, and the ongoing threat of a government shutdown. The strength of hiring has surprised economists inside and outside of the Fed. Consumer prices rose 0.4% from August to September, below the previous month’s 0.6% pace. The report from the Labor Department also showed that year-over-year inflation was flat last month from a 3.7% rise in August.Meanwhile, retailers are pulling out discounts and other incentives to get shoppers to open their wallets for the holiday season as they worry about shoppers' finances. Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer, unveiled a new experience that gives shoppers a chance to access some of the biggest deals and cool gadgets of the holiday season. The items, which kicked off late last month, are only available in limited quantities and exclusively through the Best Buy app. ——————AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this report from Washington.——————Follow Anne D’Innocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio。         　　“可别小瞧这些不起眼的颗粒，用户对它的洁净度、低气味、气密性、强度等技术性能有着非常高的要求，生产难度非常大。

三 | 2023年，抚顺石化公司瓶盖料的产量达到8万吨，位居全国同类企业首位。目前，抚顺石化公司是全国唯一实现持续、稳定、规模化生产瓶盖料的企业。”抚顺石化研究院副院长李稳说。         　　据介绍，抚顺石化公司生产的瓶盖料涵盖饮料、调味品、药妆、矿泉水、热罐装等行业的瓶盖用料，产品通过食品安全相关标准的国家认证、欧盟认证、日本认证和美国FDA检测认证，成为娃哈哈、达能、康师傅等国内外大型饮用水、饮料品牌的供货商，并与紫日等大型制盖企业建立了良好的合作关系。         　　十年研发助力产品持续迭代升级          　　“瓶盖料多用在医药、食品、饮料等行业，关乎消费者健康，客户要求其在安全、耐候性、洁净度等方面的性能要达到标准。”李稳说。         　　随着人们消费水平的不断提升，抚顺石化公司的市场研究人员在调研中发现，国内市场对瓶盖专用料的需求规模不断提高，每年达到80万吨左右，而国内生产企业很少，为数不多的几家企业处于生产初期，产量低、品类少。         　　为打破这一被动局面，抢占市场，从2014年起，抚顺石化研究院组建团队，着手瓶盖料的研发和生产装置的改进。2015年，首批瓶盖料开始小批量试生产并一举成功，坚定了研发团队的信心。         　　“没有参考资料，一切都是白手起家，摸着石头过河，大家没有畏难，反反复复试验，逐一攻破了材料、气味、扭力等技术难关，靠着几百公斤试产料敲开了瓶盖料市场的大门。”回首当初的研发过程，抚顺石化公司烯烃厂一级工程师、产品研发服务部部长王长全感慨地说。

四 |          　　经小范围试用后，2016年，抚顺石化公司开发生产的FHP5050产品实现了娃哈哈批量采购。随后，康师傅、达能等知名企业开始采购抚顺石化生产的瓶盖料。         　　“用户在试用我们的瓶盖料期间，把水瓶里装满水，放到海南等高温高湿地带暴晒，通过考验后，才逐渐向我们放量。”王长全说。         　　“经过反复研发，公司的科研人员先后攻克了高洁净、低气味、耐候性等瓶盖料生产技术难题，瓶盖料的质量和加工性能有了质的提升，逐渐得到更多知名企业的认可。”李稳说。         　　2017年，抚顺石化生产的瓶盖料突破1万吨。

五 | 2022年，抚顺石化生产的瓶盖料入选中石油首批“22+N”品牌工程。         　　强优势扩产能不断抢占高端市场          　　随着抚顺石化在瓶盖料产业上的崛起，瓶盖料市场也在悄然发生改变，一些企业为抢占市场，开始降价竞争。         　　“面对市场竞争，抚顺石化勇于亮剑。我们每月都派出专业团队走访客户，倾听客户需求，了解我们产品的不足，回来后，继续研发、改进，不断迭代优化。”王长全说。         　　达能集团是一家生产饮用水的知名企业，对瓶盖用料要求极为严苛。

六 |          　　“与我们合作初期，达能列出过几百项整改方案，品控负责人随时来现场查看生产状况。后来，随着我们整改工作的持续推进，各项工作达到内控标准要求，用户越来越放心了。”王长全说。         　　眼看着达能用上了抚顺石化的产品，各大制盖企业闻风而至，纷纷与抚顺石化合作。         　　改进、优化，再改进、再优化。经过10年的磨砺，抚顺石化生产的瓶盖料在市场上的优势日益突出：食品级、价格低、供应稳、服务优。借此优势，抚顺石化生产的瓶盖料在市场上的占有率实现稳步提升，目前国内市场占有率达到10%，瓶盖料产能也随之不断提高。         　　“高端产品意味着较高的附加值。眼下，我们把研发重点放在附加值更高的调味品、药品、电子、洗涤和酒类瓶盖用料上，进一步抢占高端市场。”李稳说。

七 |                     责任编辑：李丹。

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