July 8, 2014, - 5:20 pm

Obamaconomy Cupcake Indicator: Chain’s Shuttering is Sign of Cratering Economy, Decline of Fad

By Debbie Schlussel

Crumbs Bake Shop, a national chain across 12 states, shuttered all 65 locations, yesterday. And I seem to the the only one saying it, but it’s another indicator of how bad the Obamaconomy is: people can’t afford to throw away money on pricey cupcakes, as they have less money. It’s also a sign that the cupcake trend may finally be ending.

crumbsbakeshopobamacupcake

obamahelenthomascupcakes

Obama & the Ghost of Helen tHAMAS: Let Them Eat Cupcakes!

Cupcakes at Crumbs went for as high as $4.50 a pop, and as I’ve noted on this site over the Obama years, families and individuals have less disposable income to spend on stuff like that because things are so bad. They are buying fewer things viewed as unnecessaries–dollar store splurges and toys–and even fewer necessaries, with families purchasing fewer diapers, waiting longer to change those diapers, and a rise in rashes on babies because of it. And don’t forget the rise in Spam sales. Now, there is the Obamaconomy Cupcake indicator. Obama might say, “Let them eat cupcakes.” But fewer can afford to because of him.







The self-appointed economic diagnosticians and business analysts provide many excuses for Crumbs’ demise, from expanding too much too fast to focusing too much on just one item. But Crumbs sold a number of baked goods and it isn’t like bakeries are a thing of the past. Still, what may be a thing of the past–because things are so bad–is the ability to just drop money on things like cupcakes, when a family needs gas money and a way to pay for heat and air conditioning, not to mention food and rent.

And Crumbs was doing well for a while–throughout the Bush years. Founded in 2003, it went public in 2011. But then things went badly quickly with a steep decline in sales only recently. And all while Obama was running the show economically.

Also, cupcakes were very trendy. Yes, they’ve been a part of America’s pastry and cake diet for a while, but never like they were in the last decade or so, after “Sex & the City” and other left-wing pop culture forces pushed them on America. Cupcakes were suddenly everywhere, and cupcake shops sprouted across America. Soon, there were “cupcake pyramids” (or whatever they call them) in place of even wedding cakes, a sign of the declining formality in America as it becomes more liberal. Cupcakes are the casual business attire of cakes.

And sooner or later, everyone gets sick of fads, and even if they don’t disappear entirely, they fade. That is another reason nothing but crumbs is left of Crumbs.

It’s funny: liberals like Sarah Jessica Parker and Darren Star (who created “Sex & the City”) tell you to eat gazillion-calorie frosted cupcakes and drop five bucks on them. Then, the liberals they support and help elect–Michelle Obama–get in your fridge and tell you to stop eating ’em.

Make up your mind, libs.

So, thank liberals for building up cupcakes and thank liberal Obama’s horrible economy for killing them.






35 Responses

Just looking at those “Obama” and “hope has arrived” cupcakes makes me want to vomit.

DS_ROCKS! on July 8, 2014 at 5:31 pm

    They all look disgusting. Like something from the PTA bake sale.

    Meira on July 9, 2014 at 2:37 am

Yes…either what you said Debbie, or they just got the bill for what they were gonna have to pony up for Obamacare expenses.

Rick on July 8, 2014 at 5:52 pm

or astronomical minimum wages

Little Al on July 8, 2014 at 7:03 pm

Barack Obama is harmful to the US economy and other living things.

P. Aaron on July 8, 2014 at 7:53 pm

My sympathy goes out to the workers who are now unemployed.

Worry01 on July 8, 2014 at 8:07 pm

Obama said he would ” CHANGE ” the country, one the few things he didn’t lie about.

john on July 8, 2014 at 8:08 pm

I like cupcakes, but they’re gone too fast, and at five bucks a pop, WHAAAAAAAT!??!?!?!?!!!!??

Yes Debbie, like you said, cupcakes are the “dress casual” of the, . . .

errrrr——, . . .

whatever you said, . . .

you were right, LOL!!!

I like cake better than cupcakes, they’re bigger and you get more bang for your buck. But the cupcake phenomenon did not escape my notice.

And yes, . . .

the president sucks, old news, we know, LOL!!!

Aaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnd, uhhhhhhh, . . .

yeah, that’s about it.

OH!!! OH!!! OH!!!

Alfredo from Puerto Rico on July 8, 2014 at 9:17 pm

For some reason, that last post went through without me getting to finish after OH!!! OH!!! OH!!!

What I was going to say was, . . .

anyone got any unfinished cupcakes, pass ’em ovuh heah, LOL!!!

Alfredo from Puerto Rico on July 8, 2014 at 9:18 pm

It’s easy to blame President O’Bama for all this. Economies are cyclical. It isn’t ALL his fault. A lot of economic problems we face today come from policies written by the Bush Administration. O’Bama would be a crappy president in a good economy.

That being said, I do agree with your comment about the two conflicting messages we get from LIBS. And we’re real surprised about it. Right?

But Deb, here’s one thing that also did Crumbs in: It’s not that hard to make cupcakes at home.

I can make cupcakes at home. Mrs T can make cupcakes at home. However, I don’t know how to make donuts, or bagels for that matter.

So yes! Discretionary spending is down. But when that happens, the stuff that I can do myself are the first things that get cut out of my budget. When it comes to business models doomed to fail in this economy, I’m afraid Crumbs was low-hanging fruit.

There is NO Santa Claus on July 8, 2014 at 9:28 pm

Oh, Debbie, another thing, if you have connections at Zaro’s, please let them know that cupcakes, . . .

are SO . . .

15 minutes ago.

ROTFLMAO!!!

Alfredo from Puerto Rico on July 8, 2014 at 9:48 pm

Ugh. Just when I thought I was having a perfect day, I saw this photo of the president with the late Helen Thomas/tHamas. It ruined everything.

Primetime on July 8, 2014 at 11:27 pm

Pathetic Whiners. This article makes as much sense as the article I read today, that suggested if McDonalds is doing well, its a good indicator that the economy is doing well. All this crap is foolish and petty

Big Dynamite on July 9, 2014 at 1:02 am

    So, Big D(?), maybe you can tell us why Crumbs Bake Shop closed up while Mickey D’s is doing well?

    theShadow on July 9, 2014 at 1:22 am

    Boo Hoo Big DD
    Upset somebody called time out on the cupcake party?

    Frankz on July 9, 2014 at 5:27 am

“It’s funny: liberals…tell you to eat gazillion-calorie frosted cupcakes and drop five bucks on them…Then, the liberals they support and help elect–Michelle Obama–get in your fridge and tell you to stop eating ‘em.” DS

Funny, that’s the first thing that popped into my head when I started reading this article.

“Make up your mind, libs.”

Well, we now live in a world where POT is legal but cagarettes aren’t, so…go figure 🙁

theShadow on July 9, 2014 at 1:16 am

I’m tired of chasing my comments. Tired. I’m taking a long break, you won. Besides I’m still on my high from Hiking the Stairway to Heaven last week. Google it. Haiku Stairs. Life is grand

Big D on July 9, 2014 at 1:18 am

I guess I’m the last to know,cuz I didn’t realize there had been a cupcake fad.

And $4.50+tax for a cupcake?
Absurd.

ebayer on July 9, 2014 at 2:31 am

    Just part of the ongoing infantilization of American society. First it was “men” dressing like little boys, baggy shorts, tees and ball caps and now the “adult” version of the Tastycakes or Hostess cup cakes of our childhoods. Um, anyone have a Devil Dog they can send me?

    Meira on July 9, 2014 at 2:41 am

      “Tastycakes”

      One of the few things I loved about Philly. And cheesesteaks, Wawa hoagies and soft pretzels with mustard.

      DS_ROCKS! on July 9, 2014 at 6:32 am

      Meira: where did you read about the synchronicity of the Pope and the muslim caliphate divvying up the world?

      I’ve known about the “little horn” of the beast from Daniel representing the papacy. And that the CC is an arm of the beast’s duplicity, but not of the evil cabal betwixt the muslims and the papacy.

      DS_ROCKS! on July 9, 2014 at 6:37 am

        I didn’t, DSR. It’s my own analysis from having gone to catholic school for 10 years and then a couple of years of Catholic college, including some Jesuits, and 19 years of dating and marriage to a Georgetown grad who also went to Jesuit high school. I got to know the machinations of the institution pretty well and I can’t dismiss all the “Conspiracy nut” stuff about the Jesuits. Plus, recent events seem to bear me out. The Pope praying with Abbas and even tho Peres was there, I think he was a beard to make it look ecumenical since he’s a secular Jew. He’s also a figurehead president. The Catholic church has the infrastructure and political leanings world wide to implement a universal religion but they don’t seem to have the appeal of Islam to the masses they are trying to reach. They’re too heirarchical. Islam can stir the hearts of people to join the cause but they don’t have the structure for the world domination they desire. Remember that the Vatican is a sovereign state with a standing army and many more elite troops in reserve. The only thing keeping them within their 69 acres is that so far, no pope has chosen to abrogate the Lateran Treaty keeping the papacy contained and pretty much limited to religious matters. With an Islamophilic pope who is also a Liberation Theology Jesuit, that could change. Actually, the temporal territory of the Vatican is limited to 69 acres only in Italy. They still claim sovereignty over good size chunks of Israel, including all of Jerusalem.
        Of course I could be wrong, DSR, but this is my studied opinion.

        Meira on July 9, 2014 at 7:16 am

          Awesome stuff, Meira. It’s makes perfect sense and to some it’s clearly propagandized, but the unholy alliance I’d never seen asserted. If you ever blog these thoughts, even anonymously, and put it in your sig, I’d point people to it so I can references you.

          DS_ROCKS! on July 9, 2014 at 4:23 pm

Wonder if Angelina Jolie was much of a cupcake fan but then again there’s always a new fad on the horizon when you’re a Hollywood star.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2684786/Video-emerges-wild-eyed-strung-Angelina-Jolie-dark-dangerous-days-drug-claims-resurface.html

Frankz on July 9, 2014 at 6:06 am

Blame it on the gluten nazis.

Meira on July 9, 2014 at 7:16 am

They sold GF cupcakes and they were delicious!

Lee on July 9, 2014 at 8:00 am

    Well, I will say this, Lee. If you bake gluten free in the same facility as gluten, cross contamination is inevitable. For true Celiacs and seriously gluten sensitives, this is a big problem. Second, it is possible to make a healthy gluten free product but most of them contain substitutes that are worse for you then the gluten. Lots of E number additives and other junk. If you really want a pure product, you’re margin at $4.50 a pop is pretty small. I did gluten free for about 3 years. Lost a lot of weight and regained my health but I started craving bread and knew it was time to add it back. I still watch quantities.

    Can someone send me some Tasty Cakes?

    Meira on July 9, 2014 at 9:46 am

    He will bring them GF cupcakes and they will love him for it 😛

    Frankz on July 9, 2014 at 10:30 am

To the Americans O said “let them no longer make cupcakes”, but to the Iranians he said:”Let them make yellow cake”!

Michael on July 9, 2014 at 9:53 am

    Michael, that’s exactly right but now the party is over

    Frankz on July 9, 2014 at 10:21 am

I can buy a whole box of Ding Dongs for that price.

john on July 9, 2014 at 11:07 am

Good article Debbie. It looks like another company bites the dust or in this case flour because of the Obozoconomy. I know that the downward turn of the economy happened under GWB but the O’Clown has been president for 6.5 years now. I bring this up to my liberal friends and they have no answer. Familes just don’t have the income to spend on things like cupcakes. Especially when they can make them at home and not have them look stupid and unedible with dumb Obama designs. With families having to buy the necessities do you think that they would pay for cupcakes at 4.50 a pop. Fuhgiddaboudit.

Ken b on July 9, 2014 at 1:09 pm

While shopping at local supermarkets, I watch what people are putting, and not putting, into their carts.
People are buying much less meat, especially beef, but they are buying lots of Top Ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese.
Here in the states, the price of meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and just about everything else, has sky rocketed lately.
Add to that soaring gas prices and the enormous jump in electricity rates, and you have a population struggling to get buy.
Lots of change with Obama and no hope at all.

Tired Nurse on July 9, 2014 at 7:06 pm

Obama should have been impeached long ago! You all owe Nixon an apology!

Canadian Steve on July 9, 2014 at 9:47 pm

I can not disagree with you Debbie about seeing the demise of Crumbs as an economic indicator. I have noticed that even the tech hipsters who are willing to drop a pretty chunk of change of the upcoming iPhone are not doing so with food stuffs.

This reminds me of the time a relative, who was less off than me, had gone to the government food bank and got a large semi-2×4 block of government cheddar cheese that with one slice you can make a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches. The other kid favorite was the super-concnetrated government Kool-Aid that with half a teaspoon you can make at least two 1 gallon jugs and it still was too sweet where it needed to be watered down further.

Yeah like I said, people that keep saying the economy has “improved or is improving” maybe talking about themselves but I know many people are still struggling.

Mario on July 11, 2014 at 4:48 am

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