Bulk Supermarkets

If we're talking about investments that can preserve capital and still make a profit, the two most commonly used tricks by time travelers are selling stockings and buying Coca-Cola stock. These two methods may seem cliché and boring, but they are guaranteed to preserve capital and even yield profits.

Stockings, like lipstick, are items that people buy when they can't afford to dress up lavishly but still want to maintain some dignity. A good pair of stockings is an excellent choice. As for Coca-Cola, there's no need to explain — if you hold onto it, you won't lose money.

Other profitable options, such as condoms, birth control pills, fake cigarettes, fake alcohol, and the movie entertainment industry that Niall is preparing to invest in, are all good places to park your money. They guarantee that your dollars will maintain their value, and there's potential to make a profit.

So, what should one invest in?

If Niall had a large amount of capital, he would definitely invest in the military industry. In a few years, the military industry will begin to boom, continuing through the 1950s, making a fortune and gaining immense prestige.

However, judging by Wilkie's appearance, his capital is probably around two to three hundred thousand dollars, maybe a bit more. While that's not a small amount, it's not enough to do anything big.

"Do you think the Republican Party will win the presidential election next year?" Niall didn't directly answer Wilkie's question but instead posed one of his own.

"Ah, well..."

Previously in Brooklyn, the group had discussed this matter. Niall knew in advance that the Republican Party would lose, but Wilkie, who loved his Republican Party, believed that they would at most not win by a landslide. Now, with American banks on the brink of collapse, Niall wondered if Wilkie's perspective had completely shifted.

"I personally believe that the Democratic Party will nominate a reform-minded presidential candidate, and once he's in office, he will start working to save the market," Niall hinted.

"And then?" Wilkie asked, continuing Niall's line of thought.

"So, I think you should consider investing in bulk supermarkets!" Wilkie was utterly baffled, and so was Frederick. How were bulk supermarkets connected to a new Democratic president taking office and saving the market? Shouldn't they be thinking about investing in stocks, real estate, or even the transportation and shipping industry?

"Don't rush. Let's analyze this..."

The normal person would, of course, follow Wilkie's line of thinking and consider entering the industries mentioned before, but Niall was not optimistic about stocks or real estate. Besides being a visionary, he also wanted to caution everyone — don't become the fodder of the stock market.

Let's get back on track. As soon as Roosevelt comes into office with the public's support for reforms, he will begin investing heavily in infrastructure to stimulate the production of basic industrial goods, expand employment, and increase government intervention.

Following this logic, the best move now would seem to be to invest in raw materials like steel and cement, or to buy construction machinery and establish an engineering company. Those with more foresight could even try to get into the production and circulation of iron ore or limestone — these would all be great options.

But the problem is that Wilkie doesn't have that kind of capital! Everyone understands that real industry requires a lot of capital, and without significant funds, it's impossible to play. To survive, you need strong cash flow to avoid being trapped. Moreover, this stuff has very low profit margins. America's production capacity is so strong that once the market demand is discovered, production will ramp up quickly.

Real industry is a low-margin business...

For someone like Wilkie, with a thin stack of a few hundred thousand dollars, what's the best move?

What Niall could think of was something like Costco or Sam's Club — bulk supermarkets.

Right now, most stores in the U.S. are concentrated in urban areas, many of them located at street corners. This is because American cities were built from scratch by colonists, so there's no such thing as an already well-developed metropolis. In the early days, small towns had churches, stores, police stations, and banks all clustered together.

As cities expanded, stores still needed to remain at the center of residential areas to ensure that customers could conveniently purchase their needed goods. But this situation was being disrupted by one invention: cars.

Or rather, private cars. Now, nearly every family in the U.S. can afford to own a car. Driving to the suburbs for shopping has become a possibility.

The high cost of rent in the city is transferred onto the goods and ultimately paid by the customer. If supermarkets were placed in the suburbs, just a few kilometers away, the cost of renting the store could be drastically reduced. Nowadays, land and houses in the suburbs are nearly free — making it more affordable.

The reduction in store rent would directly impact product prices, which could easily attract housewives to spend a little on gasoline to drive to the suburban market.

As for why bulk supermarkets are necessary, the reason is simple: the Great Depression has greatly changed the lives and consumption habits of the American people.

For wealthy people like Wilkie, who have hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets, along with a steady income from his job as a tax lawyer, he can afford to wait and hold onto cash. He doesn't need to exchange his money for necessities, and keeping cash on hand is a reasonable choice.

But for ordinary folks?

Their situation is completely different. They might earn just two or three hundred dollars a year, or less. Every month, they only have ten or twenty dollars to cover their expenses. Why would they want to hold onto cash?

Yes, America is overproducing, and if you have money, you can buy any industrial product you want. But the economic crisis has led to massive market instability. Milk was poured into the Mississippi River, apples were left to rot on the ground, and corn and wheat were burned in train boilers.

On a given day, a person might only buy half a dollar's worth of goods. Why hold onto cash? Wouldn't it be better to just exchange it for a big bag of flour? Don't think about holding onto cash to guard against risks. For poor people, the most practical thing is to exchange money for essential food.

This period marked the beginning of Americans' habit of stockpiling goods at home. People would buy a week's worth, or even several weeks' worth, of daily necessities and store them at home to use gradually.

This trend hasn't fully formed yet, but it's already starting to emerge. Since Wilkie wants to maintain his assets at a certain level and not take on too much risk due to limited investment options, bulk supermarkets are one of the best choices!