Baghdad Buying Spree

Next quagmire, consumer demand:

"Television sets, refrigerators and boxes of satellite receivers are stacked 10 feet high on the sidewalks of Baghdad's shopping districts. Shoppers who have waited for years to be able to spend their hoarded dollars are out in force.

"'When I started in late April, I was receiving one container of DiStar goods per month,' [merchant Massoud] Mazouri says. "Now, I am getting five to six containers.' Each container holds about 270 television sets or 3,800 satellite receiver units. He says he is grossing $20,000 a day. 'All the sales are done in cash.'

"There was plenty of pent-up demand. …"

Thanks to: Virginia Postrel