      One might contend that, if consumers are paying more for goods andservices, employers will make more from each consumer, and thus there wouldbe no need for businesses to raise prices. This is sometimes the case.Other times, and more often than not, retailers are the first to profitfrom this paradigm shift. Given inventories, purchasing contracts, etc.,there is a lag time between the unbalancing of supply and demand by theconsumer and the potential price reaction from manufacturers.