Micro-economics - is the economy really *that* bad?

I read the newspapers like everyone else, but here's a micro-indicator I just received: "The cookie depots are facing unprecedented demand. Depot transactions are up 27% and the size of each transaction is much larger than last year. We have increased our deliveries to depots this year by 104% yet still stock levels are extremely low in all depots. Cookies are being rushed to us from the bakery as we speak since we have cleaned out, once again, the local supply."

Or in non-Girl Scout speak: cookie sales in the Washington DC area are up sharply. Is that because people are giving up luxuries and buying cookies? Is the DC area relatively unscathed? Or is the economy just not as bad as the media is reporting?