Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: Next Week's Game Plan (Final)

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Investors need to challenge their own ideas, Jim Cramer told the viewers of his "Mad Money" TV show Friday.

That's why his game plan for next week includes using the latest data to confirm or disprove many of his current investment theses.

Cramer said the latest retail sales numbers will be released on Tuesday. He said that while these numbers are interesting in a broad sense, he's focusing on the earnings of electronics giant Best Buy (BBY Quote). "There's no better test of the consumer than seeing if they're buying stuff they really don't need," said Cramer, adding that's why Best Buy is a great test of whether the back-to-school" shopping season is on track.

How are things in the mobile Internet world? Cramer said to look to Adobe (ADBE Quote) for that answer. Also reporting next week is Palm (PALM Quote), but Cramer said that company is a false indicator, and weakness there would mean that other competitors, like Apple (AAPL Quote), are taking share.

Cramer said he's also looking for what he called "collateral damage." He said Oracle's (ORCL Quote) report next week could inadvertently take down the stock of rival Salesforce.com (CRM Quote), a stock which Cramer has been waiting to buy at a lower price.

Some other tests next week include earnings from supermarket chain Kroger (KR Quote), which Cramer said would indicate whether private-label products made by Treehouse Brands (THS Quote) and Ralcorp (RAH Quote) would be buys.