A Pull-back in Consumerism?
Hello from New Bedford, Massachussets; it really is wonderful to be in such an authentic fishing village.
Over breakfast I noticed an article in the Wall Street Journal to the effect that retail sales really were terrible last December, resulting in huge losses and the demise of hundreds of store locations (including 18 Kohl’s outlets) across the U.S. Sears is closing 50 locations, and hinted that the number would likely be higher. Sears’ CEO reported in a letter to shareholders that the culprits are online shopping and the pull-back from the high-end consumer.
First, let’s point out the obvious: Sears doesn’t have any high-end consumers. But beyond that, isn’t it possible that, as a society, we’re beginning to question our ingrained shopping patterns? Maybe we want less “stuff,” while we start to place more value on things like our children’s education.
Of course, this could be a fantasy, but it never hurts to think positively.
Elsewhere in the news, gun sales are soaring in the U.S. We have an enormous and growing appetite for weaponry, as evidenced by the trend on the part of some gun-owners to teach their toddlers to shoot. Normally, I would be alarmed at the idea, but considering I live in a country in which Donald Trump is a serious presidential candidate, things like this don’t faze me anymore.
I now do much of my shopping on-line. The reason is that to find what I want locally I’d have to drive to several stores and still not find what I want. Of course all that driving is socially and environmentally irresponsible. If I find what I want on-line I can order it and have it delivered to the house. The cost of delivery may be less than the cost of driving around and it certainly saves time.
A problem with many stores is that they are run by remote control. Instead of having local buyers who are familiar with local needs, the buyers are in a remote corporate office and have no contact with customers.
Probably the trend to Internet shopping will continue.
The trend toward internet shopping will certainly continue as it helps us avoid the unpleasant aspects of shopping. However if store owners ever begin to understand what treatment people truly appreciate, then you may see a resurgence of bricks and mortar stores, at least for a class of people.
Stores sometimes advertise how exciting shopping is. I would find shopping exciting if I could go into a conveniently located store, immediately find what I want, pay for it without waiting in a queue, and leave. Unfortunately that is rarely possible which is why I hate shopping.
Stores are designed to make it difficult to find the desired item. Instead, they force people to spend considerable time looking the idea being that forced browsing will result in more sales. Perhaps they will learn that with Internet shopping available, customers can avoid physical browsing and are doing so.
Like Frank, I also do a fair amount of shopping online for many of the same reasons.
However, I also am the lousiest consumer there ever was. Almost all of what I own is someone else’s discarded stuff which I have either repurposed or repaired. I purchase new only when I can’t find or make what I need.
The story I like to tell the most about repairing was when I was dating my wife and the pedal on her vacuum cleaner that releases it so you can lower the handle down broke and wouldn’t stay latched. I told her I would fix it and she had no idea that things could actually be fixed. I took it apart with my leatherman, ascertained that the molded return spring on the pedal had broken, asked her for a Dobie pad (used for washing dishes), cut a piece the width of the pedal and folded it in half and stuck it under the pedal to act as the return spring and reassembled the unit. It worked perfectly and my wife was totally amazed that I fixed it. That was 18 years ago and she is still using it. She was resigned to buying a new one and I fixed that one. It was 10 years old when I fixed it. Most people I know have had 3 vacuum cleaners since then. As I said, I am a lousy consumer.
Great story.
That’s only one of the reasons I think you’re a very cool person. 🙂