by Jack
When you stop and think about it, Malls and giant stores reaching the end of their value to society. They cost millions to build, they take up huge amounts of living space, they pose a liability on a number of levels, then there’s the associated crime from shoplifting, theft from vehicles to armed robbery.
Compare the madhouse at the mall to shopping online from the convenience, comfort and security of your own home. Actually, there is no comparison! Far more products are available for you to peruse and price compare online. If its out of stock at one site, you will find it in stock at another site. What could be easier? And the savings, wow….again no comparison, because online merchants don’t have the costly overhead. Online products can be sold for a lot less. Often times you will avoid paying a sales tax and shipping is either free or its a wash compared to you driving all over town shopping.
The rare exceptions would be if you want the product immediately, but better planning would take care of 99% of that. The other is fitting clothes, but again, these are the rare exceptions.
Whenever possible, I will always shop online because my money goes further. Gas mileage improves, wear and tear on the car and me improves too. I lose nothing in quality and product guarantees are the same. Returns, never had a problem. And a save tons of time finding exactly what I want and the best possible price.
Interesting: the take you choose to take on things. I did not spend any of my long weekend checking out all the instances of groady behavior fed to me by propagandists. There is a largish social component to shopping, and I choose not to dwell upon how your Trump voter pursues the matter, and avoid venues where they are likely to congregate: WalMart, for instance. I spent “Black Friday” on Fourth Street in Berkeley, a spiffy shopping environment centered around the Peet’s Coffee and its large terrace. We had musicians. We had coffee. We were all reasonably civil to each other.
How come you did not spend your Black Friday like that?
Yes, The People’s Republic of Berkeley has a long history of being “civil.”
Imagine if someone in a MAGA cap showed up.
I Miss Peets! Great way to spend the day!
The last thing I would do is spend money on fake deals buying Chinese goods while asking where the jobs are.
If I’m looking for something specific, I’ll use my smartphone to see who has it and how much it costs. A lot simpler than driving around all over town looking for an item.
Smartphones and computers have changed marketing, and those stores who have changed to move with the way shoppers use their phones are the ones who will remain successful. Besides – who wants to have to sharpen their elbows and fight the crowds over a set of towels??????????
I am with you. Well said J. Soden.
Libby, other than my voluteer work at the museum, I spent Black Friday in the calm of my own home. I ventured out once to run an errand. I saw the parking lots filled at the malls…wouldn’t go near them. It was a wonderful Friday for me, restful, relaxing and then on Monday I get to see these bad example of democrats on YouTube! lol They were making a mess of things, wherever it is that democrats go to shoplift. Why would you even think those folks on the videos, throwing chairs and punches were Republicans? They sure looked like Obama’s supporters to me. …sounded like your side too! Every 3rd word was the F bomb. That’s not exactly our style.
“They sure looked like Obama’s supporters to me. ….”
Because many of them were of African descent, you racist, you?
By the way, you noticed that the whole thing was staged for the media, did you not? And your post made it sound like you had seen lots of this sort of thing … but you had not … had you. Just this one bit produced for your entertainment.
Someday you are going to cease being so pitifully easy to manipulate.
Seems to me Jack’s post was about retail in general, rather than Black Friday or the disorderly, sometimes criminal, mobs that shop on that day. Glad to hear Libby had such a wonderful holiday experience; it’s a shame she chose to use that experience to dump all over Trump supporters (and PS) in that all too familiar superior tone.
Much of retail is dying but despite the convenience of online shopping I have to say I will miss the personal touch and intimacy of small retail shopping if it goes the way of the buggy whip. Could be the world is spinning just a bit too fast for me.
The few retailers that might remain should it all come crashing down will probably be situated near restaurants and carry unique and artistic offerings…things that aren’t made in an assembly line…things that Trump supporters enjoy…things we buy for the experience more than functionality.
How old is the internet? Twenty years or so? Is there anything that can’t be found on the internet? Books…books will soon be viewed as ancient relics. Photo albums? Who needs them now? And yet…I have treasured them.
There are (at least) eighty Amazon warehouses, some over a million sq ft in size. (16,500 sq ft is the average warehouse size) Amazon has 65,000 employees. Most of the work is done by computer.
Our world is changing all right. Time to look for a good fishin’ hole…and maybe a tiny house nearby.
Love shopping online. I think of a gift for someone, find it on Amazon, buy it with one click and it’s here in 2-3 days. Got two delivered yesterday, on Sunday.
A girlfriend tried to buy something at Penney’s that was on sale for 30% off, but she was told she had to have a smartphone to get the discount. She doesn’t have a smartphone, so got into an argument with the clerk. The manager had to come over and overrode the computer to give her the sale price. Of course all of the people waiting in line behind her weren’t happy.
click… click… double click HOHOHO
Copied from FaceBook.
Lost in all the chaos at Ohio State University today was something that most people probably missed. About an hour into it, when everyone was “sheltering in place” all over campus, CNN took a phone call from a young woman who was locked inside a classroom right near where the suspect was hurting people. She said she was a graduate student and she and many others were huddled together scared and not sure what was happening outside. Then she said something made me tear up.
She said casually to the TV anchor over the phone, “But we happened to have a few ‘military guys’ in my class and the minute we got the text message alert of an ‘active shooter on campus’ they moved the rest of us away from the door and then all of them stood guard right by the door.” She said they were standing there as she spoke making certain if a shooter or someone with a knife or whatever calamity tried to come through that door, they would be the first thing he’d see and they’d stop it and protect the other students or die trying.
These guys weren’t armed, I’m guessing they weren’t in uniform, they were just students who happened to have military training. Those “military guys” instantly put themselves on the clock and assumed the position to protect those unarmed, vulnerable students.
I thought that was impressive. I thought that was brave. I thought that was oh so very American.
I also thought you’d want to know.
The Trump supporters who are up in stores being quite crazy are simply crazy. I have seen 3 now in person. They just start being rude to the worker then they always say I voted for trump. What is up with all that?
Videos are showing up. Why have over 800 incidents of hate been reported since he won? Why do So Called Trump Supporters think they are better than the rest of America?
The only difference is liking fascism vs Democracy
And now for something completely off topic, and completely over the top. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofqrXa4rn8E