Beyond Retail

“The reason people choose one place to shop over another is the experience.” -Retail store manager

With the current economical hardships that affect us all, no one is shopping for an experience right now. Even the pocket books of the affluent have been closely monitored now that gas is more than four dollars a gallon. Everyone is looking for the best bargain, and if it’s at Walmart or Big Lots, then that’s where they’re headed. No one likes being called “cheap,” but when inflation is rising monthly, those people are now being called “smart.”

The shopping “experience” is a turn-of-phrase that retail stores love to use in order to get their associates thinking about how shopping is a big production for families, and how they should be inviting for the whole family and catering to their needs, which also means selling them more to improve the store’s bottom line. Improving the store’s bottom line improves the profitability of the company…increased earnings…pleased stock holders… I’m sure I don’t have to go into that kind of detail.

To focus on what’s missing: experience. Not the “experience” of the customer. The employee’s experience, of which there is usually little to none. Our society is becoming so independent that customers can shop in stores and the only employee that talk to–or, during a time when the economy is slow and shifts are cut, the only employee they see–is the cashier that rings them up. But what about when you’re shopping for electronics, footwear, sporting goods, bikes, etc.? If you don’t go to a specialty store, it’s rare that you’ll find anyone who is knowledgeable enough to give the best recommendation. And the stores know it.

The point is: they just don’t care, and you should. They will never hire someone who knows enough, so throw a crowbar in your wallet and shell out the extra couple bucks to go somewhere that will give you all of the right information, or research it online before you go. DO NOT go into a store and complain about bad service. They’ll apologize and try to keep you. That’s not the “experience” you want. Avoid the problem entirely. Support specialty stores. They know what they’re talking about.

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