I don’t believe in last minute Christmas Shopping
Posted: December 24, 2007Today is Christmas Eve. Are you doing your last minute shopping ? I am not trying to sell you anything here in my blog. I just wanted to share my feelings and my observations on last minute Christmas shopping.
People who shop at the last minute before Christmas holiday tend to frustrate themselves when they painfully elbowed in the ribs by over zealous shoppers rummaging through the shelves, fighting for the best bargain and queue up in long lines at the cashiers.
A few days ago I was at one of the mall, Vivocity getting some chocolates for the family gathering last week. I was feeling crowd phobia. The crowd started coming in after 11 00 a.m. People and children were everywhere. The noise level within the mall is going higher and higher. For a moment, I cannot even hear the pipe-in Christmas music as the children wailing across the department stores while a couple trying desperately to get the 2 years old to try on a new Christmas c0loured (Green and red) dress! Are we buying useful and practical things as gifts for our family and friends ? How often do you wear a Green and red dress beyond Christmas? To add upon this, those children clothes on discount for children are made of thicker material like velvet and PVC more suitable for the children in the temperate climate. Do children of Singapore living at the equator need this ? yet parents are buying for the sake of buying something for their children or their relatives. This is really implusive Christmas shopping!
Besides children shops, the candy shop was packed with people too. Shopers were grapping those items which sign board screamed ” Buy 1 get 1 free ! For Dec 20-25 only “. These buyers were sweeping the shelves empty as busy promoters were opening up boxes and boxes filling up the shelves. Empty boxes were scattered across the back door near the exit as stocking up take place. It is quite a mess to see the candy shop during this period of time.
The worst were the apparel shops. Discount items were all scattered across the shops. You cannot even find a promoter to enquire about the stocks or the size you want. Fitting rooms were packed as youngsters and working executive frantically trying to buy their Christmas or New year parties dress and clothing. I wonder how often they wear such party clothes after the week has passed ? More over the fitting rooms were all messy too. Clothes and hangers are lying everywhere.
Do you also realised that last minute shopping make you spent implusively? Well, make a note on the expenses on your credit card and you will know. You are spending more than you initiately intend too. Maybe that expense does not matter to you but this implusive spending does make the retailers very happy as they see their cashier box open and close faster and the ATM and credit card machine are working twice the slow speed due to the high traffic.
Do you pick up more and more items along the aisle as you walked rows by rows ? You see more and more discount, things look much cheaper as the number on the sign board stated bigger and bigger discount number ?
Do you see also credit cards companies setting up temporary booth to sign up the next potential customers next to the big SALE area ? Yeah, implusive buying, spend before you can afford to pay. These are the gimmicks of the retailers and bank
Even the media is hyping the spending much to project better economy situation. They interview the big spenders, they write up on average amount they spend this season and items they buy. We are bombarded by visual, audio and even smell of the Christmas cookies at the corners.
Take the example that is closer to me. The seller. My hubby helps his company to run the retail and on-line business. Though he is already off work by now, his phone is ringing every hour as his staff calling him to update him on the stock status of the retail stores. They are running last minute Christmas shopping promotion and gimmicks that give aways.
Since I have studied retail management previously, I was again and strongly reminded myself to prevent and do not do last minute Christmas shopping. This is because if I am the seller, I am definitely an easy implusive buyer that most retailers would love to have. This year I am not giving them the chance. My Christmas shopping list were drafted out long when the year 2007 started. I only buy practical items not easily found during the Christmas season. Some items were bought when I were on tour and its uniqueness will mean something to the one who receives it. They will not cast it aside as one of those Christmas gifts of a box of chocolate, a scarf or a decorative ornaments with snow flake on it. Plan carefully before you shop.
