Philosophical Differences in Shopping Viewpoints

Over the Easter weekend I had a chance to visit with family and I came ‘smack’ up against the “disposable shopper”. I have met this type of shopper in my store many times. I also have a couple of them in my family. I understand their outlook. They are trying to get the best “something” for less money. With the economy what it is today, in their eyes, that shopping philosophy makes more sense than ever. For the most part, this type of shopper is not going to ever see my view point. Usually I let it go but I can’t begin to tell you how much that way of thinking strikes me as wrong.

You are a bargain shopper. You go to Acme Store X or perhaps to “Craig’s List”. You are looking for “Item Y” (You need to fill in the blank here. It can be a washer, a shirt or a chair. Whatever.) You search out the cheapest one you can find, that seems to meet your criteria, and buy it. After a short time span it breaks or quits or perhaps it makes you sick and you need to replace it. You go back to your favorite bargain source and repeat.

This sets up a series of situations. 1)Every time you replace you are using more materials or resources. More metal for that washer, more fabric for that shirt or wood for the chair. 2) Everytime you replace you have to sell or some way dispose of what is broken. What happens to the rejected piece? How much can it be fixed or does it just end up in the landfills, leaching into our ground water. As it is our drinking water has growing amounts of formaldehyde, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals from things we have thrown away. 3) Everytime you throw away and replace you are spending more money. Yes, the amount is less than if you bought new and well made. That is a fact but so is the fact that the duration that the well made piece lasts versus the added totals of all of the cheap pieces, makes it not a ‘bargain’.

I know that both of my relatives who are “bargain hunters” and “disposable shoppers” think that they are smart to do what they do. They are proud of what they can save and they are happy because they can change the item frequently. Like I say, it is a philosophical difference. I, in turn, see it as very wasteful to change your furniture every five years or to wear something a few times and throw it away because you didn’t buy well made. It bugs me that more and more “stuff” is purchased and thrown away every year. It irritates me that sane people can think that is reasonable to drive 90 miles, or fly across the country, to a big city, to go to a “SALE” that had the same or similar stuff as their own city. What are they saving?? Certainly not gas!

So, as I write this, I have to admit that we will never agree on these points. Everybody is different. Each thinks they are right. (Visualize me shrugging.) You decide.