Sandy Supposes....

Save our real stores...

July 7th blog entry: WOW! Last evening, I was skipping amongst my keyboard keys composing my blog when, wham, the electricity vanished. All my writing dissipated.. Even while camping, I rely upon the magic of hydro.... Finally today, the 8th, it reappeared. No longer must I strain to read via the weak glow from a battery-powered lamp. So, I'm here trying again... July 7th prompt: Fun Fact Friday! On this day in 1994, Amazon.com was founded in Seattle, Washington under the name "cadabra." Will shopping online ever fully replace buying stuff from stores?

          Put simply, no. The online purchasing experience cannot compete with in person shopping. Shopping requires a foray out into the real world. The vagaries of weather and traffic must be circumvented, and vanquished. Crowds of people must be navigated by means of wile and wits. It can be both invigorating and exhausting, but never dull.

         Internet shopping is too neat and sterile. It lacks colour, drama, fanfare, and ambience. Only stilted photos attempt to represent products.

         First of all, people of the purchasing persuasion need to see stuff, and they accomplish this with more than just a glance with their eyes.. Have you not heard someone say, "Hey, let me see that.", and they reach for it with their outstretched hands? They need to feel, and examine things up close. They will stroke, caress, poke, prod, shake, squeeze, and manhandle anything. Levers will be raised and lowered. Buttons will be depressed. Zippers will be tugged. Doors will be opened and closed. Hinges will be extended and swung. Weight will be hefted.Touching is believing. Kicking the tires in not just an expression.

          Shopping is attempted amongst a throng of like-minded persons. There may be jostling. There may be discussions, and disagreements. There may be chit-chat and small talk. There most likely will be times of languishing in line-ups. Biting one's tongue, and tapping one's foot is inevitable. Too many salespeople will be snooty, and completely, blissfully unhelpful.. They exist only to test our patience, and self-control. Music, or is that 'muzak' will blare, screech, pulse, deafen, or stupefy you. Think of it as a retail circus. None of this is possible with online ordering.

          Many designers and manufacturers create and modify the sizing of clothing. No two seem to agree on a common size system, so clothes must become temporary attire. This entails squeezing into a miniscule closet known as a changeroom to try on garments. It affords quite the robust workout as one shimmies, struggles, shifts, pulls, pleads, stretches, and shrieks, all while sucking in one's stomach and holding one's breath. Buying online is a gamble. Fit is not guaranteed. The mirror of absolute truth may only be consulted in an actual store.

         Purchasing stuff online does not provide a get-away, or an outing. Retail therapy should tease and provoke all of the senses.