I’ve always believed that supporting brick & mortar stores is not only important but my duty as a member of the community. Especially during this time of year, I wanted to offer my patronage to those businesses trying to survive. I recognize that during this economy the business climate and cash reserves are lean or nonexistent and operating in the red. So, I grabbed my new N-95 mask, a small bottle of spray sanitizer, and a pair of medical-grade gloves and was ready to hit the road.
I spent my Sunday dashing in and out of stores looking for presents for my loved ones. Parking lots were full, lines were long, many people were rude and some were just disgusting. Maskless children were sneezing and coughing bumping into me while one or two of their parents were present. Forget six feet of distancing, since when is it okay to invade personal spaces. Personal space is between 3-10 feet and I preferring the ten feet when it comes to strangers. I know this may be asking too much, but seriously do I need your kid coughing on me? Then there were the “Gym Bros” with their sleeveless shirts and their skinny legs. They wore their masks as chin straps or only partially covering with noses hanging off their masks like phalluses. They would nod each other across the hordes as if saying I recognize you, my dude, you are one of the cool ones. I stood in one line where the young men behind me kept inching behind me leaving only one foot between us. I turned around and stared at them till they were uncomfortable by it. Then, there were the line cutters who insist they were with someone already inside. Needless to say, there was an actual effort to police the entrance and for that I was thankful. I was fortunate enough to make it in and out of most stores without too much of a fuss. I bought half a dozen gift cards to cover the rest of my gift buying. Between my artist studio life and my boutique design business, there isn’t much free time.
I finished my evening with a quick run to my local grocery store. I needed a couple of things for my meal preparation today, as I prefer my ingredients as fresh as possible. After gathering a few items in the handheld basket I was ready to check out. The woman behind the register was making faces as if the flatulence at the checkout area were rancid. There was some cheerful Christmas music playing in the background. I commented on how it was nice to hear some Christmas music. She then goes into a rant about how it is no longer “Political Correct” to play it. I replied that this has been an odd year and that normally play it in my home but have not felt as festive this year. She said, “Yeah, neither have I.”
On my way home it occurred to me that the only thing preventing me from doing all my purchases online is crappy websites. So, my plan for 2021 is to encourage more online shopping carts with an emphasis on a better user experience. If you have a brick & mortar and don’t have an easy to use shopping cart component is it my job to keep you afloat?