I was so sick from the non-recyclable consumer product life cycle, I gave it up. Now I will spend months looking for wireless headphones, or a new pair of riding boots. I like the money I save, and I really love hand sewn leather soles.
Don't toss it, offer it!
I may have a slightly different perspective, but the one line I want to comment on came at the very end, the second-to-last sentence: " Donate it, shred it, trash it." Please, don't shred or trash it unless all options to donate it have been unsuccessful. We have way too much perfectly usable stuff going to landfills, and way too much repurposable stuff (stuff that has parts that still work, stuff that can be turned in to other things) gets tossed out, too. Beautiful stuff, trashed. Slightly scratched stuff, trashed. Stuff that many would love to have but can't afford, trashed.
It's laudable to de-clutter one's life, but don't offer up the landfill as the alternative. Please, list it on Craigslist or Freecycle. Stick it out on your lawn with a big "FREE!" sign on it. Give others a reasonable opportunity to reuse or repurpose what you no longer want or need. You might be amazed at the talent out there for turning others' trash into treasure! And you will save perfectly usable items from that long, one-way trip to the landfill, the saddest trip of all to the saddest place of all.
I may have a slightly different perspective, but the one line I want to comment on came at the very end, the second-to-last sentence: " Donate it, shred it, trash it." Please, don't shred or trash it unless all options to donate it have been unsuccessful. We have way too much perfectly usable stuff going to landfills, and way too much repurposable stuff (stuff that has parts that still work, stuff that can be turned in to other things) gets tossed out, too. Beautiful stuff, trashed. Slightly scratched stuff, trashed. Stuff that many would love to have but can't afford, trashed.
It's laudable to de-clutter one's life, but don't offer up the landfill as the alternative. Please, list it on Craigslist or Freecycle. Stick it out on your lawn with a big "FREE!" sign on it. Give others a reasonable opportunity to reuse or repurpose what you no longer want or need. You might be amazed at the talent out there for turning others' trash into treasure! And you will save perfectly usable items from that long, one-way trip to the landfill, the saddest trip of all to the saddest place of all.
21
"The best gifts for those you’re unsure about are the disappearing gifts, such as" cash!
7
As a child, whenever I bought something my grandfather would say, "what do you need that for"? As an adult, I think twice before I make a purchase.
5
Wasn't Walmart's 2009 initiative tied to upscaling its image--and pricing? And wasn't that the real reason for the failure, an ill-timed identity shift that its base didn't cotton to, not changes in store merchandising?
My last four purchases from Walmart have been through Walmart.com, and I'm just nipping into the store later today for a pickup-only item. My other recent purchases have been from Amazon, Jet, Drs. Fosters and Smith, Chewy, and eBay, all online-only venues, AFAIK, as well as Walgreens.com. My forays into our local supermarkets are preceded by studying their online circulars and delivery services for hidden bargains. All my gifts are bought online, customized and wrapped, delivered ready to give. Online is where you'll find the hidden treasures these days. Shopping across Walmart, Jet, and Amazon can yield terrific buys.
If you want to see clean, go online, but leave the stores be. I like a little disarray. It's humanizing. And for my own life, I'll pass on the divestiture shtick. When my cats ferret out toys they haven't played with in months, a visiting friend happily retrieves a book from my shelves that I haven't looked at in ages, and I can finally fit into a shirt I haven't worn in 15 years, I feel my packrattism is justified. Still, sterile tableaus punctuated by orchids are magazine artifice, not life.
My last four purchases from Walmart have been through Walmart.com, and I'm just nipping into the store later today for a pickup-only item. My other recent purchases have been from Amazon, Jet, Drs. Fosters and Smith, Chewy, and eBay, all online-only venues, AFAIK, as well as Walgreens.com. My forays into our local supermarkets are preceded by studying their online circulars and delivery services for hidden bargains. All my gifts are bought online, customized and wrapped, delivered ready to give. Online is where you'll find the hidden treasures these days. Shopping across Walmart, Jet, and Amazon can yield terrific buys.
If you want to see clean, go online, but leave the stores be. I like a little disarray. It's humanizing. And for my own life, I'll pass on the divestiture shtick. When my cats ferret out toys they haven't played with in months, a visiting friend happily retrieves a book from my shelves that I haven't looked at in ages, and I can finally fit into a shirt I haven't worn in 15 years, I feel my packrattism is justified. Still, sterile tableaus punctuated by orchids are magazine artifice, not life.
7
Mr. Underhill states: "The reluctance to spend might be a result of general skittishness or a residual fear left over from the Great Recession." Well why not consider a lack of money in the pockets of America's working class as the major impediment here? Because then the author couldn't pontificate about how the rest of us, retailers and consumers alike, should be spending our money. And by the way, the detrimental clutter clogging the aisles in this country is piled a mile high on Wall Street.
16
Cluttered aisles? Elusive bargains? I don't particularly care about those things. The reasons I don't buy very many clothes in the stores - even the higher level brand name stores - are twofold: first, the quality is usually awful. The fabrics are cheaply made, construction not great either. Second: as was pointed out, there is very little that is distinguished on the market: many stores carry the same cookie cutter merchandise of ordinary design. I do better on line but even there have to return things because of bad quality (that the vendor has no trouble selling for lots of money). Maybe I should take up sewing, as my mother said in the first place.
11
I opened a small retail shop this year selling home decor, vintage finds, etc. I also carry the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It might seem like a conflict but my shop is set up like a home with vignettes of new and found treasures. I feel like there is a definite trend away from big box shopping towards a unique, cozy and welcoming shopping environment. I have items in every price range and my shop is uncluttered, smells good and has a great music playing... a simple but winning formula if you ask me or my customers for that matter. Cheers!
4
Some anecdotal observations:
People maybe spending less because they simply don't have it to spend. Boomers concerned about retirement coupled with an almost decade of low wage growth and low wage jobs take a toll.
Apple stores do feel classy but the elephant in the room is they have a high in-demand product. As noted, when Johnson tried that stunt in Penney's it didn't work. Why? Different shoppers have different expectations. My elderly mother is an old fashioned American shopper. She buys things she doesn't need if they are a bargain. Neighbor's and family are the benefactors of her excursions. When Penney's stopped the coupons they lost her. The coupons are back and sales are up.
I've never seen so many deliveries as this year. People are shopping on-line and avoiding the crush. Conversely, I know some people that love the crush and waiting to the last minute.
The takeaway? Shoppers are a fickle bunch.
People maybe spending less because they simply don't have it to spend. Boomers concerned about retirement coupled with an almost decade of low wage growth and low wage jobs take a toll.
Apple stores do feel classy but the elephant in the room is they have a high in-demand product. As noted, when Johnson tried that stunt in Penney's it didn't work. Why? Different shoppers have different expectations. My elderly mother is an old fashioned American shopper. She buys things she doesn't need if they are a bargain. Neighbor's and family are the benefactors of her excursions. When Penney's stopped the coupons they lost her. The coupons are back and sales are up.
I've never seen so many deliveries as this year. People are shopping on-line and avoiding the crush. Conversely, I know some people that love the crush and waiting to the last minute.
The takeaway? Shoppers are a fickle bunch.
5
I will take Target over Walmart in time and anywhere. I actually enjoy shopping at Target, while physically and mentally dreading Walmart. And is precisely because Walmart seems almost a dirty experience. Filthy stores, grubby shoppers, insane parking/traffic. So far as I can tell, the prices are nearly the same. So I vote pleasant over grub.
13
I'm with you. I find Walmart to be a disgusting dump. Would rather do without then set foot in one of their stores. Also hated their taking over small town businesses as they grew.
10
Paco shame! And you call yourself a capitalist. Cut back indeed! How will we as consumers keep their profits up if we cut back? The particular item purchased is not the point, its the act of buying that is capitalism! Cut back? I think not! Go and spend,spend,spend, till their coffers are full. Oh and don't worry about those that don't have money to spend, because they are losers.
4
What a mess of an article and what a clutter of sanctimonious comments (bar a few who acknowledge their acquiescing to the temptation of shopping). Of course we should all cut down on buying too many cheap, badly made goods, and of course the stores are awful at this time of year. But it is worth remembering that the unhelpful, and often often undereducated, shop assistants are working there as a second or third job, and are not valued for their work. And people without much to begin with a) can't afford to buy expensive, long lasting items, and b) do shop for retail therapy- and all the sanctimony and snobbery in the world won't change that. And preaching to the stores to capitalize better by cutting demand (by closing stores) and increasing the desirability of available store clutter sounds positively repellent. I find I most like to shop where staff feel more valued, and have time to chat. Generally this is in smaller towns, rather than the "better" stores - where I cannot afford to shop anyway. However I do agree with giving "disappearing gifts," with the exception of course, of books.
4
I believe the box stores & shopping malls are a dying breed. People don't have the time to shop anymore, since everyone is working, thanks to higher prices across the board. I have been doing my shopping online for several years now. It saves impulse buying & keeps overspending down, to say nothing of stress & gasoline. I believe we will see more delivery companies as street & mall stores close & rely on internet sales alone. Grocery shopping is a huge waste of time & could be accomplished online with a 2-hour delivery. Online shopping is the way of the future as time becomes more valuable to everyone.
10
Seniors are a large portion of the population now, and I bet a lot of them are like me. From a love to shop 20 something to a hate to shop 60 something I understand that I wasted way to much money and time on meaningless stuff. Sure, if I need something I buy it - most likely on line, but "need" is the important word here. I no longer look around for stuff I probably won't ever wear or use, and most of my younger friends don't either. I understand why retailers are in a pinch - clutter or not.
17
Thrift stores and yard sales are way more fun.
10
The problem with Walmart was so much the clutter on the shelves, but Walmart was like the airline industry and spaced the aisles so it was virtually almost impossible to have carts pass each other - someone would have to back out so the other person could pass through Contrast that with Target, which seems to have wider aisles and less clutter in general. However, Target sells a lot of Target-branded products, while Walmart displays a lot of different product lines, so it's a trade-off in terms of organization vs variety.
I believe that Walmart left the aisles wider, but kept the clutter (staffing issue probably - that pesty 29 hour insurance rule...)
I believe that Walmart left the aisles wider, but kept the clutter (staffing issue probably - that pesty 29 hour insurance rule...)
2
I have grandchildren who tell their kids that if they expect Christmas gifts, then they have to go through the things they already have and pick out those clothes that are too small or they don't really wear anymore or toys they don't play with any longer and bag them for the local charity shop.
I wish I could say that to several other family members who seem to believe that the more clutter one has the more one "expresses themselves". In their house, and I suspect in many an American family's home, you can practice how to manage the aisles of places such as WalMart.
Where I to be asked, my answer to what do I want from a shopping experience is simple: to find a clerk when I need one instead of having to walk the entire store to find one.
I wish I could say that to several other family members who seem to believe that the more clutter one has the more one "expresses themselves". In their house, and I suspect in many an American family's home, you can practice how to manage the aisles of places such as WalMart.
Where I to be asked, my answer to what do I want from a shopping experience is simple: to find a clerk when I need one instead of having to walk the entire store to find one.
3
Declutter your house, your life?
Good idea. What I plan to do is reduce needs to utter simplicity, own as little as possible, and I expect the rest of the American population to follow suit. This will result in a vast decrease of employment in America as physical stores go out of business and result in an increase of people staying at home. At first, and at home, people will order a lot of things online, but precisely because people will have little money they will stay in increasingly small dwellings and order what little they actually need online (gradual reduction of purchase of items).
While the most of the U.S. population is finding itself in increasingly tiny homes with little in house and with little employment to be found, I will find myself a job with the "Computer Masters" and the secret project of getting every person to spend most of time online where we can read each person's thoughts, decide who gets work and who does not (who passes muster, where and why and when, not to mention which people to ostracize, leave isolated with screen of computer and entertainment to contemplate), to whom to market products, and the like--in general the project of spying on, controlling and manipulating tiny people in tiny homes surrounded by their few precious items (like maybe a favorite security blanket).
On the other hand, since I have little computer knowledge I will be unable to get a job with the Computer Masters in which case I will live in the forest with squirrels.
Good idea. What I plan to do is reduce needs to utter simplicity, own as little as possible, and I expect the rest of the American population to follow suit. This will result in a vast decrease of employment in America as physical stores go out of business and result in an increase of people staying at home. At first, and at home, people will order a lot of things online, but precisely because people will have little money they will stay in increasingly small dwellings and order what little they actually need online (gradual reduction of purchase of items).
While the most of the U.S. population is finding itself in increasingly tiny homes with little in house and with little employment to be found, I will find myself a job with the "Computer Masters" and the secret project of getting every person to spend most of time online where we can read each person's thoughts, decide who gets work and who does not (who passes muster, where and why and when, not to mention which people to ostracize, leave isolated with screen of computer and entertainment to contemplate), to whom to market products, and the like--in general the project of spying on, controlling and manipulating tiny people in tiny homes surrounded by their few precious items (like maybe a favorite security blanket).
On the other hand, since I have little computer knowledge I will be unable to get a job with the Computer Masters in which case I will live in the forest with squirrels.
4
So, the issue with consumer demand comes down to how big box stores manage clutter. It doesn't have anything to do with 30 years of income stagnation or a 1% recovery that has left people without disposable income. How did I miss this?
17
Please don't give Walmart advice on what to do to right their listing ship. Walmart is the single most significant reason America has lost so many jobs overseas and American workers are falling further behind in the huge redistribution of wealth.
American corporations saw the advantages of cheaper overseas labor, but Walmart made it a requirement as they continually beat up suppliers forcing costs down. After hooking a supplier, the Walmart strategy is to extort them by demanding even lower prices to keep the business.
It's well known, of course, to anyone who has his eyes open to the treatment of the working poor, that Walmart set the standards for wage abuse, passing off costs of paying the working poor a living wage to American taxpayers who then grouse about the "takers". These huge profits at the expense of American workers head right to the Walton family, worth at last count $120 billion and rising. Outside pressure is rising to publicize the Walmart greediness, so a big PR campaign telling of their intent to raise wages has resulted, but if one looks behind the numbers its a pittance and only affects a few.
WalMart has been eating its young, as Americans who typically shop there are so poor, even they can't afford to buy things, so sales are down.
Gee, it would be too bad if Walmart cluttered their way to destruction. Maybe Mom and Pop could rise from the ashes with friendly stores and living wages.
American corporations saw the advantages of cheaper overseas labor, but Walmart made it a requirement as they continually beat up suppliers forcing costs down. After hooking a supplier, the Walmart strategy is to extort them by demanding even lower prices to keep the business.
It's well known, of course, to anyone who has his eyes open to the treatment of the working poor, that Walmart set the standards for wage abuse, passing off costs of paying the working poor a living wage to American taxpayers who then grouse about the "takers". These huge profits at the expense of American workers head right to the Walton family, worth at last count $120 billion and rising. Outside pressure is rising to publicize the Walmart greediness, so a big PR campaign telling of their intent to raise wages has resulted, but if one looks behind the numbers its a pittance and only affects a few.
WalMart has been eating its young, as Americans who typically shop there are so poor, even they can't afford to buy things, so sales are down.
Gee, it would be too bad if Walmart cluttered their way to destruction. Maybe Mom and Pop could rise from the ashes with friendly stores and living wages.
54
Planned obsolescence has always been a necessary characteristic of capitalism, which by definition has to keep its minions consuming in order to survive.
But this is not your Mother's capitalism. As it struggles to survive the excess of capacity and production created by its own unbridled greed, it can't afford to make things that have any meaningful life expectancy. Everything must be cheap, shoddy and, most important, disposable.
The stuff is designed to fail, and fail fast, in order to keep us consuming at break neck speed. China, Walmart, and America's corporate greed have all conspired
to make us more and more rapacious consumers.
And guess what? We've discovered that still one more enormous flat screen TV does nothing to improve the quality of life. Or actually, I guess we haven't discovered...
But this is not your Mother's capitalism. As it struggles to survive the excess of capacity and production created by its own unbridled greed, it can't afford to make things that have any meaningful life expectancy. Everything must be cheap, shoddy and, most important, disposable.
The stuff is designed to fail, and fail fast, in order to keep us consuming at break neck speed. China, Walmart, and America's corporate greed have all conspired
to make us more and more rapacious consumers.
And guess what? We've discovered that still one more enormous flat screen TV does nothing to improve the quality of life. Or actually, I guess we haven't discovered...
25
canon printers come with a chip that makes them stop working after x number
of copies, so you have to buy a new one. off to the dump....
of copies, so you have to buy a new one. off to the dump....
2
Thinking over this essay overnight, I've come to the conclusion the author couldn't really decide what it was going to be about. At some points it strives to be an examination of marketing techniques, which are a fairly well established science (e.g., those pyramids of a product at the ends of aisles suggest a sale price, whereas they may not be on sale; stuff the store wants to push will be at eye level, whereas the real bargains will be on either the top or bottom shelves, harder to reach). However, it can't escape the pull of obligation to churn out the standard anti-materialist tract required for the season. The NYT has already printed a couple of these fulsome cliches - 'the best things in life are free', and a couple by Arthur Brooks. Enough already.
1
WALLMART ESCAPE? To me, the only thing that's harder for Walmart to escape is the shocking greed of its owners. They are extremely cheap with their charitable donations. Their employees make more demands on government welfare programs than employees of any other business.
I'd like to see the tables turned on Walmart. Like Shkreli, they need to have their financial practices investigated for underpayment of taxes. I think that they owe the government billions because they rip off the taxpayers while they pile up obscene profits. I'm sure glad that Walmart doesn't proselytize their "family" values.
I think that the New Year's resolution for Walmart needs to be philanthropy--a 180 degree change from the misanthropy they practice. And a philanthropic/charitable gift like Mark Zuckerberg. Unclutter the corporate culture of Walmart from a case of terminal greed and exploiting workers by keeping them stuck in poverty at taxpayer expense. They are a disgrace to the country. Not that they care. Walmart has conquered the world.
It turns my stomach.
I'd like to see the tables turned on Walmart. Like Shkreli, they need to have their financial practices investigated for underpayment of taxes. I think that they owe the government billions because they rip off the taxpayers while they pile up obscene profits. I'm sure glad that Walmart doesn't proselytize their "family" values.
I think that the New Year's resolution for Walmart needs to be philanthropy--a 180 degree change from the misanthropy they practice. And a philanthropic/charitable gift like Mark Zuckerberg. Unclutter the corporate culture of Walmart from a case of terminal greed and exploiting workers by keeping them stuck in poverty at taxpayer expense. They are a disgrace to the country. Not that they care. Walmart has conquered the world.
It turns my stomach.
13
The big retail stores are living in the world of fantasy right now. Consuming like there is no tomorrow is over. These big corporations have to change from cheap volume to better quality merchandise. I have reduced my shopping by at least 90% in the last two or three years. Everything I bought from shoes to cloth to kitchen items are of so much poor quality I simply couldn't subject myself to more aggravation. My old clothes are still far more superior in looks and comfort than anything I have bought recently.
I abhor trinkets ,clutter and decorations. They interfere with space and thinking. Entering in one of these big superstores it's like entering sensory assault zone. It is a very unpleasant experience, within the first minute or two, I usually go back home empty-handed. The assault on the senses is starting to interfere with what it was intended to do, instead of inspiring you to shop it causes an adverse reaction. Marketing has to retool itself.
People are not shopping as much as they used to because they don't have enough money to buy much, even cheap, useless and over packaged merchandise. These are the companies that off-shored their manufacturing and jobs. How do they expect ordinary people to buy from them, even junk?. They are making the Chinese richer and making the US poorer. the Chinese are buying American assets left and right. The economy appears to be doing well because foreign countries are buying us out. Soon, we will be paying them rents.
I abhor trinkets ,clutter and decorations. They interfere with space and thinking. Entering in one of these big superstores it's like entering sensory assault zone. It is a very unpleasant experience, within the first minute or two, I usually go back home empty-handed. The assault on the senses is starting to interfere with what it was intended to do, instead of inspiring you to shop it causes an adverse reaction. Marketing has to retool itself.
People are not shopping as much as they used to because they don't have enough money to buy much, even cheap, useless and over packaged merchandise. These are the companies that off-shored their manufacturing and jobs. How do they expect ordinary people to buy from them, even junk?. They are making the Chinese richer and making the US poorer. the Chinese are buying American assets left and right. The economy appears to be doing well because foreign countries are buying us out. Soon, we will be paying them rents.
14
Maybe working people are aware of and sick of expensive cheaply-made in China junk. Maybe working people are aware of and sick of the lack of unique and quality items at reasonable prices, especially those made here, in Canada and Europe, and other living wage countries. Maybe people are aware of and sick of the standardization of product choice, food choice, media choice, healthcare choice, drug choice, etc where the menu served to the American people is decided by a very, undemocratic, small group of people who have grown obscenely wealthy at the sacrifice of actual competitive, not "free" " monopoly, duopoly and tri-opoly markets. Maybe people are aware of and sick of the shallowness of the 'consumerisn' hype.
16
We have several Walmarts in New Mexico. Common feature is they aree all cluttered and service is the worst. Yesterday, we waited for an hour get checked out because half the checkoput lanes had no one. The ice cream we bought literally softened and we are not sure that is worth consuming.
Walmart has successfully closed all the shops in these neighborhood. So, there is much choice any more. Some of their senior employees even change price tags when you point out that the price charged was not the price displayed in the store.
These guys are a disgrace.
Walmart has successfully closed all the shops in these neighborhood. So, there is much choice any more. Some of their senior employees even change price tags when you point out that the price charged was not the price displayed in the store.
These guys are a disgrace.
12
There is a reason why the self storage industry is booming!
5
Now add clutter to the bread and circuses of American culture.
2
Most shoppers are paying attention to how the economy is doing, rather than needing to purchase non-essential surplus items. Having money in your pocket is much more important than making sure the retailers are hitting their mark or even doing well. This isn't about clutter, or over-buying. It's about what we've learned from the economic downturn of 2008. I put my financial well-being before any deal, sale, item, or store.
6
The only place I enjoy clutter is at a thrift shop or a yard sale. My family does about 75% of our shopping in second hand stores. The quality can be amazingly good and the prices are right. If we decide we don't need it or it doesn't fit right, no great loss in re-donating. We have incredible clothes and amazing kitchen ware, books, furnishings etc. People think we're well to do. Paying full price and new for just about everything is ridiculous. My blender is 10x better than anything top dollar can buy today. It was made in America and runs like a champ. I got it for five bucks.
Simply use stuff and love people, not love stuff and use people.
Simply use stuff and love people, not love stuff and use people.
37
The powers-that-be have hollowed out the middle class and offshored jobs thinking that China/India would provide the next big middle class consumer-goods markets. Everyone except the 1% is broke. But TPTB keep freaking out that Americans won't buy like they used to? Golly gee, isn't doing the same thing and expecting a different result the definition of insanity? And why did they think India or China would develop that fast?
7
I refuse to shop in a cluttered disorganized messy unattractive store. The Petite section in Macy's in Woodfield mall is notorious for sloppy displays, clothes on the floor, and general disorganization. Ugh! What a mess. So I don't shop there anymore. I simply don't have the time to weed through the clutter. I don't live like that; why should I have to shop in that when there are other (online) competitors?
10
"Americans are striving to lead simpler, more spiritual lives, free of the stuff and clutter filling up their homes and lives." Seriously? On what is this observation based? It is a given that consumer spending in the US is the engine that drives our economic growth. As either Jackie Chan or Owen Wilson quipped in one of their films " Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth? "
1
A major reason for consumer indifference is that chain stores, with their endless supply of variations of the what is basically the same one already has at home, can your kill one's buying appetite tha same that an all-you-can-eat buffet can.
People don't want "stuff", but illusions of something that will add to their lives, be it a dress or a loan mower.
Amazon at least gives you a better treasure-hunting experience -- endless sellers from your couch, and with the comfort and practicality of the peer reviews.
Apple stores may be simple and austere, but fact is that new amazing technology comes out every so often, or they would have been shut down the way the Motorola stores were.
People don't want "stuff", but illusions of something that will add to their lives, be it a dress or a loan mower.
Amazon at least gives you a better treasure-hunting experience -- endless sellers from your couch, and with the comfort and practicality of the peer reviews.
Apple stores may be simple and austere, but fact is that new amazing technology comes out every so often, or they would have been shut down the way the Motorola stores were.
4
thrift stores, resale stores, dollar stores. all the stuff that you thought you wanted, and someone else bought and then did not keep. usually mostly unused. try it for a song.
4
First rule: Never, ever shop at Walmart. Do not even enter one of their stores.
34
I think the clutter in our lives and in our stores is consumerism gone amok and the direct result of the culture of suburbia.
We want bigger houses so we need more land which means our cities are huge sprawls. We need lot more "stuff" to stuff these big houses and we have to buy stuff in bulk as the trips to the store take longer and take more time.
Of course, We need bigger cars to haul around all this stuff and bigger garages, not to park our big "cars', but to fill it with things that we don't know what to do.
I do not remember seeing an ad with a happy family in an apartment. It always has to be a large single family home with a lawn .This symbol of American Dream is slowly but surely turning into a nightmare. Time to wake up.
We want bigger houses so we need more land which means our cities are huge sprawls. We need lot more "stuff" to stuff these big houses and we have to buy stuff in bulk as the trips to the store take longer and take more time.
Of course, We need bigger cars to haul around all this stuff and bigger garages, not to park our big "cars', but to fill it with things that we don't know what to do.
I do not remember seeing an ad with a happy family in an apartment. It always has to be a large single family home with a lawn .This symbol of American Dream is slowly but surely turning into a nightmare. Time to wake up.
29
You make a lot of good points, but let us not oversimplify. One reason people move further and further away from apartments is the changing nature and social contract of cities. My neighborhood (apartment living in and old downtown) was a neighborhood 40, even 25 years ago. Increasingly it is a kind of decentralized hotel - filled with the transient only checked in here for a two year corporate or education related stint. Day and night we are deluged with day trippers and tourists come to shop the mall stores that have driven out the businesses that catered to a local, stable population and "act out" or "cut loose" in displays of bad behavior they would never make in the own communities. Airbnb now promise to put this catastrophe on steroids.
So yes, people flee - they want to go somewhere where the night is not filled with drunken entitled revelers and the piercing tones of trucks in reverse. They seek the simplicity and quiet that is destroyed by the clutter of consumerism n the places they live now. And they get some of that even if it creates the collateral damage you describe.
Not so simple.
So yes, people flee - they want to go somewhere where the night is not filled with drunken entitled revelers and the piercing tones of trucks in reverse. They seek the simplicity and quiet that is destroyed by the clutter of consumerism n the places they live now. And they get some of that even if it creates the collateral damage you describe.
Not so simple.
3
I love Wal Mart. Where else can you go shopping at 4:00 a.m.? I can walk around and feel alive. And I see my other friends who get up early.
Wal Mart is a meeting place for us folk who get up early.
Wal Mart is a meeting place for us folk who get up early.
4
I know some women who train their daughters at very early age to enjoy bargain hunting, as entertainment and as a way of life. They can never resist a bargain, and buy multiple items such as coats and shoes and then give them as gifts without concern about suitable sizes and tastes of the recipients. Their homes are so cluttered that even if they have the items at home, they still have to buy a new one because they can never find the item , or it has been sent to storage at a warehouse. Such is the all consuming mentality encouraged by some economic policy makers and international tour guides.
5
There must indeed be something about agrivating stimuli that promotes shopping and buying, magnified by 10 during the December retail frenzy. Take the clutter in the stores, and extend it out into the sidewalks and parking lots, and Americans seem to be out of control in their urgency to buy stuff.
2
I usually do just one to two days of shopping for the holidays and hate clutter and chaos. What I like are neat stores with merchandise that is easy to look through, but to me, the most important characteristic of a good shopping experience are helpful clerks who will help you find the right shirt to go with the vest you found, or the right size. That is what is missing from most of these stores. Years ago, as a high school student, I worked in a department store as a clerk and that was one of our main duties, helping the customer locate sizes, colors, and brands. Customers like me , who are pressed for time because we have families and work in the home and outside the home are yearning for excellent service! I am surprised the author fails to mention this.
19
I've written a little diddy to the tune of "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire"
Hot dogs roasting on an open fire.
They say daddy's plant is gonna close.
Once tiny tots, paying on student loans, will find it hard to sleep tonight.
Because tepid growth is here to stay.
And mom and dad have lots of bills they cannot pay.
And every Friday dad lets out a sigh.
Because this week they laid off some other guy.
And so I'm offering some cheap advice.
And you may think it's rather crass.
These words have been said, many times, many ways.
Don't buy it if you can't pay cash.
Hot dogs roasting on an open fire.
They say daddy's plant is gonna close.
Once tiny tots, paying on student loans, will find it hard to sleep tonight.
Because tepid growth is here to stay.
And mom and dad have lots of bills they cannot pay.
And every Friday dad lets out a sigh.
Because this week they laid off some other guy.
And so I'm offering some cheap advice.
And you may think it's rather crass.
These words have been said, many times, many ways.
Don't buy it if you can't pay cash.
11
The price of everything the value of nothing.
The problem is not quantity it's quality. Shoppers want something that has true value and meaning. We have reached a tipping point with meaningless poorly made and disposable products.
The problem is not quantity it's quality. Shoppers want something that has true value and meaning. We have reached a tipping point with meaningless poorly made and disposable products.
8
To my mind, it's not the clutter but the scattered organizationd. Go to a department store looking for men's shirts and you might have to wander the entire men's department to see them all.
I think that people aren't averse to impulse buys. But they do want to find what they want right away, and then shop around. A friend is in the book business -- a tough row these days -- and while many people come in to brose, a great many of today's customers are looking for one specific title that they've heard about or that friends have recommended. After they have it, they may browse. Or not.
When it comes to shopping for clothing these days I go to smaller local-owned stores that offer -- well, not that much better service, but they have a more focused selection targeted to the tastes of this area and are well organized. And frankly the prices aren't much higher than the big stores, if at all.
I think that people aren't averse to impulse buys. But they do want to find what they want right away, and then shop around. A friend is in the book business -- a tough row these days -- and while many people come in to brose, a great many of today's customers are looking for one specific title that they've heard about or that friends have recommended. After they have it, they may browse. Or not.
When it comes to shopping for clothing these days I go to smaller local-owned stores that offer -- well, not that much better service, but they have a more focused selection targeted to the tastes of this area and are well organized. And frankly the prices aren't much higher than the big stores, if at all.
3
I find Americans to be messy. You just have to see how many of them keep their homes, and how they dress. Even in what is supposed to be the 'fashion capital' New York, people are a mess: wrinkled, cheap, ill-fitting clothes - no interest in looking good and presenting themselves in the best possible way. (and no, you don't need money to do this - just self-respect and respect for others). And the stores reflect that slovenly attitude. I try to do most of my clothes shopping in Europe whenever I visit my family there. Even the bargain stores are neat and tidy, and the merchandise is folded and steamed. But even high-end retailers like Saks and Bergdoff's are taking on a messy, cluttered look lately, making shopping a not very pleasant experience.
2
I don't think that many Wal-Mart shoppers have been influenced by "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”, despite it's best seller renown.
Maybe every sort of person, excuse me "consumer", has reached their tolerance threshold for ugliness, tawdriness and despair. Maybe for lots of people, excuse me "consumers", the lustre is off the "treasure".
The fact that shoppers thought they spent twice as long as that actually timed shopping at Sam's Club is telling. It only seemed like an eternity in hell.
Things are changing. In the very near future (the day after tomorrow) it will not be possible to rely on unfettered, unthinking, and increasing consumption to support the economy. At some point there will have to be some useful purpose for using scarce resources (including our atmosphere).
Of course we can expect the HUGE Corporation (thanks J.K. Galbraith) to object and have a hard time turning around.
My glass is sometimes half empty and sometimes half full. There is very little time for all of us to decide between junk stuff and junk culture and quality of life for ourselves and our grandchildren.
Maybe every sort of person, excuse me "consumer", has reached their tolerance threshold for ugliness, tawdriness and despair. Maybe for lots of people, excuse me "consumers", the lustre is off the "treasure".
The fact that shoppers thought they spent twice as long as that actually timed shopping at Sam's Club is telling. It only seemed like an eternity in hell.
Things are changing. In the very near future (the day after tomorrow) it will not be possible to rely on unfettered, unthinking, and increasing consumption to support the economy. At some point there will have to be some useful purpose for using scarce resources (including our atmosphere).
Of course we can expect the HUGE Corporation (thanks J.K. Galbraith) to object and have a hard time turning around.
My glass is sometimes half empty and sometimes half full. There is very little time for all of us to decide between junk stuff and junk culture and quality of life for ourselves and our grandchildren.
4
This is another reason to support the micro-house movement.
3
The writer says stores like Apple don't need to be crowded with products as they sell only one brand. Perhaps the author can explain why the Trader Joe's in NYC which only sell one brand are so packed with products.
2
I have never shopped at Walmart, and never expect to do so. So far, Walmart has been kept out of NYC. This is a good thing. I am a dedicated Costco shopper. Costco values it's employees, pays them adequately, and keeps decent store opening hours.
10
Great advice, the 'decluttering'; being possessed by things, as slaves, and where more and more is not enough, and our 'happiness' as a consumer society is put at risk; and the country's well being may suffer, given we the people contribute 70% of the economy. And now, somebody tells us to get rid of the things we don't really need? Can't we procrastinate a while longer, so we can get used to the idea of not possessing, and be possessed, by things? A paradigm indeed. Poor us, so spoiled, what are we to do? Perhaps it is time to read Erich Fromm's "To have or to be", an introspection.
I can only speak to a Canadian experience, but decades of low wages, a major recession, non-existent interest rates on savings, poor stockmarket performance, fewer union jobs (70% of Canadian workers have no pensions, and 50% of those are government ones), are the reasons we're not shopping. Not to mention the great transfer of wealth upwards. People have no money; and they're not going to have money for a very long time, and probably never will have discretionary income as the middle class had for a small time, a blink of an eye, after the Second World War. You can build the most spectacular malls, but we're not buying.
12
Shopping for clothes online is a pain because sizes are not standardized. I used to shop at the mall more but most of the the clothes are ugly, frumpy (except juniors) and made of flimsy fabric. ( Are you listening Macy's?)
Still I enjoyed ishipping at the mall at Christmas when I could go early in the morning before the crowds but in recent years the malls near me have stopped bothering with more than minimal decorations. They even tried to drop the tree in favor of a more modern, trendy display until there was a public outcry.
Still I enjoyed ishipping at the mall at Christmas when I could go early in the morning before the crowds but in recent years the malls near me have stopped bothering with more than minimal decorations. They even tried to drop the tree in favor of a more modern, trendy display until there was a public outcry.
1
Mr. Underhill, your last paragraph are words to live by. Clutter is stress and wasted money. People are trying to have less of the first and stop the second. Retail shouldn't be surprised that people are beginning to change the way they shop. The retail business are going to have to adjust to the new reality.
4
Stores are a real turn-off for me. I am not a "shopper," I go to buy what I want and see what available options are for what it is I seek. If I want to research a product I do so before I go into a store. I hate salespeople trying to push anything on me. More and more I do everything on-line. at one point it was just the research, now it's the buying as well, if I enter a store it's usually to pick-up what I ordered on-line.
I am also in full un-clutter mode, I have been selling, giving away and disposing just about anything I don't use on a reasonably regular basis for the item. And I ask myself if I really need something before buying it or whether I can borrow or rent it instead.
I am also in full un-clutter mode, I have been selling, giving away and disposing just about anything I don't use on a reasonably regular basis for the item. And I ask myself if I really need something before buying it or whether I can borrow or rent it instead.
17
This is a fine example of business anthropology. Anthropologists have been active in doing exactly this kind of excellent qualitative ethnographic research in business for many decades. The insights have benefited commerce and industry greatly.
Business research is unfortunately missing out on the benefits of this research because of the bias toward quantitative data and the accompanying reliance on cheap survey methods.
Anthropologists know well that people rarely articulate their true wants, desires and feelings when directly asked. It is only through the ethnographic techniques of observation, deep-dive interviewing and contextualization that customer motivations and desires can be understood.
More in the world of business should learn this fundamental lesson. There would be fewer failures in merchandising, product design and business strategy, saving millions in losses, and increasing profit, consumer satisfaction and prosperity.
Business research is unfortunately missing out on the benefits of this research because of the bias toward quantitative data and the accompanying reliance on cheap survey methods.
Anthropologists know well that people rarely articulate their true wants, desires and feelings when directly asked. It is only through the ethnographic techniques of observation, deep-dive interviewing and contextualization that customer motivations and desires can be understood.
More in the world of business should learn this fundamental lesson. There would be fewer failures in merchandising, product design and business strategy, saving millions in losses, and increasing profit, consumer satisfaction and prosperity.
9
Frankly, I feel a sense of satisfaction when Walmart is not doing well. I take it as very personal when I hear about how poorly Walmart treats it's employees. Moreover, their stores are filled with cheap, low quality merchandise from China! And there are the Walton heirs with billions of dollars inherited, who have not done a day's worth of work pouring millions into the Republican Campaigns to decrease their tax liability and to cover up their shady employment and trade practices. Why should I go into a store any more when I can buy anything and everything in every color, size and style without getting a rash and a wheeze from all those scented candles and cheap air-fragrances? I save on gas and my merchandise is delivered at my door. Ah! the comfort of the internet. I certainly won't miss the retail stores as they go out of business like dominoes.
13
"Traditionally, the American consumer is very willing to put up with crowded aisles and a certain level of physical discomfort to find something at a good price, or a perceived one."
Not this middle-aged American, who's lived in rural England for almost 12 years and has got quite used to ordering exactly what I need on the internet. Mountains of cheap plunder is precisely what keeps me out of most stores when I'm in the States because the sight of SO MUCH STUFF makes me nuts, and that's beginning to include non-discount stores like Crate & Barrel and Whole Foods. Sorry, Adam Smith.
Not this middle-aged American, who's lived in rural England for almost 12 years and has got quite used to ordering exactly what I need on the internet. Mountains of cheap plunder is precisely what keeps me out of most stores when I'm in the States because the sight of SO MUCH STUFF makes me nuts, and that's beginning to include non-discount stores like Crate & Barrel and Whole Foods. Sorry, Adam Smith.
6
I hope all this underperforming leads to the demolition of strip malls, big box stores and suburban shopping cathedrals. Might be the next growth industry.
8
I did most of my Christmas shopping online, but on the three occasions I forayed out into the stores (Target, Walmart, and the mall), they were surprisingly manageable. I was dreading crowds, parking, and long lines at the cashier, but it was possibly even quieter than an ordinary Saturday.
2
All that about clutter is good advise, but the writer ignores the economic component; the American consumer, the vast majority, just doesn't have the money to spend. All of the wealth has been siphoned off to the one percenters, there's no escaping it, the stats are there.
Until wages increase significantly, the economy with continue to stagnate.
Forget this drivel about taxes being too high, regulations too onerous, that is not what our problem is, it is the concentration of wealth - no one else has any money to spend on anything besides rent, utilities and food; that's the new American dream.
Until wages increase significantly, the economy with continue to stagnate.
Forget this drivel about taxes being too high, regulations too onerous, that is not what our problem is, it is the concentration of wealth - no one else has any money to spend on anything besides rent, utilities and food; that's the new American dream.
9
I do not know why people shop at Walmart. It is one of the most expensive stores in our country. They only sell stuff you do not need, or it will break in half the time, or it will make you ill.
4
I would have to drive twenty five miles to avoid shopping at Wal-Mart.
2
One of the big problems facing retailers today is that so many of them cater to shoppers, rather than buyers.
8
I agree with Undersell about the "treasure hunting" aspect of shopping that is so irresistible. TJ Maxx and Marshall's seem to have perfected a successful shopping model based on finding an undiscovered bargain. Perhaps this will be the only way bricks-and-mortar can compete with bland convenience of online shopping.
6
Undersell? Freudian slip?
"Undersell" .... that's pretty funny!
I think the author missed the point of excess shopping: Bragging rights.
For example, I am talking to Neighbor X and say that I have a vacuum cleaner on every floor so I don't have to carry one upstairs and downstairs.
So then the standard morphs to a vacuum cleaner in every room. Exactly what big box stores would love you to aspire to.
And what China has provided for the past two decades.
For example, I am talking to Neighbor X and say that I have a vacuum cleaner on every floor so I don't have to carry one upstairs and downstairs.
So then the standard morphs to a vacuum cleaner in every room. Exactly what big box stores would love you to aspire to.
And what China has provided for the past two decades.
4
Here's another movement worth research: the fact that Americans have too much stuff already. Homes are packed, landfills are packed, storage is overflowing and many people are waking up to the fact that they just don't need more stuff. Consumerism is over-rated.
21
Second and third rules for our family: Go through your own clutter once a year. E.g. if you still have that can't live without it kitchen gadget and haven't used it in a year, why keep it? It particularly applies to those of us rapidly approaching the end of life. Unless the kids want it and take it with them, why leave an estate of clutter for your kids to sort through. Third, Once the children turn 18, the christmas presents stop. Other than one or two presents between adults (usually pragmatic), we don't get involved in the gift business.
35
I'm quite elderly and have one rock solid rule now: If I can't read it or eat it, you get it back with a polite 'thank you, but I already have one."
5
"For consumers, my advice is this: Never shop tired, never shop hungry, and keep a list of shopping objectives."
If I'd followed that advice over my lifetime, I'd be a lot richer and my closet pristine. I agree with the basic premise here which is, Americans and America's store have too much "stuff." While we've always been a consumer society compared to other industrialized countries, we've raised consumption practically to an art form. You go to the mall at 10, the lots are already full. Shopping is an activity rather than a necessity.
It can also be a drug. "Retail therapy" may be a joke, but it's true that for some, the acquisition of stuff controls mood, self image, and one's values.
I agree with the basic premise here: we need fewer stores and less in them. But try telling that to shareholders used to increasing sales profits or consumers long groomed to equate stuff with happiness.
If I'd followed that advice over my lifetime, I'd be a lot richer and my closet pristine. I agree with the basic premise here which is, Americans and America's store have too much "stuff." While we've always been a consumer society compared to other industrialized countries, we've raised consumption practically to an art form. You go to the mall at 10, the lots are already full. Shopping is an activity rather than a necessity.
It can also be a drug. "Retail therapy" may be a joke, but it's true that for some, the acquisition of stuff controls mood, self image, and one's values.
I agree with the basic premise here: we need fewer stores and less in them. But try telling that to shareholders used to increasing sales profits or consumers long groomed to equate stuff with happiness.
25
Rule #1: Learn how to tell a "want" from a "need."
Rule #2: If you can't afford to pay cash for something, don't buy it--save for it.
Rule #2: If you can't afford to pay cash for something, don't buy it--save for it.
49
All of this is based on concerns of brick and mortar stores, when people increasingly look to the Web for purchases -- unless you really ENJOY picking among the hordes and fighting over discovered buys, Amazon and the major retailers have FAR better sites organized to attract with sales. What's more and unlike in stores, ALL their inventory is usually available to their online sites.
So, if one wishes to avoid clutter while buying, online is far better than bricks and mortar. Saves gas, too. But if your objective is avoiding clutter in your life, then a beach in some sunny clime may be the better alternative.
So, if one wishes to avoid clutter while buying, online is far better than bricks and mortar. Saves gas, too. But if your objective is avoiding clutter in your life, then a beach in some sunny clime may be the better alternative.
22
Think of St. John's: high end women's clothing shops have long been dedicated to the idea that more is less. The austere displays send the message the items for sale are unique, rare, and not available to everyone. The second message is that smart people know immediately what they want and trust these stores to set forth choices that come to the point of fashion without fanfare, exhibiting the old school virtue of taste without flaunting privilege.
The issue is not inventory but organization, selection, and size. I love Ethiopian coffee; I know its growing regions and co-ops, whether its sun dried or water washed; I esp. enjoy Harrar, Lekempti, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo. Try finding these beans in the coffee sections of mass merchandisers, on shelves loaded with beans whose packaging blares irrelevance!
The last time I tried to buy a two-prong electrical adapter for a three prong device, the clerk at Wal-mart had no idea what I was talking about and assured me the item I later found was not there. Uninformed help, undesired goods and an utter lack of imagination about the shopping experience (dressing rooms a quarter mile away), endless aisles without demarcation (the store looks the same, whether you are in automotive or kitchenware!) and the lost sensation of getting off an escalator and being dazzled by artful displays highlighting goods in a comfortable setting or having lunch (not in a fast food chain!) are solid reasons for me to stay home. I order online.
The issue is not inventory but organization, selection, and size. I love Ethiopian coffee; I know its growing regions and co-ops, whether its sun dried or water washed; I esp. enjoy Harrar, Lekempti, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo. Try finding these beans in the coffee sections of mass merchandisers, on shelves loaded with beans whose packaging blares irrelevance!
The last time I tried to buy a two-prong electrical adapter for a three prong device, the clerk at Wal-mart had no idea what I was talking about and assured me the item I later found was not there. Uninformed help, undesired goods and an utter lack of imagination about the shopping experience (dressing rooms a quarter mile away), endless aisles without demarcation (the store looks the same, whether you are in automotive or kitchenware!) and the lost sensation of getting off an escalator and being dazzled by artful displays highlighting goods in a comfortable setting or having lunch (not in a fast food chain!) are solid reasons for me to stay home. I order online.
45
People who shop at discount stores typically can't afford Ethiopian coffee. Re-read you post as a poor person. A poor person is never going to walk into a store that shouts "unique, rare and not available to everyone," because they are "everyone".
Many people in the US are forced to shop for bargains-- it's not a choice.
Many people in the US are forced to shop for bargains-- it's not a choice.
35
I share Richard and Water's opinion that online is far superior, though, Walter, I wouldn't drink Kopi Luwak monkey poop coffee on a dare. Neither would I pay 70 bucks for 1.75 ounces of it, or anything else.
Shopping has been and still is, for some, therapy. Some people get dressed up to do it. For some, it relieves stress while relieving their wallets, far more tangible than paying a shrink (or bartender). Clerks and "associates" were far more attentive and knowledgeable when Macy's was across the street from Gimble's, and down the block from Bloomingdale's. But even then, in the "golden" age of shopping, there was Korvette's. Sears still had some cachet, and where else could you buy a suit, shotgun and cookware under one roof? Filene's Basement may not have been Pandora's box, but when it opened things changed. Then came malls, the megachurches of our greed, serving the spiritual ennui that drove us to "specialty"shops selling knick-knacks and chatchkas, nothing we could possibly use. Our banality went unresolved, our existential dissonance grew, so they added kiosks. All in a sterile atmosphere that sounded like an elevator and smelled like cheap perfume. Directories informed us "you are here", while we forgot where we parked the car. But when you're online, it's terribly difficult to run up the down escalator or observe throngs doing worse than oneself. So this year, let's shop, in person, till we drop, it's the exceptional American way.
Shopping has been and still is, for some, therapy. Some people get dressed up to do it. For some, it relieves stress while relieving their wallets, far more tangible than paying a shrink (or bartender). Clerks and "associates" were far more attentive and knowledgeable when Macy's was across the street from Gimble's, and down the block from Bloomingdale's. But even then, in the "golden" age of shopping, there was Korvette's. Sears still had some cachet, and where else could you buy a suit, shotgun and cookware under one roof? Filene's Basement may not have been Pandora's box, but when it opened things changed. Then came malls, the megachurches of our greed, serving the spiritual ennui that drove us to "specialty"shops selling knick-knacks and chatchkas, nothing we could possibly use. Our banality went unresolved, our existential dissonance grew, so they added kiosks. All in a sterile atmosphere that sounded like an elevator and smelled like cheap perfume. Directories informed us "you are here", while we forgot where we parked the car. But when you're online, it's terribly difficult to run up the down escalator or observe throngs doing worse than oneself. So this year, let's shop, in person, till we drop, it's the exceptional American way.
2
what about the effect of the internet? researching the internet is too easy..a combination of factors for sure but I have a feeling people tend to know exactly what they want when they enter a store-- all the comparison shopping is already done online (at least that is how my age group (20-25) does it).
13
Indeed. Thanks to internet, the savvy consumer has attained a level of empowerment hitherto unknown in days past. The smartphone now allows shoppers the possibility to treat any retail space as his/her showroom providing the consumer with the chance to consult or observe a product at first hand before ordering it at the best price from an online boutique. The big question : how long can bricks and mortar stores survive in current numbers before the moment of Great Contraction occurs?
3
kasim, this will break your heart but this is also how more and more of your grandparents are shopping. At 61 I cannot recall the last time I was in a mall parking lot much less got out of the car :-)
5
"After a decade of declining sales and inspired by the success of the austere Apple stores, some retailers now believe that consumers are more likely to purchase when presented with a cleaner experience and fewer options."
And some consumers now believe that the best place for "a cleaner experience and fewer options" is home -- whether to shop on the internet or not shop at all. (I'm sure I'm not the only person who has come to the conclusion that in our radically changed economic environment -- forever low interest rates, a stock market that is not expected to keep pace in the future with historic average gains, and stagnant Social Security benefits that are constantly under attack --the best way to prepare for retirement is to cut spending to the bone and save twice as much as experts have traditionally recommended.)
And some consumers now believe that the best place for "a cleaner experience and fewer options" is home -- whether to shop on the internet or not shop at all. (I'm sure I'm not the only person who has come to the conclusion that in our radically changed economic environment -- forever low interest rates, a stock market that is not expected to keep pace in the future with historic average gains, and stagnant Social Security benefits that are constantly under attack --the best way to prepare for retirement is to cut spending to the bone and save twice as much as experts have traditionally recommended.)
91
Apple is only borrowing the design philosophy of the most upscale, elite retailers -- the kind of NYC or Paris boutique that is austere, and has only a dozen articles of clothing on a few racks, surrounded by gilt chairs. It implies exclusivity and affluence, which is what Apple wants. (Steve Jobs modeled Apple's aesthetic on that of the Swedish stereo company Bang and Olufson, from the modernist 70s.)
To think that would work with WALMART is hysterically laughable.
@ellienyc: if you can save twice as much as experts recommend, good on you. Maybe you should save 3 times as much, or 5 times as much. Savings are good to have when you are old.
However, most people save almost nothing for retirement....not because they are lazy or wasteful, but because living NOW is so costly. To save that much for retirement, you would have to live an absolutely monastic lifestyle, one much too harsh for most people -- no eating out EVER, no vacations, used clothing, used cars, public schools for your children.
It is worth thinking about whether you want to take that gamble, and maybe spend your old age senile in a nursing home (but with loads of cash in the bank) or what if you die young? So it's a balance, and not everyone wants to postpone every pleasure in life until old age.
To think that would work with WALMART is hysterically laughable.
@ellienyc: if you can save twice as much as experts recommend, good on you. Maybe you should save 3 times as much, or 5 times as much. Savings are good to have when you are old.
However, most people save almost nothing for retirement....not because they are lazy or wasteful, but because living NOW is so costly. To save that much for retirement, you would have to live an absolutely monastic lifestyle, one much too harsh for most people -- no eating out EVER, no vacations, used clothing, used cars, public schools for your children.
It is worth thinking about whether you want to take that gamble, and maybe spend your old age senile in a nursing home (but with loads of cash in the bank) or what if you die young? So it's a balance, and not everyone wants to postpone every pleasure in life until old age.
4
Unfortunately, we confront the fallacy of composition problem.
Why does the author care about someone else's clutter?
18
Interestingly, I just finished Marie Kondo's book. It's interesting, but incredibly impractical and geared to Japanese and not American lifestyles. The Japanese live in very tiny homes or apartments, with NO storage space or even closets. They lack basements and garages. Some of this paring down makes sense for such folks, but not for most Americans.
Even more so -- have you ever watched those wonderful A&E shows about hoarders? (They are my "guilty pleasure".) Well, there is a flip side to hoarding. It is called "purging" and people who have it in excess are as nuts as hoarders (though certainly less filthy). Marie Kondo has been throwing things out maniacally since her childhood, obsessively rearranging her family's home. Any possessions make her very uncomfortable.
Purgers are the sort of person, where you come home and half your clothing is gone -- or they have thrown out your beloved vinyl record collection, or all your childhood correspondence. Kondo tells people to not even save love letters or photos of loved ones! She is VERY obsessive, and weird about stuff (like thanking your inanimate objects). I would not use her as a good example of "avoiding clutter". Replacing one mania with another is not progress.
Even more so -- have you ever watched those wonderful A&E shows about hoarders? (They are my "guilty pleasure".) Well, there is a flip side to hoarding. It is called "purging" and people who have it in excess are as nuts as hoarders (though certainly less filthy). Marie Kondo has been throwing things out maniacally since her childhood, obsessively rearranging her family's home. Any possessions make her very uncomfortable.
Purgers are the sort of person, where you come home and half your clothing is gone -- or they have thrown out your beloved vinyl record collection, or all your childhood correspondence. Kondo tells people to not even save love letters or photos of loved ones! She is VERY obsessive, and weird about stuff (like thanking your inanimate objects). I would not use her as a good example of "avoiding clutter". Replacing one mania with another is not progress.
4
to make money by selling a book to add to the clutter?
3
The author's profession is to study and understand the getting and spending habits of consumers. His findings are often fascinating and his books worth a read.
2
Dear Mr./Ms/Mrs. Retailer: I. for one, find cluttered stores a turn off. I will walk in and if I can't walk and browse comfortably, I walk out. From a safety standpoint I have often wondered how these racks in the aisles will hinder exit. I realize that some of the clutter is caused by customers throwing goods around. For folks with disabilities, like my mom, cluttered stores are not fun to shop in.
23
I've hated shopping for decades because of store clutter. I resent having things placed in middle of the aisle, which forces me to walk around the display. Department stores, I won't name drop, but women's clothing tightly squeezed in on racks. I can't bring myself to even touch them. It just feels "dirty" to me. Doesn't matter how big a discount they offer. I love to save money, but not that way. It makes me crazy to look at those racks. I've no patience for trying to slide those hangers to glimpse an article of clothing. I just walk by all those racks and bemoan how the stores insult shoppers. I'll pay more any day for a pleasant experience. At home, I always look for things to give or throw away. Clutter...no way!
25
"Get rid of everything you don’t use, love or need. Donate it, shred it, trash it. Life is too short to keep clutter around."
That works well if your purchases are largely items that will be obsolete in a year or two and pretty much worthless, or if you don't care about quality. I regret a number of items that I got rid of over the years as current products are either still being made in first world countries and cost three to ten times what they were in years past, or the only current substitutes are the junk that is largely being sold in stores these days.
Some of the worst products in the world are Chinese plastics as it is easy to substitute a good polymer and fillers with absolute junk, as the products don't look any different. I've lost count of how many products have broken on first use, in a few months, etc., and I've gleefully taken an ax / saw / sledge / etc. to the offending products, swearing that I will never buy from that manufacturer again. Perhaps that is why consumers are holding on to their money; they don’t want to see it wasted.
That works well if your purchases are largely items that will be obsolete in a year or two and pretty much worthless, or if you don't care about quality. I regret a number of items that I got rid of over the years as current products are either still being made in first world countries and cost three to ten times what they were in years past, or the only current substitutes are the junk that is largely being sold in stores these days.
Some of the worst products in the world are Chinese plastics as it is easy to substitute a good polymer and fillers with absolute junk, as the products don't look any different. I've lost count of how many products have broken on first use, in a few months, etc., and I've gleefully taken an ax / saw / sledge / etc. to the offending products, swearing that I will never buy from that manufacturer again. Perhaps that is why consumers are holding on to their money; they don’t want to see it wasted.
55
You can't get the "good" plastic anymore….at least the stuff from China is garbage. I had a brand new, not in-expensive dog harness, the plastic clip simply broke, not where it was attached, the actual plastic simply fell apart, and my English Setter was suddenly loose crossing a busy downtown LA intersection. Not OK.It could have caused an accident. I took it back to the retailer, PetCo, they said sorry but would not replace or credit me…..I never shop there now. this poor quality is unacceptable. The quality was far better before these cheap toxic imports.
3
Clutter is not the problem. Give us retail employees who are not filled with attitude, are not on their phones or texting , can answer questions about inventory and pricing and ring up purchases. These issues, not clutter, are what make people spend more time shopping online than in an actual store, or not shop at all.
55
Lynn: you missed the point. Over-consumerism is an attempt to go one-up on the "Jones" but, unfortunately, on credit.
Boy, have you ever nailed the problem.
And it is related to clutter. Stores have cut back and cut back and cut back more on employees. It's part of why they are paid so badly; the stores basically don't want them there, and can barely be compelled to have a skeleton crew.
There is nobody to maintain or keep up shelves or displays. There is nobody to clean up in the evenings. If you need help or have a question -- good luck, buddy. A typical experience in a department store today is walking around hopelessly, trying to find even ONE open cash register and someone to sell you merchandise.
If you shopped or worked in a department store prior to 1985 or so, you know it was a different world back then. The sales people were often full-timers, worked in one department and knew it forwards and backwards. You could ask them anything about the store or products! The departments were neat as a pin, unless there was a huge sale -- then they cleaned up each night! Everything was orderly and beautiful and well run. But that took money and PERSONNEL. And the economy and business theories did away with all of that.
Now shopping is like ritualized torture. I only do it when it is absolutely necessary. The only exception is grocery shopping; my local family-run stores are as well run as they ever were. But retail? OMG, it is pure torture. I have not been inside a mall in years.
And it is related to clutter. Stores have cut back and cut back and cut back more on employees. It's part of why they are paid so badly; the stores basically don't want them there, and can barely be compelled to have a skeleton crew.
There is nobody to maintain or keep up shelves or displays. There is nobody to clean up in the evenings. If you need help or have a question -- good luck, buddy. A typical experience in a department store today is walking around hopelessly, trying to find even ONE open cash register and someone to sell you merchandise.
If you shopped or worked in a department store prior to 1985 or so, you know it was a different world back then. The sales people were often full-timers, worked in one department and knew it forwards and backwards. You could ask them anything about the store or products! The departments were neat as a pin, unless there was a huge sale -- then they cleaned up each night! Everything was orderly and beautiful and well run. But that took money and PERSONNEL. And the economy and business theories did away with all of that.
Now shopping is like ritualized torture. I only do it when it is absolutely necessary. The only exception is grocery shopping; my local family-run stores are as well run as they ever were. But retail? OMG, it is pure torture. I have not been inside a mall in years.
5
You get what you pay for whether it's retail products or retail employees. If employers want dedicated, loyal, knowledgeable employees to service customers they need to stop treating those employees as if they are disposable garbage.
A business that treats its employees shabbily will not hesitate to treat its customers in the same fashion.
A business that treats its employees shabbily will not hesitate to treat its customers in the same fashion.
1
The holidays are a perfect example of American's desire to over indulge, over eat, and purchase material goods for no particular reason. We have an economy that has been built on over consumption and the need to collect useless and poorly made goods. A complete race to the bottom.
As a small business owner everyday I'm faced with people who look at the cost over the product provided. When is the mindset of more for less going to change, never. It's all about having as much material goods as possible whether rich or poor. Who cares about quality.
As a small business owner everyday I'm faced with people who look at the cost over the product provided. When is the mindset of more for less going to change, never. It's all about having as much material goods as possible whether rich or poor. Who cares about quality.
28
"...This holiday shopping season, those shoppers may encounter the most crowded stores ever...winter merchandise is still sitting on the floor. Warehouses and distribution centers are full...
This is happening because - just like oil - supply is exceeding demand.
People's health care and job security have been shredded.
In the Potemkin economy - "unemployment" is five percent.
In the real economy - the labor participation rate is the lowest in decades.
That doesn't even count all of the minimal-wage, twenty-nine hour a week jobs...In places like the stores mentioned.
Further, you never mention the words "quality" or "value".
You mention "need" just once - as in throw out things we don't need.
Why - some we can buy something else we don't need, and put it in the freed-up space?
People have much less space than they used to. And - chances are - they're renting, not owning, the space they do have.
"...advice for the industry: Emulate your customers and start to cut back...
What do you think this is...the airline industry?
Should furniture stores start selling "middle seats" - and expect people to fight over them?
This is happening because - just like oil - supply is exceeding demand.
People's health care and job security have been shredded.
In the Potemkin economy - "unemployment" is five percent.
In the real economy - the labor participation rate is the lowest in decades.
That doesn't even count all of the minimal-wage, twenty-nine hour a week jobs...In places like the stores mentioned.
Further, you never mention the words "quality" or "value".
You mention "need" just once - as in throw out things we don't need.
Why - some we can buy something else we don't need, and put it in the freed-up space?
People have much less space than they used to. And - chances are - they're renting, not owning, the space they do have.
"...advice for the industry: Emulate your customers and start to cut back...
What do you think this is...the airline industry?
Should furniture stores start selling "middle seats" - and expect people to fight over them?
21
Filene's Basement was the king of cut-rate department stores. They would mark down merchandise weekly until it sold. My mother would shop at Filene's weekly, and if something wasn't quite cheap enough, she would go to another area of the store and bury it in a place where it didn't belong. She would return a week later and go to where she buried it. If it hadn't sold, she would then buy it. Internet shoppers think they know it all. But their grandmothers were much shrewder.
57
My aunt, age 72, worked at Filene's for over 30 years. She commented more than once that this "buried treasure" phenomenon was rampant in a handful of stores.
I must point out, though, that you are incorrect about the rationale. Merchandise was hidden so that the buyers (usually women) could save up the money for the purchase, not so that it got marked down.
The mark downs occurred by department, and merchandise in different departments only got marked down if it was discovered and returned to the department--effectively negating the purpose of burying it in the first place.
I must point out, though, that you are incorrect about the rationale. Merchandise was hidden so that the buyers (usually women) could save up the money for the purchase, not so that it got marked down.
The mark downs occurred by department, and merchandise in different departments only got marked down if it was discovered and returned to the department--effectively negating the purpose of burying it in the first place.
2
My mother dragged me along 100 times. I know her rationale. If the merchandise wasn't marked down over the week, she would insist that it be marked down based on the date. The explanation may be that she shopped before Filene's was franchised, at the downtown Boston store. She went to Radcliffe for two years before dropping out because of the Depression. She was a master shopper and never did anything that had no purpose. Excuse me if I sound rude, but this is my mother we're talking about.
I have opted out of the "buy-buy-buy" Christmas, and my life is much richer for it. I don't understand the desire to accumulate more and more stuff, only to have the headache of decluttering and downsizing as we get older. At this time of year, I like to give big tips to waitstaff who have given me excellent service over the past year, and to donate to my favorite charities. It's a win-win for everyone!
77
I figure I will leave the job of decluttering and downsizing to whomever gets my stuff when I die.
'if you can’t wear it or use it today, chances are it will become clutter in your home instead of in the store.'
Actually I find the opposite is true, particularly in the case of books, CDs, and DVDs, but also in the case of possessions with sentimental value. Clothes, now, I can toss more easily - but then, I don't purchase lots of clothes in the first place.
Sorry, I like my stuff.
Actually I find the opposite is true, particularly in the case of books, CDs, and DVDs, but also in the case of possessions with sentimental value. Clothes, now, I can toss more easily - but then, I don't purchase lots of clothes in the first place.
Sorry, I like my stuff.
16
Me too! I was bewildered by Kondo's book, though I read it all. I just don't see my possessions that way AT ALL.
I recently was helping a friend's daughter with a homework assignment on Ancient Egypt -- good thing, I had several wonderful books, a carved ivory head of Nefertiti my husband brought home from Egypt, a plaster statue of the goddess Bastet, etc. She was thrilled and I was delighted to help her. It was wonderful knowing these items (which I love) were right in my bookcase, just where I knew I had put them.
I have clothes (yes they still fit perfectly) from high school! I still wear some of them. I don't save everything obsessively, but if something is beautiful, well-made and fits you, why throw it away? Why senselessly keep replacing things that are perfectly functional?
I collect various stuff, and it gives me pleasure. I not remotely a hoarder, but yeah, I like my stuff and I don't apologize for it.
I recently was helping a friend's daughter with a homework assignment on Ancient Egypt -- good thing, I had several wonderful books, a carved ivory head of Nefertiti my husband brought home from Egypt, a plaster statue of the goddess Bastet, etc. She was thrilled and I was delighted to help her. It was wonderful knowing these items (which I love) were right in my bookcase, just where I knew I had put them.
I have clothes (yes they still fit perfectly) from high school! I still wear some of them. I don't save everything obsessively, but if something is beautiful, well-made and fits you, why throw it away? Why senselessly keep replacing things that are perfectly functional?
I collect various stuff, and it gives me pleasure. I not remotely a hoarder, but yeah, I like my stuff and I don't apologize for it.
4
I just want to be able to easily get horse meat, calf's feet, pigs bladder, pigs blood, squab, pigeon, woodcocks, grouse, squirrel, beaver, chickens and duck with fur/heads/feets still intact and venison from grocery stores. I mean I have my sources from farmers and hunters but would love to be able to go into a 24/7 wal mart and get a quart of pigs blood to make homemade blood sausage for breakfast or some game birds to roast for dinner. Tired for the limited choice of meats at grocery stores; including specialty stores like Whole Foods.
6
I can explain why I don't enjoy shopping in chain stores or eating at chain restaurants.
Pottery Barn has nice stuff, Ikea has nice stuff, Nieman Marcus has nice stuff. The list goes on and on right on down to Kmart and Walmart. But I don't want the same nice stuff everyone else has. I did that in my 20s and 30s when I really didn't know what I felt comfortable with. Now I want to spend my money, if and when I spend my money, on something that unique and made with pride by the artisan who crafted it. It doesn't matter if it is a sofa, a dress, a vase, or a baguette. I don't want to wander in through store after store where everything is the same in every store in every city. I would rather go shopping by finding one of a kind stores and I do. I search them out and once I find them I shop them first. I share them with my friends.
Look, I want my purchases to support individuals who have a sparks of creativity. I want small business owners who love owning their small little shops. I don't really care if Sam Walston's kids, grandkids, and great grandkids have Xillions of $$$$. That they do or don't is their problem. I want the independent tire dealer, the couple that have a cheese shops selling only local artisan cheeses, the bakery that people stand in a line that extends outside because the bread is so good. USA is mass producer, it does no love the small business owner and that is the truth.
Pottery Barn has nice stuff, Ikea has nice stuff, Nieman Marcus has nice stuff. The list goes on and on right on down to Kmart and Walmart. But I don't want the same nice stuff everyone else has. I did that in my 20s and 30s when I really didn't know what I felt comfortable with. Now I want to spend my money, if and when I spend my money, on something that unique and made with pride by the artisan who crafted it. It doesn't matter if it is a sofa, a dress, a vase, or a baguette. I don't want to wander in through store after store where everything is the same in every store in every city. I would rather go shopping by finding one of a kind stores and I do. I search them out and once I find them I shop them first. I share them with my friends.
Look, I want my purchases to support individuals who have a sparks of creativity. I want small business owners who love owning their small little shops. I don't really care if Sam Walston's kids, grandkids, and great grandkids have Xillions of $$$$. That they do or don't is their problem. I want the independent tire dealer, the couple that have a cheese shops selling only local artisan cheeses, the bakery that people stand in a line that extends outside because the bread is so good. USA is mass producer, it does no love the small business owner and that is the truth.
163
I can understand the artisan bread or cheese, but the independent tire seller might be charging 20% more for the same tire -- is that OK with you? Is it worth another 20% to deal with a small business with less volume?
I enjoy things like craftspeople and farmer's markets, too, but there is a limit to what I can pay for ordinary objects. Do you also purchase "artisan craft-made" toothpaste? Don't all of consume a lot of very ordinary items? -- like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent -- that either are not made in "designer artisan galleries" OR would cost a ridiculous sum if they were.
There are times I want something unique or well crafted, and other times I am buying "consumables" where it just doesn't matter -- I want decent quality, as cheap as possible.
Though some small businesses are really wonderful -- others are just overpriced, chi-chi boutiques run by bored wealthy housewives. You are not helping some striving craftsperson if you stop and overspend at such places.
I enjoy things like craftspeople and farmer's markets, too, but there is a limit to what I can pay for ordinary objects. Do you also purchase "artisan craft-made" toothpaste? Don't all of consume a lot of very ordinary items? -- like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent -- that either are not made in "designer artisan galleries" OR would cost a ridiculous sum if they were.
There are times I want something unique or well crafted, and other times I am buying "consumables" where it just doesn't matter -- I want decent quality, as cheap as possible.
Though some small businesses are really wonderful -- others are just overpriced, chi-chi boutiques run by bored wealthy housewives. You are not helping some striving craftsperson if you stop and overspend at such places.
1
Very well stated. In my town, there is a huge Walgreens with dead bushes surrounding the parking lot, a lot of litter and a hyped up staff that screams, "Welcome to Walgreens!" at you when you walk in. The shoppers always look exhausted. Trying to pay and get out of there is a nightmare. "What is your zip code,?" they always ask, "what is your address?" "Do you have a Walgreen's discount card?" "Was the service satisfactory?" Actually there is no service there. They've gotten rid of all but one person who walks the floors and looks like he's ready to collapse. So, one day a local pharmacy set up shop on our Main St. Personalized service, quiet, polite people, and the owner knows my name. They never ask for my zip code, they don't stuff the aisles with garbage and there are window boxes out front as well as a beautiful tree. I love them and I will never set foot in Walgreens again.
26
I second this a Xillion percent!
I can no longer stand department stores. The service is minimal, the racks are jammed, and you have wander all over if you want to buy a jacket, a purse, a skirt or a pair of pants because the items are subdivided into branded sub-stores. It's irritating. It assumes people have an infinite amount of time and interest. I only shop at small stores now as infrequently as I can.
104
i so agree.i believe the small stores are coming back, where people actually care about the customer.
2
Well of course the top performing areas will be in crowded cities and based on this fact wont be enough to demonstrate what those stores are doing better other than having a larger crowds come through its doors, and if closing the lowest grossing stores based on this fact alone is not justified. Focus on area demographics and custumer trends to push for what people need and want. With social media and so many people having a voice there should be no excuse on why a store cant interact with its custumers and find out what they want.
8
I'm working a seasonal job at Kohl's, and the clutter is driving me absolutely bananas! Socks on the floor, candy stuck in with hats, picture frames piled up. I always think "No one will put up with this long enough to buy anything!" But I am 100% wrong, and the lines for the cashier are around the block. The upper management knows what they are doing-- keep minimal staff, even though it means the store is a disaster. Customers may be irritated, and they may complain, but it won't deter them from spending money.
55
I agree! Kohls seems to be the only store with aggravatingly long lines. And now they're open 24 hours.
3
So glad I don't have to buy presents for anyone. Once the kids grew up, we stopped the gift-giving in our families. Now, we can enjoy the empty slopes, trails, and museums. The only problem is getting past all the traffic pouring into and out of the malls.
64
Great ideas. I also suggest that you make a pact with yourself. If you buy it, use, eat or wear it soon. Don't buy to push into cabinet or closet.
31
Forgot the first rule of shopping, take a list and stick to it.
14