Mother Connie Sez: Cyber Monday?

Today is Cyber Monday...

Not to be outdone by "Black Friday" the world of retail has come up with "Cyber Monday" and all those merchants are breathless, waiting for the orders to roll in.

Now I am all about people getting what they like and what they need.  I am certainly pleased that special pricing makes for people living well within their means...pun intended.

What I have issues with are corporate GREED, materialism and consumerism.

The family who takes their vacation to park outside a big box electronics store for NINE DAYS before the store opens for Black Friday is monstrously stupid, in my humble opinion.  Their children are getting a strange message, so far as I can tell.

The shopper who peruses the newspaper for coupons, takes those prices to the store in their neighborhood and then proceeds to check the cell phone to see where the same item is cheaper so he can confront the store manager to get an even lower price is probably smart...still, that sort of behavior is just plain unnerving to me.

It might be that I am jaded by my past.  My parents were retailers.  They prided themselves on customer service and fair prices ALL YEAR ROUND.  They developed a good rapport with their customers by providing quality goods, complimentary delivery service, cheerful and friendly community participation.  Their customers appreciated the way they were treated; hence, they  were loyal.  Sure, people might find items in the next town over that were priced lower, but they reasoned that driving to that town would be costly and they wanted to do business with people who appreciated their customers.  People in that little town still remember and rave about the good, cheerful service they got from that mom 'n pop shop!

Only this morning I read about the dreadful and draconian return policies of some of the big guys.  It's doubtful to me that those heartless corporate entities have the same caring attitude now as my parents did all those decades ago.  It's this sort of thing that seems to cause PRICE to be the trump card.

And this is meant to perpetuate the Christmas spirit?  No doubt I sound like a cranky old lady when I scoff and poo poo all this madness about price comparison, cyber shopping, and all the rest of it.

When the wise men brought their gifts to the newborn babe in that stable in Bethlehem I doubt they were worried about the best price for the gold, frankincense and myrrh.  

It really IS the thought that counts.

Connie Baum

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