Don't people have anything else in the world to do?
New Year's Eve . . . here come all the people to the mall.
New Year's Day . . . ditto.
It's astonishing how folk today automatically gravitate to the mall if they have a significant chunk of time on their hands. And I swear, they prefer the tabletop department o'er all else! Let the store open at 8 a.m. or 7 a.m. and here comes the thundering herd, beating a path to the china or crystal department. Not necessarily buying anything, mind! These days, in fact, they usually have stuff to return.
Speaking of which, perhaps it's me being cynical and suspicious, but I wonder how much of this merchandise saw duty over the holidays, but is now coming back? There was a woman, for instance, who bought eight silver chargers (well, silver painted) on Dec. 23, and who returned them yesterday.
Hmmmm.
That was always a problem in fashion jewelry at this time of year as well as prom time. Amazing how often a set of sparkly earrings would be sold on Friday and returned ("They just didn't work" or "I changed my mind") on Monday!
This puts me in mind of a story I heard back when I was a teenager. It was related to me by my best friend at the time, Marcia, who heard it from her father. He worked at a bank and knew everybody, so always had the inside scoop. Anyway, there was a woman who regularly shopped at the Neiman Marcus fine jewelry department . . . she was a socialite sort who would purchase - on her NM card - a pricey piece or two or three of jewelry on Thursday or Friday and return it, regular as clockwork, the following Monday.
The people at Neiman's knew what she was doing . . . essentially "borrowing" the stuff so as to make a splash at the various social events she attended on the weekends.
They couldn't figure out how to call her on it, however. She and her husband still spent quite a bit of money with the store and they didn't want them to get mad and leave.
Finally the day came! The woman got her photo taken and put in the social pages of the Sunday newspaper. You know the sort of thing I mean.
Anyway, when the woman came in for her weekly return, the associate made the transaction but at some point put the paper on the counter with her picture - wearing the jewelry she was returning - prominently displayed.
Nothing was said by either party, but that was the end of the woman's purchase/return habit. ;->
New Year's Eve . . . here come all the people to the mall.
New Year's Day . . . ditto.
It's astonishing how folk today automatically gravitate to the mall if they have a significant chunk of time on their hands. And I swear, they prefer the tabletop department o'er all else! Let the store open at 8 a.m. or 7 a.m. and here comes the thundering herd, beating a path to the china or crystal department. Not necessarily buying anything, mind! These days, in fact, they usually have stuff to return.
Speaking of which, perhaps it's me being cynical and suspicious, but I wonder how much of this merchandise saw duty over the holidays, but is now coming back? There was a woman, for instance, who bought eight silver chargers (well, silver painted) on Dec. 23, and who returned them yesterday.
Hmmmm.
That was always a problem in fashion jewelry at this time of year as well as prom time. Amazing how often a set of sparkly earrings would be sold on Friday and returned ("They just didn't work" or "I changed my mind") on Monday!
This puts me in mind of a story I heard back when I was a teenager. It was related to me by my best friend at the time, Marcia, who heard it from her father. He worked at a bank and knew everybody, so always had the inside scoop. Anyway, there was a woman who regularly shopped at the Neiman Marcus fine jewelry department . . . she was a socialite sort who would purchase - on her NM card - a pricey piece or two or three of jewelry on Thursday or Friday and return it, regular as clockwork, the following Monday.
The people at Neiman's knew what she was doing . . . essentially "borrowing" the stuff so as to make a splash at the various social events she attended on the weekends.
They couldn't figure out how to call her on it, however. She and her husband still spent quite a bit of money with the store and they didn't want them to get mad and leave.
Finally the day came! The woman got her photo taken and put in the social pages of the Sunday newspaper. You know the sort of thing I mean.
Anyway, when the woman came in for her weekly return, the associate made the transaction but at some point put the paper on the counter with her picture - wearing the jewelry she was returning - prominently displayed.
Nothing was said by either party, but that was the end of the woman's purchase/return habit. ;->
posted by Gryphonette at
4:23 AM
