There has been a lot of on-line shopping going on behind the scenes in our busy household, apparently, since I have seen all sorts of personal vehicles showing up in our driveway, driven by all sorts of unidentified people, at all hours of the day and night. My dog Molly certainly doesn’t let any of them go unnoticed, though, she has made friends with the regular UPS driver who is smart enough to approach the door with a dog bone biscuit in hand. Some bring the parcel to the door and pose for a photo assumingly to prove delivery (or perhaps because they like the artistic chair made of reclaimed wood and steel from a demolished building in New York City on my porch). Others just toss it on the ground next to the mailbox in hopes that someone notices before it rains, or even worse, stolen.
But, this is just the start of the chain reaction that follows once the delivered package is opened and inspected. Some are the wrong size, or color and obviously need to be returned immediately requiring a drive to a drop off point. While other items that arrive are just plain laughable, such as the cupcake stand that looked really good in the photo, but in person was the size and scale appropriate for micro cupcakes for which I don’t have the appropriate size muffin tin, and since I have just about everything for the kitchen, likely said product doesn’t exist. As it turns out, I already have a beautiful tiered cupcake stand, but no one thought to ask first. Well, back it goes to its creator.
I guess I am old school because I still prefer to go to a brick and mortar store when I occasionally need something so that I can inspect the item in person and make sure it fits my needs. In some cases, I might even have a question or two for the store staff in order to decide what fits my needs most appropriately. More often than not my way of doing things takes a little more effort on my part, but almost always achieves the final result with certainty. Furthermore, I usually end up with a nice quality, well thought out product that will enhance my life. I know I can’t be alone in approaching life this way.
When I create the Atlanta Market Preview like the one in this issue, I am always impressed with the thought, care, design, and execution of the products being brought to market. They aren’t like some of the cheap stuff that arrives at my door occasionally that are clearly made for an impulse price point. They are products that are going to bring pleasure and or beauty to someone’s household. And the types of retailers that are featuring these products in their assortment are obviously appealing to those, like me, that want to find something real and lasting. If you strive as a retailer to be that type of destination, then I expect you will find a vast array or resources at the markets this summer to further enhance your product mix.
