The Thought Should Count

This piece first appeared in December 4th, 2008 edition of the Pioneer Tribune, a weekly newspaper from Manistique, Michigan. Please visit their website: http://www.pioneertribune.com/

It’s the thought that counts, or so they say, and as you know, Christmas shopping, or as I like to call it, “Insanity in the Aisles” season, is once again upon us. “Black Friday” has come and gone, and you didn’t have to look very hard to see that I wasn’t a participant in the madness.

Being fairly reclusive by nature, I avoid crowds of people who have left their minds somewhere other than their skulls. The whole “Black Friday” shopping scene reminds me of Robert Shaw in the movie “Jaws” talking about how shark's eyes roll back in their heads when they are on a feeding frenzy.

I’m not picking on those of you who choose to take part in this retail bloodbath. I realize that good deals are to be had out there, but what kind of “thought” is going into the buying of these gifts? I think the only real thought is “How cheap can I get this for?” on the part of the consumer and “How much money can we make?” on the part of the retailer.

I’ve seen the look in the eyes of a “Black Friday” shopper. It is a look that makes me quake with fear. I’m afraid that I’ll get caught up in the whole thing and one of the frenzied feeders will throw me in their cart and I’ll end up under someone’s tree. “Wow! It’s just what I always wanted, my very own Waye Braver!”

No, “Black Friday” is not for me. I try to do my Christmas shopping at other times, like July.
This year, as you all know, the economy has taken a huge hit and there are a lot of people who are going to have a pretty rough year ahead of them. Among these people are the small business owners. The next couple of weeks can be the deciding factor for many of them whether or not they remain open for another year.

Now I realize that it is hard to avoid going to the “big box” stores or shopping online for the toys that the kids want. While there are toys available here, locally, the small stores are limited in shelf space and as a result, can only stock so much.

On the other hand, the smaller, independently owned stores tend to stock merchandise that is typically of better quality than what you will find in the chain stores. The “Gigantic-Marts” of the world stock an infinite amount of cheap (and when I say cheap, I don’t just mean inexpensive) goods that consumers gobble up at such a rate that the Chinese sweat-shops that make these goods have no fear of an economic slowdown.

If the “mom and pop” stores of the area stocked this junk, the sheer volume of defective returns they would receive on these products would force them to close their doors. Of course the smaller stores have their share of cheap goods, and cheap goods vary in quality. There can be quite a difference in a cheap item from a “dollar” store and a cheap item from a locally owned store.

One of the best things about the smaller stores is that many times these stores carry items that you cannot find anywhere else; truly specialized products. Frequently these stores are staffed with people who are knowledgeable about the items they sell, or at least they are more knowledgeable than the stock clerk at “J-Mart.” Many times you are actually dealing with the owner of the store. When was the last time Sam Walton asked you about how your kids were doing in school?

This year, if you must, buy your toys online or at the “big box” stores, but if you could manage to buy at least some of the gifts for the older kids on your list from the locally owned stores, it could make a big difference for the future of the proprietors of those stores and their employees. Even if you only do your last minute shopping at these places, the difference made could be substantial, especially if enough people do it.

A greater percentage of the dollar you spend at these shops stays in your community. This money isn’t being sent off to some faceless, corporate entity. It is staying here with your friends and family. Buying gifts from a locally owned store is kind of like doubling the power and meaning of that gift.

Remember, it truly is the thought behind the gift that counts. Will your gifts be thought out and meaningful or will you be buying them from the pre-wrapped gift pack assortment on an end cap display at “Nuts-O?”