Madame Persolaise and I went Christmas shopping on Saturday. Big mistake. I can’t say that our present-hunting was entirely fruitless – when we finally returned home, I grudgingly conceded that we had made one or two interesting purchases – but, boy, was it a struggle! Putting the crowds to one side – if only! – I think what was most depressing was the fact that the shops are really looking rather drab and forlorn. The decorations are lacklustre, the gift sets are the same dead horses that keep getting flogged year after year and the staff make Scrooge look like an advert for happy pills. No wonder we’re doing increasing amounts of our shopping on the Internet. Why put up with all the aggravation when you can sit in the warmth of your own home and access a far wider range of goods than you ever could on an average high street? It’s a sad state of affairs. I absolutely love wandering around shops, looking for something surprising, getting into conversations with sales assistants… but the attractions of ‘real world’ shopping are pretty non-existent in today’s Britain. If the high street wants to stay alive, it’s going to have to think of some clever ways of competing with cyberspace. One solution would be to stop treating customers like a herd of cattle, but then that’s precisely the philosophy that goes against the thinking of most national chain stores.
Anyway, speaking of the Internet, don’t forget that you’ve got until 10 pm (UK time) today to enter a draw for a sample of Breath Of God. Please click here for the relevant post.
Persolaise.
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