Category: shopping

Posted in Food, shopping

I can’t believe someone returned those

Posted on by William Douthwaite
What’s wrong with this picture?

If you’re going to Walmart, would you take these back for me?”

I know, no one ever wants to hear those words. However, bundling your errands into one trip to Walmart is better than multiple trips. And the return had already been initiated online, so it should be a quick scan and go.

Scan and go, yes. Quick, no. Five people stood in line ahead of me at the Service counter. I used the time to see what I could notice. I hadn’t yet decided what to write about today. But Walmart never fails to give me an idea. Today was no different.

The Walmart service counter is surrounded by piles of returned items. Boxes of diapers, an aquarium pump, a charcoal grill, colorful plastic eggs, a potted plant, and a package of underwear filled metal shelves on both sides of me. And one thing that really caught my eye: a package of double stuf Oreos.

I know. I did a double take, pulled out my phone, and got the photo. I couldn’t believe it, either. Oreos? Really? Who’s going to return Oreos? That’s just not right.

Okay, I know it’s one item from what looks like a whole cart of healthy food choices including soda, chips, Skittles, and ranch dressing. Maybe someone forgot their debit card and left this all behind. Maybe they got a call and had to leave the store before they could pay for their groceries, and left them in an aisle. Maybe someone made a snarky comment about their New Years resolution to eat healthier. “Fine. I’ll return them!”

Or, maybe someone at home wasn’t happy. “Why did you get double stuffed Oreos? You know I only like the regular ones! You’re so selfish. You only think about yourself. I’m not paying for them. Take them back!” Apparently someone did.

Do you think this bag made it back to the shelf? Or does the night crew share them when it’s break time?

Posted in shopping

From the other side of the planet to me

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It didn’t take much to shape my Instagram algorithm. I think I clicked on one t-shirt promotion, and all of a sudden, such ads filled my feed. I was in the market for a few shirts, so I did the discount code dance. Every ad I went to offered me 15% off my first purchase. So I did a whole lot of first purchases and tried out a whole lot of t-shirts.

Most of my orders came in three to four days. I liked all my purchases. But then I thought, “Didn’t I order another one?” I went back through my emails and checked my order confirmations. Yep, one more yet to come.

It’s been two weeks. Where is that last shirt? I found the tracking order for my t-shirt, and discovered that the shipment originated in China. I know, most of my clothes are made in China, Vietnam or Indonesia. No surprise there.

I was fascinated to read about my t-shirt’s travels, which started in Shatian, China. From there, it went to O’Hare airport in Chicago, then to Homer Glen, Illinois. The bagged t-shirt went to Atlanta, Orlando, and then finally to my town, Palm Coast. It took two weeks for the shirt to get from them to me.

I find this very interesting. I paid less than $25 for the shirt. Did it cost less than that to ship it to me? Did they lose money on the deal? Will they make money if I order more shirts from them?

I do not understand the economics of this at all. Someone is making a shirt for me at a bargain price in a sweatshop somewhere on the other side of the earth, so they can feed their family and I can save a few bucks. Some middle-men are making money making the sale and shipping it to me. I feel bad for taking advantage of them. I guess I could feel better for giving them a job. But I feel nothing when I pull on a shirt made on the other side of the planet.

We live in a strange world, don’t we?

Posted in shopping

Double carts: my good deed for the day

Posted on by William Douthwaite

I know not all Walmarts are created equal. Some are newer, brighter, and equipped with row after row of self-checkout lanes. Mine is older, dingier, and showing it’s age.

I learned the hard way to take a cart in with me from the parking lot. More often than not, that’s where they all are. Few if any make their way back into the store.

I’ve started wheeling two carts in with me. As I walk through the automatically-opening doors, I always encounter someone standing there, wondering what to do, since there aren’t any shopping carts. I know, the easy answer is, “Go back out and get one.” But for some reason, they don’t. They stand there with a puzzled look on their face. They look for an employee to go and bring in some carts. (Good luck with that.) Or, they are there when I’m walking in. With an extra cart in front of me, I offer, “Would you like a cart?”

I’m a hero. At least for five seconds. Then they are on their way. The other day, when I brought in an extra cart, a woman commented, “You’ve got a job if you want it!”

No one should be surprised. If you have to select all your own groceries, scan them, bag them, and pay at self-service stations, of course you should have to wheel in your own shopping cart. If you don’t want to do all of that, pick out your groceries online, let someone else wander the aisles to select them for you and bring them out to your car a few hours later.

As kids, we loved pushing the cart, picking out groceries, unloading the cart, and bagging the food. Who didn’t sneak something extra into the cart when mom wasn’t looking? Adulting means you either do everything yourself or let someone else do it all for you.

Anyway, that’s now my good deed for the day. I do not relish a trip to Walmart. But it helps us stick to our budget. And it makes me feel a little less selfish in a self-centered world.

Posted in shopping

“What did you buy?”

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Oxana Melis on Unsplash

I’m certain this never happens to anyone else. We pull into the driveway and see a package or two (or three) at the front door. It might be a box or a bag or just a product with an address sticker. One of us will say to the other, “What did you buy?” The other will respond, “Nothing. It must be yours.”

Upon opening them one of us will say, “Oh, that’s right. I ordered that two (or three or four) days ago.” Sometimes it’s a subscription order we get on a regular basis. And even rarer, it’ll be a gift.

There’s something disturbing about this. I like to think I engage in some level of mindfulness, but my shopping habits and memory betray me in this area.

In my defense, some of this is due to buying things separately. Because I buy individual items as I need or want them, each arrives by itself. While I try to visit as few stores as possible when shopping in person, I don’t care how many separate purchases I make online. And sometimes, when I do buy two or three items in one order, they may arrive in separate packages, having originated in different warehouses.

I’m sure someone has studied this. Sellers know I shop this way. That’s why they suggest things I might like to buy alongside my other purchases. If it’s something that I never set out to buy in the first place, it doesn’t occupy the same place in my memory as those things on my shopping list. In fact, I’ll bet I forget such purchases within an hour.

What’s the cure for this? I don’t know. Always make a list? Cross off the stuff I don’t need. Only buy what’s left. Keep the list, to remind me what I purchased.

Posted in shopping, Travel

Flea market deja vu

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s the height of strawberry season in Florida, but it’s been difficult to find the flats of ripe Plant City strawberries in our area. My wife said, “We probably need to go to the farmers market in Daytona.” That’s where we headed today.

According to their brochure, the Daytona Flea and Farmers Market is the sixth best flea market in the world, with 1,000 booths filled with vendors and food. I haven’t been here in ten years. When we moved to Florida nearly thirty years ago, it was a novel destination. It still is an attraction for the many visitors who are in town for the big events like speed weeks and bike week.

As we wandered through the endless maze of booths, we noticed that not much has changed since the last time we were here a decade ago. There is no end to the tables filled with t-shirts and hats, cheap jewelry, toys, leather vests, belts, and wallets, and miscellaneous household items for sale. Some booths offer an extensive selection of nuts, dried fruit, spices, seasonings, pickles, and hot sauces. Others sold golf carts and electric scooters. I saw an impressive selection of swords, knives, and martial arts weapons. At the intersection of the main aisles, you can buy hot dogs, sandwiches, french fries, popcorn, beer, soft drinks, and ice cream.

One young man had a hot dog covered in ketchup in one hand and a vanilla soft-serve cone in the other. He took turns eating from each hand, enjoying an interesting combination of flavors.

There were a few produce stands, but not as many as I remember from the past. We did find big ripe strawberries from Plant City, but they were pricey: $40 for a flat (12 pints). Ouch.

As we wandered through the maze of booths, I wondered, “Who buys this stuff?” I suppose if you’re here for an event, this is a good place for t-shirts and other merch. If you brought the kids along, they’ll talk you into buying them cheap toys and a treat. Do people really buy jewelry here? Given the huge displays of rings and necklaces, I guess many do. The market has been here for forty-two years, so lots of people must shop here.

We left with a half-flat of strawberries and three huge Roma tomatoes. That’s enough flea market for this decade.

Posted in Life, shopping

What’s in your shopping cart?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

So I very carefully snapped this picture of a shopping cart just a few spots behind me at a self-checkout lane in Walmart. The contents caught my eye then and still intrigue me now.

  • At least 8 cans of spray disinfectant
  • A large double stack of red solo cups
  • A tall pile of plain white hand-towels
  • A couple of trash cans
  • A huge container of cheese balls

I thought it was an interesting collection of things to purchase. I’m not here to judge; I’ve filled carts with just as many attention-getting items. More on that in a minute.

My first thought: this person teaches preschoolers. Perhaps a Sunday School class. Maybe just a bunch of kids at home.

This shopper could be turning over a short-term rental. Or cleaning up a house before the movers arrive with the furniture.

When a youth group was selling food at an outdoor church festival, I went out the day before to purchase supplies. I overloaded a cart with giant packages of hotdogs and hamburgers, bags of buns, cases of soda, and assortments of chips. As I pulled up to check out, I felt a little self-conscious. “No,” I wanted to explain, “I don’t eat like this all this time!”

Every time I come across this picture I chuckle at the cheese balls. I’ve seen them on display. I’ve always wondered who buys them. One youth brought a similar container on a summer mission trip. Barely lasted two days. I guess it’s not as big as it looks.

What’s in your shopping cart?

Posted in shopping, Stories

50% off

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

My wife found some nice home decor items at a local craft/hobby/home decor store. She had been waiting for certain items to appear on the shelves and when she did, she snapped them up.

On her way out of the store, another customer told her that those items would be on sale on Monday. If you bring them back, they will refund 50% of your purchase. I know, I thought it sounded too good to be true, too. My wife called and sure enough, that’s what they would do. And you couldn’t just bring your receipt. You had to physically cart the items into the store with the receipt, and they would credit your card.

We had already hung the items on the wall, but they came down easy enough. My wife loaded them back into the car, carried them back into the store, and drove them back home with the promised 50% credit.

Sweet. But I have questions. Why not just sell the items for 50% off. After all, a lot of stuff in the store is “50% off.” Why make them bring the items back in? The receipt isn’t good enough? Why can’t you do this whole thing online? You can do everything else online, from refinancing your home to buying a car.

Of course, I know the strategy is to get you back in the store. That’s why you get bonus bucks, discount coupons on your receipt and flyers in the mail. The more often you’re in the store, the more you’ll buy. Plus, how many people will actually take down the decor items and bring them back to get the discount and credit? I’m guessing not many.

That’s marketing these days. Drive traffic to your website. Get people into the store. Put wonderful items at the end of every aisle. Make people think they are getting a great deal. If they are willing to give you 50% back, think of how much that item was marked up to begin with!

Posted in shopping

Forced auction!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

One day last week I saw these signs at all the major intersections in my community. They weren’t there for long. Code enforcement is pretty quick to clean up such advertisements.

But it really caught my attention. These are high priced items! A Lamborghini? MSRP starts at $200k! Picassos? Really? You’ve got more than one original Picasso for sale? Lol, some of his stuff goes for over $100 million. I thought all the Rembrandts and Matisses were in museums. Dalis go for $8,000 to $12,000. You can get a Peter Max for $2000. The cheapest Rolex watch sells for $5,000.

OK, so what exactly is a forced auction? It is property being sold involuntarily, sometimes due to a court order in a bankruptcy or foreclosure. If someone actually owned such items, I doubt they would need to be forced to sell them off.

But who knows? Gambling debts? A nasty divorce? Need money to pay a ransom? Were drugs involved?

Were any of these items genuine? Would they actually be up for bids? Or was this just a ploy to get you in the door?

I wonder if anyone from our area reserved a socially distanced seat? Part of me really wanted to go just to see if any of it was real.

Do you think they’d take a check?

Posted in children, shopping

A convenience and a delight!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

At some point while raising my childen, a trip to the “corner store” became a special destination. I think we went there as a reward for good behavior, maybe after a good report card, or sometimes combined with a trip to the library. The corner store was nothing more than the gas station convenience store a few miles down the road. At least that’s how it looked through my adult eyes. Why does it have a special appeal when you’re growing up?

Just walk in the door and you’ll remember. It’s aisles and aisles of candy, cookies, soda, icees, chips, nuts, hot dogs, donuts, and ice cream. It’s every treat you can imagine crammed into a very small piece of real estate, practically heaven on earth. Even as an adult, just walk in the door and your eyes are drawn to coffee, beer, cigarettes and lottery tickets, as well as all the things listed above. Like I said, heaven on earth!

These folks know what they are doing. They know that as soon as you walk past all of that on your way to the bathroom, you’ll definitely buy something on the way out. The store won’t make much money on gas, but the profit on snacks and soda is huge.

Yes, these folks know what they are doing. That’s why the Buc-ees franchise will do very well as it moves out of Texas into other states, including my home state of Florida. Before long, we’ll have two Buc-ees within half an hour drive of my home.

Yes, technically Buc-ees is a gas station convenience store, but it is about the size of three Walmart stores. It has all the heavenly treats mentioned above plus clothing, furniture, souvenirs, toys, sporting goods, tools and automotive supplies and more. Though we stopped at Buc-ees just outside of Dallas to fuel up for our ride home, we left with nuts, barbecue sandwiches, some homemade potato chips, kolachis and a tub of chicken salad. And we saw Buc-ee the beaver himself, who was making an appearance at the store. Buc-ees is much more than a convenience store. It’s a destination for a fun family outing. Yes, everything is bigger in Texas, espcially the convenience store.

I remember when a 7-11 was built in my hometown of Ridley Park probably sometime in the 1960’s. We thought that was the coolest thing ever. Imagine, a convenience store open from early in the morning til late at night! You could go just about any time to get milk or bread or soda. And they had Slurpees. They were new and they were fantastic! I don’t know how they made them then and I don’t know how they make them now, but I still think they are delicious.

Just a few years ago, the Wawa chain began building stores in Florida. People here went berserk. I couldn’t figure out what the big deal was. I grew up a few miles from the dairy farm that would become the “town” of Wawa. Back then, life was shifting from having milk delivered to your home in a glass container (now that was convenience!) to going to a Wawa store to buy a gallon in a plastic jug.

As a grown-up, I mostly avoid convenience stores. For me they are a necessary travel evil. Sometimes the bathrooms are clean-ish. But not often. Sometimes the coffee is tolerable. But not often. Sometimes you get to see Buc-ee the beaver. But not often. However, the kid in me is hopeful.