mornin' merrymakers 🛒🧭💌✨
full honesty: this one's short & sweet.
i'm behind on life right now. (if you've sent me a message i haven't answered, i see you. it's coming.) somehow we're days away from october, which means bfcm is right around the corner & every store is about to fight for your attention for deals you likely don’t need.
so today i'm inviting you into something i've been chewing on & i could use your help with it.
a lot of people tell me they hate shopping in stores.
usually right after they find out i work in retail.
the parking. the lines. the associate who's either nowhere or everywhere. the fitting room lighting that feels like a personal attack. & for the most part, i can't fault them.
but it makes me more curious, not less.
because those same people still go somewhere. there's still a store they'll go out of their way for.
which one? & why?
i'll go first.
it’s the hottest club in america.
i've hopped on the train & have never once bought from it online. i go for the date. my fiancé lovingly pushes the cart. i do the discovering. i go for the step count. one lap of that warehouse is great for my oura. i go for the ease of less choices. trust in kirkland.
not one of those reasons shows up on the receipt.
that's the part so many people in retail keep missing…buying is rarely the whole reason we go. if it were, we'd click "add to cart" & be done. the internet solved the buying part twenty years ago.
we go for everything that comes with it.
for ease. it's on the way & you could walk it blindfolded.
for the hunt. you don't know what you want until it's in your hands.
for the outing. saturday with the kids. the errand you run with your mom.
for a real answer. a person who knows more than you & will tell you the truth.
to be around people. sometimes a store is a much needed change of scenery.
to become a regular. someone knows your name, your size, your usual.
to dodge the return headache. mail-return fees, printing labels, hunting for a box. trying it on in person starts to look smart.
most of us run on some mix & the mix changes by category.
now it's your turn.
hit reply & tell me:
what store do you go out of your way for? & why?
the more specific (or embarrassing), the better.
i'm not asking to be polite. your replies will shape my next newsletter. i'll read every one & build the issue around what you send (anonymously, unless you want the shoutout).
& if you’re one of the many that tells me you hate shopping in stores, i want your answer most of all. the truth is almost all of us have to shop somewhere.
can’t wait to hear from y’all after what is hopefully a very productive week!
