Well our World Market is opening today I hear tell. As I’ve spouted to a select few, their stock will probably consist of 4 different wines, one teak patio furniture set, 2 bamboo cooking utensils, some miso soup, 3 batik sarongs and a wok. If we’re really lucky they’ll still have those mini Ghirardellis at the checkout, but only one flavor.
This theory, which of course I’d love to see disproved, is due to the auburnization of various stores we’ve acquired in the last couple of years. Our Ann Taylor Loft, for instance, seems only to carry the youngster side of their stock, and only in a single color family each season (read: never my best).
Even our Target was not immune to the Auburn Retail Virus. Clothing? Fagetaboutit. That is, if you’re anywhere in the middle either age or size-wise. They pretty much only have clothes either for anorexic immodest teeny boppers or for people the size of our not-so-esteemed Sec. of State. Housewares are slightly better but still you don’t have the full gamut of selection heretofore enjoyed by this blogger at Targets in Willoughby, Columbus, or Montgomery. They love Kitchenaid, and the Graves designer line, and Oxo; otherwise nevermind. Now mind you, I love Kitchenaid, too, but not enough to have every single item I buy for the kitchen be their wares. The Target bag section here is quite scary indeed although I do acknowledge that bag fashion in general nowadays is not tempting me overmuch. In home furnishings, it’s pretty much the same story as in housewares; if their merch team can attribute either “cute,” “kitsch,” or “expensive” to an item, basically it goes on the list. Consequently the affordable items will only work with your existing décor if you happen to live inside a Johnny Rocket; those rare occasions when you find something tastefully understated, of course it will be roughly the same price as your rent payment. (When did Target stop being for the everyman?) Perhaps the biggest violation of we nesty people’s trust: virtually none of the huge array of fun little affordable picture frames they used to carry (and probably still do in real towns). (As a side note: all of this makes it hard at times to stick to my personal Wal-Mart boycott. If you can’t go buy something Everyday Normal instead of the designer version of a mop, for crying out loud… well I find that so dumbfounding I can’t even finish my sentence. Which, just figure those odds.)
It’s almost a good thing we didn’t get the rumored Barnes & Noble as it would have just gotten auburnized also. In fact now that I think of it, B&N probably opted out once they discovered that Tiger Town would only let them carry remainders, wedding mags and the LeftBehind series.
Oh be quiet. I can have fun with a wee hyperbolic (tho based in fact to be sure) diatribe if I feel like it! And I assure you I’ll be the first to admit if I’m wrong about WM – in fact I’ll be delighted since I’m almost out of Maille dijon mustard (kee2) plus that will bode well, in turn, for the new Hobby Lobby, which I haven’t yet dared to ponder. It will be the most devastating of the whole batch of course to Yours Truly if it ends up as tweaked as some of the others.
This makes it sound like I'm a huge shopper when really, tho I have my moments, I'm firmly ensconced on the lesser end of the consumerism addiction scale. I have a few favorite stores where I used to forage only 2-3 times a year since they required 45-60 minute treks with Hal across the Plains. That's probably the real injustice; this keeps happening to stores which I normally find extra-fun. It wouldn't bug me at all if we got a bunch of hunting or furniture stores and they got auburnized instead. How cruel to make a list of Susanstores, bring them to town and then morph them out of all recognition! It's like all of Tiger Town is some huge mirage. (Altho I can attest to the Petco's being just fine, luckily for me and the kits.)
Alas. On the bright side, every auburnized store means less temptation and Mission Thrift gets more of my cash. Quite the ganga there this morning, btw: three tops, two sweaters, one fleece jacket, and a teensy silver picture frame which I have since polished up. $26. Bee-yew-tee-full on both counts.
(Sept. 7 - I stand corrected, quite delightedly...) :)
2 commentaires:
preface/disclaimer: i'm sending some of it back!
but, my cure for any-shopping-syndrome (ass?) is to spend $1,000 on a recent internet spree for clothes. . .and then notice that $100 is dedicated to shipping. i could have driven to some of these places more cheaply.
bleh, take away my credit cards. . .you get close to paying them off and then you fall into a "reward" mentality.
kee you're funny - don't send the __Fun__ stuff back at least :)
I've been doing much better but my debt stuff the last year or two has been a case of 2 steps forward, 1 back (sometimes the reverse...)
I spent a bit on the internet with our first fall paycheck last week but now am --pretty firmly-- back on track... for now :) we get paid 2x month now and perversely I think this will help me with bills because I will be able to budget spending money easier... before i'd just send almost every cent to bills and then every few months I'd get to feeling deprived so would overspend on credit, thereby undoing some of what I had paid back of course... now it will be easier to go ahead and have a little Fun Money in the budget so hopefully no reactionary spending. :)
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