Attention All Shoppers

Who designs store aisles, anyway? And shouldn’t they work hand in hand with the individual who selects the carts? How many times have you been in a store that used shopping carts that were too large for the aisles, let alone allow for a fellow shopper to pass by? Countless times I’ve come close to wiping out an end display because of a large, unmanueverable cart. Maintain your carts and get rid of all the broken ones! Odds are good that I will be the lucky individual to snag the only cart that pulls sharply to the left. And if the safety seat strap is broken replace it immediately! A few minutes and a few dollars will save thousands of dollars in lawsuits and more importantly, save lives of children!

Stores anticipate hordes of shoppers flocking to their establishment. This is reflected in the acres of paved parking spaces available. Unfortunately, they only place cart corrals close to the store. I am usually a considerate shopper and return my cart, however if I have to park a mile away, I’ll be darned if I’m hoofing my cart back up front again. Especially after I’ve just spent a huge sum of money there!

Have the shelves marked correctly, for Pete’s sake! I often wonder if mismatched shelves are done intentionally. The price listed is always much lower than the actual price the unwary consumer gets charged. Some savvy shoppers catch the discrepancy at the checkout line. Others realize the price difference but maybe because the store is busy and they don’t want to hold up the line for the others waiting behind them, pay the price charged and carry on. Then there are those who never check their receipt and are completely unaware they didn’t get the bargain they thought they had.

The clincher of the whole sordid shopping experience is the ‘anti-theft protection devices’ securely placed on all items. While I am not so naive to believe that all people are honest and would never shoplift, I resent the implication that all consumers are potential shoplifters. I resent the ever-so- frequently defective, malfunctioning de-magnetizer that sets off the ‘thief alert’ signal, prompting the store ‘bouncers’ to pull you aside and search your cart. It’s humiliating to stand there while someone in a stupid vest roots through your stuff (bought and paid for, thank you very much) searching (sometimes I feel, hoping?) to find one item in your possession that you failed to pay for. When they realize the magnetic strip on a paid-for item was not deactivated, you can visibly notice their crestfallen appearance. Then they ship you out of their store without as much as an apology. If department stores invested as much time, money, and energy in ensuring their ‘anti-theft devices’ were deactivated at the time of purchase as they devoted to placing them on every single product, no matter their size or cost, they would make more of a profit! (Mainly by customers like me patronizing their stores.)

Don’t get me wrong – I love to shop and consider myself a savvy shopper. It’s just that with a few changes on the part of the storeowners and patrons alike, shopping could be a much more pleasurable experience. Be courteous! Remember, shop ‘til you drop, just don’t block the aisle!