Art of Shopping

History shows us that certainty and predictable stability often precedes great change but just because I can certainly buy apples and mushrooms all year round, does it mean that the world of retailing is in for a major overhaul?

THE ART OF SHOPPING should be an art mastered by the consumer but this is seldom the situation. Today, it's the architects, designers, and people in branding and marketing with an interest in selling that have combined their skills to become masters of the art of selling.

Whoever manages to capture our attention and orchestrate our spending habits seems to get the trade they design (whether this is 'Fair-trade' or not, is something a far sighted Fair-trade Foundation can review).

Individually, we can all review our own buying habits and judge whether we are following the sellers path or our own. Sellers are getting ever more skilled at selling so we most all try and be ever more skilled at buying but there are too few 'schools of buying' or schooling in wise buying.

I have heard that the filmmaker, Harun Farocki, shot a film to show how architects, financiers and retail specialists come together to create these successful environments designed to make us all consume more – the total ART of SELLING – but I have yet to hear of any films that are designed to help the consumer consume wisely.

In some places like the U.K., money borrowing, usually 'via the credit card', is very well promoted and people shop a lot - but too many 'till they drop' into serious debt. Stomaching 'pay-back time' is hard and too many people only wise-up after their spending events. I can see the short term benefit to shareholders, banks and finance institutions who, by their normal activities, encourage the spiralling party of spending but I can also see the long term problems this system creates across society.

The phrase "Buyer Beware" has never been more appropriate, but if society takes a big hit because of these imbalanced methods, the concept of "Seller Beware" should be examined more closely by social economists and their findings should be promoted. Is this going to happen? No, I don't think so somehow (whooops .. back to reality).

Waves from the HoBB as we study the ART of maintaining the 'larder of balance' for a human World that needs to be far more in tune with itself.

Take care out there. Lets's make waves together ~~~~ <+))))))))>< ~~~ Grant

Posted by : Grant
Filed in : Shopping