Like most girls my age, I will indulge myself in the pastime that is shopping. I am a lover of fashion and just pretty objects in general, thus shopping has always been a wonderful treat. However; there are several types of shoppers out there, and as an introvert, there are some things about shopping that can make one apprehensive. Shall we outline them?
1). Crowds
Personally, I do fine in crowds. They don't bother me as much as it does to some people, but sometimes crowds can be particularly annoying come winter time and other sale seasons. Prime example: Black Friday. Never again shall I take part in this capitalist ritual. A hectic crowd can be just that: hectic. There's no room for thinking , and it's hard to focus as well. I would much rather have a store to myself where I can find the stuff I want in peace without having to wait in lines or maneuver through a crowd
2). Helpful Employees
After working as a sales associate, I have come to understand as to why other sales associate are so perky and just so helpful. If you're lucky, you'll come across a sales associate who knows how to keep their distance but is intuitive enough to know when to throw a buoy when you're drowning in a sea of "I have know idea what I'm looking for". Then, God bless them, there are the sales associate who are all up in your face with a wide smile and a voice two octaves higher than normal. Then again, I think that's just a mutual problem for everyone.
3). Going up to the cash register
This is something you grow out of eventually, but every once of a while there is that sense of apprehension lurking underneath the surface. There's something intimidating about going up to that tall counter. It's especially difficult if you're in a store like Hollister or Forever21 and the sales associate look really snooty or just uncaring, so any means of witty banter or awkward laughter are futile in soothing the wooden transaction.
4). Asking employees for help
It's a sad shame that the stores that I go into always have the really cool, hipster-esque blokes with their beanies, thick-rimmed glasses, and the taciturn-the-world-is-too-mainstream-so-I-have-to-look-somewhat-broody look on them. These are the kind of people I try to avoid, because I feel like I'm pestering them and it's like they really don't care, or sometimes I just don't want to go through the hassle of asking someone. Or maybe I should just avoid hipster-clothing stores... Either way, just aim for the nicest looking person and cross your fingers that they're helpful. Don't get me wrong, most clothing associates aren't mean it's just that they look really intimidating due to the coolness-vibes that reverberate off them, or maybe that's just me...Like I said I just need to avoid the hipster stores...
5). Not knowing how to browse
Learning how to shop on your own can be a bit of a challenge because I feel as if I'm missing a chunk of myself without my mom's guiding presence. Of course, I'd separate from her once we've landed in said store, but shopping without your mom in a 10 mile radius, is a whole different story. Solitary shopping has you wandering around a store in an awkward fashion i.e. sifting through racks without really processing what you're looking at and cordially refusing the help of a sales associate when in reality you have no idea what you want or where to start. The easy fix is just practice. Outline what stores you're going to and have a rough idea of what you want. It will make a world of difference. And don't be afraid to wait in the dressing room line, because I've learned that nobody cares if you go in the dressing room more than once. There are much weirder people out in the world.
6). How to hold your shopping bag with grace
If you take anything from this article today, let it be this: there is no way to hold your shopping bags gracefully. And if such etiquette exists, no one has given me the memo. For the memo-less among us, just hold your bag high! (Or low if that's suits your fancy). Just hold it how you want, because I've tried all the different ways. Forget holding your bag in the crook of your arm because those straps can pretty much cut off circulation. Kicking your bags are also inevitable and forget about trying to avoid people. If you hit them, you hit them. My only advice is to double bag what you can and be on your way.
No comments:
Post a Comment