- Feb 2, 2005
- 17,252
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I know it's a strange question.
My subjective experience working in retail during this period of the year is that people buy less (obviously) and that the things they buy, they are more likely to return. I know that some people are experiencing a shortage of funds during this time of year, but the trend seems to hold true even for people who make a regular wage or salary that doesn't change for any period during the year and people who are currently experiencing their "busy season" such as roofers, contractors, etc.
For a retailer it can be quite infuriating to see the little bit you're selling coming right back. It doesn't seem to be as bad even during the holidays, when sales are obviously much higher. I honestly think that some people are just more frugal for no clear-cut reason during this time of year. Don't get me wrong, this is not an unusual year. Spring and summer is when everything that causes a retailer to start pulling their hair out happens at once. Income taxes, slow sales, increased returns, vendors tightening their credit restrictions, more building and maintenance expenditures, etc. all join together in making what should be a more relaxed period into a different kind of stressful period.
So in your own experience buying stuff, do you inexplicably feel a need to justify your purchases more or scrutinize what you've bought especially hard? Is there any other reason you might feel more likely to return purchases you've made in the summer vs. in the winter? What gives oh knowledgeable ones?
My subjective experience working in retail during this period of the year is that people buy less (obviously) and that the things they buy, they are more likely to return. I know that some people are experiencing a shortage of funds during this time of year, but the trend seems to hold true even for people who make a regular wage or salary that doesn't change for any period during the year and people who are currently experiencing their "busy season" such as roofers, contractors, etc.
For a retailer it can be quite infuriating to see the little bit you're selling coming right back. It doesn't seem to be as bad even during the holidays, when sales are obviously much higher. I honestly think that some people are just more frugal for no clear-cut reason during this time of year. Don't get me wrong, this is not an unusual year. Spring and summer is when everything that causes a retailer to start pulling their hair out happens at once. Income taxes, slow sales, increased returns, vendors tightening their credit restrictions, more building and maintenance expenditures, etc. all join together in making what should be a more relaxed period into a different kind of stressful period.
So in your own experience buying stuff, do you inexplicably feel a need to justify your purchases more or scrutinize what you've bought especially hard? Is there any other reason you might feel more likely to return purchases you've made in the summer vs. in the winter? What gives oh knowledgeable ones?
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