I always feel strange when writing about shopping since my career revolves heavily around marketing. I think one of the reasons I feel reserve from the subject is because I have an idea how the marketing industry works. Especially during the holiday season where consumers flock shopping malls in frenzy just to get the best bargain. During this season, countless bazaars and mall-wide sale populate the entire city enticing each person to buy stuff they may or may not need. As high as 70% off on regular items, who could say no to that offer?
Being in the marketing field for about 5 years now, it makes sense that people buy because marketers tell them to buy. Marketers take advantage of tapping into different emotions during this time and believe it or not, it actually works! With the right image and mixture of words, retail profit shoots up drastically during this time of the year. And the funny thing is that I fall for the same tactics and the same alluring marketing ads even though I knew that underneath it all, it’s nothing but glitter.
Now looking at how our economy benefits from these “pre-determined” events, I think there is a social responsibility that needs to be addressed by these people or company who participates in discount shopping. Yes I agree that these price-offs tend to satisfy the hunger of the common shopper and it actually helps the economy revolves the trading of goods among consumers and merchants but there is a moral dilemma that I think is prevalent in this scenario. While it is true that it helps increase revenues and in return creates more jobs for the people, it doesn’t justify the fact that these companies or individuals rob people of their hard-earned money for 11 months and carelessly sell it at 70% off on the 12th month of the year. Yes, you read it right – rob! If companies or individuals can afford to sell everything at a mark down price then the months prior to that big blow out sale is nothing but a big cheat!
Don’t get me wrong, I love bargain shopping but I also have this inherent responsibility to myself and to the world I live in. I believe that in order to get the most of our hard-earned money, these stores should also give us the right quality that our money deserves. When you look at it a bigger perspective, if companies or individuals can mark their items at a discounted price for a period of time, it means that they can afford to let go of something that they are selling at a higher rate for the past 11 months. Does this not alarm you that what they could be selling on a regular day might not have the standard quality you deserve just because they stick a brand that sounds classy when pronounced with a foreign accent? I don’t want to name names but let me just tell you what happened to me before when I went bargain shopping. Brand X polo shirt cost P3, 800 priced regularly - less 50% during 3 days mall-wide sale, it now costs P1, 900. I bought it obviously since the brand in itself speaks for quality and went home with a happy and content heart. After I tried it the second time, I heard a ripping sound at the left side (arm pit section) and to my dismay, the P1, 900 Brand X polo shirt is now worth like a P50 t-shirt I could buy at Divisoria.
I am not saying that these happen a lot but for a P1, 900 polo shirt – well, I expected more. This made me think on the thousands of money we spent during holiday season just to go with the shopping craze marketers tried so hard to create. And after the holidays, we just end up asking ourselves, “where did my 13th month pay go?”
While it is true that it is tradition that we buy gifts during the holidays, this is not an excuse for us to waste our hard-earned money to something that is not worth buying. If we allow ourselves to practice this during the holidays, and then just think how this would impact not only the aspect of our financial capabilities but also our environment. So as a golden rule, before shopping anything for your love ones or friends, try asking yourself these questions and this will definitely help you make the right choices specially today where different marketing messages are thrown at us to confuse us more with our purchasing power.
1. Does he/she really need it?
2. Is there an alternative to the gift you are about to give?
3. Is your idea of a gift long-lasting?
4. Can he/she use it regardless of time, date, season or occasion?
5. Is there a way for him/her to recycle, reuse or reduce your gift to maximize product usage?
Being in the marketing field for about 5 years now, it makes sense that people buy because marketers tell them to buy. Marketers take advantage of tapping into different emotions during this time and believe it or not, it actually works! With the right image and mixture of words, retail profit shoots up drastically during this time of the year. And the funny thing is that I fall for the same tactics and the same alluring marketing ads even though I knew that underneath it all, it’s nothing but glitter.
Now looking at how our economy benefits from these “pre-determined” events, I think there is a social responsibility that needs to be addressed by these people or company who participates in discount shopping. Yes I agree that these price-offs tend to satisfy the hunger of the common shopper and it actually helps the economy revolves the trading of goods among consumers and merchants but there is a moral dilemma that I think is prevalent in this scenario. While it is true that it helps increase revenues and in return creates more jobs for the people, it doesn’t justify the fact that these companies or individuals rob people of their hard-earned money for 11 months and carelessly sell it at 70% off on the 12th month of the year. Yes, you read it right – rob! If companies or individuals can afford to sell everything at a mark down price then the months prior to that big blow out sale is nothing but a big cheat!
Don’t get me wrong, I love bargain shopping but I also have this inherent responsibility to myself and to the world I live in. I believe that in order to get the most of our hard-earned money, these stores should also give us the right quality that our money deserves. When you look at it a bigger perspective, if companies or individuals can mark their items at a discounted price for a period of time, it means that they can afford to let go of something that they are selling at a higher rate for the past 11 months. Does this not alarm you that what they could be selling on a regular day might not have the standard quality you deserve just because they stick a brand that sounds classy when pronounced with a foreign accent? I don’t want to name names but let me just tell you what happened to me before when I went bargain shopping. Brand X polo shirt cost P3, 800 priced regularly - less 50% during 3 days mall-wide sale, it now costs P1, 900. I bought it obviously since the brand in itself speaks for quality and went home with a happy and content heart. After I tried it the second time, I heard a ripping sound at the left side (arm pit section) and to my dismay, the P1, 900 Brand X polo shirt is now worth like a P50 t-shirt I could buy at Divisoria.
I am not saying that these happen a lot but for a P1, 900 polo shirt – well, I expected more. This made me think on the thousands of money we spent during holiday season just to go with the shopping craze marketers tried so hard to create. And after the holidays, we just end up asking ourselves, “where did my 13th month pay go?”
While it is true that it is tradition that we buy gifts during the holidays, this is not an excuse for us to waste our hard-earned money to something that is not worth buying. If we allow ourselves to practice this during the holidays, and then just think how this would impact not only the aspect of our financial capabilities but also our environment. So as a golden rule, before shopping anything for your love ones or friends, try asking yourself these questions and this will definitely help you make the right choices specially today where different marketing messages are thrown at us to confuse us more with our purchasing power.
1. Does he/she really need it?
2. Is there an alternative to the gift you are about to give?
3. Is your idea of a gift long-lasting?
4. Can he/she use it regardless of time, date, season or occasion?
5. Is there a way for him/her to recycle, reuse or reduce your gift to maximize product usage?
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