A permanent plan of attack for living this life of mine has been to never stop learning. Through my experimental actions and open mind, I have come across a great magnitude of knowledge, and I can honestly certify with my very being on this planet, that the more I learn, the less I know!
Besides my latest obsession, which is making new friends all over the world on www.couchsurfer.org, I have begun to study Auras, Numerology, and Buddhism. And when considering the current state of the economy along with the worth of a shopper’s dollar, one can look into the fundamental teachings of not only the Buddhist lifestyle guideline, but many others as well, and find that the ultimate goals of these religions retain many commonalities with the path society is slowly making its way back down.
One of the main points allied with passage into the cultivation of higher wisdom and perspicacity, is that to achieve higher wisdom and perspicacity, you don’t need those Prada shoes, or that Marc Jacobs bag, or that new Alice and Olivia dress. It’s all just stuff. Now that we’re re-strategizing about what’s more important: to pay our mortgages, student loans (good old Sallie Mae!) and other bills, we will have to sacrifice the luxuries of eating out every day or shopping full retail.
As retail stores used to capitalize on the flash of light in our eyes upon encountering that lavish display, along with the impulse of our wallets, we consumers are now looking for more than just a pretty dress on a velvet hanger. We want an experience. Consumers don’t have money to spend simply for the purpose of spending anymore, this object has to be a part of something bigger, and it has to mean something.
What Mother Nature has to offer, paired with the limits of Father Time, is REAL EXPERIENCE in the NOW. This concept is in line with the monastic principles of Buddhism. Jesus taught the same thing, rid yourself of ego, and be active in creation, in revelation (light), and in redemption (life).
It may seem contradictory of me, as a die-hard fashionista, to write an article about NOT buying, as opposed to persuading readers that “this new product is one that you must have because it’s going to make you a happier person.” However, I do love product, but would like to share my analysis of HOW the love for product is changing. This is the new wave in retail and consumer communications.
A friend of mine used to only give “experiences” as birthday presents, such as a ski trip or a bungee jump, and I must agree that this is so much better than a set of body wash. But what if at the bottom of the bungee jump was a set of body wash, just for you to purchase right now and go home and relax after your experience? In today’s consumer perspective, the bungee jump body wash would probably be way more appealing than one sitting on the shelf of a department store. This is not because the body wash is any different or more fantastic than the next, but because of the rush associated with product at the Point of Sale.
Finding unconventional methods of teaching, exhilarating, and therefore reaching customers is the new challenge that stores are faced with. In addition to fixtures and furnishings, the store must encompass the consumer by strengthening the intensity of the happenings.
I will continue to post on how retailers are taking these ancient principles and using them to get their customers back. Stay tuned…..
-Jacqueline Chambers
