But today it snowed, and that made me hopeful that holiday shopping will soon begin in earnest (when it's 16C outside, it's hard to think about Christmas, I know). And I will be very curious to see whether shoppers are taking up the cry to "occupy" their wallets this season.
The current global occupy movement is about a lot of things, and is being manifested in many creative ways; one of its messages is to act with one's wallet, choosing to shop locally. I copied a sign I read on Facebook that reads, "If you really want to occupy Wall Street, do your holiday shopping at a small independent merchant."
Of course, this begs the age-old question, how much difference can one person make? Will Walmart notice if you don't join the line at their checkout? No, Walmart will not notice your absence, but your neighbourhood merchant will certainly notice your presence, and that is the point.
This photo by Justin Sweeney travelled the social media circuit after Black Friday, and it makes a great point, I think.
You don't need to camp out, or even wait in line, to make a difference in the life of a local artisan. Hope to see you this December!
That Pic just gave me a "marketing" Idea! -- I've got a FutureShop not far from me, I should haul a bunch of my Scarves & Hats over to the BoxingSaleCamp the night before... ;-D
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