Is the lifestyle in America too convenient?
For the record, I live in Australia now, but the experiences I’ve had here, as well as the experiences I had in Spain, have given me a unique view on life in America, and I must say, there’s a lot that is taken for granted.
It’s Monday even, around 9pm, and you’ve got a craving for the new Snow Patrol CD. So where are you going to find it? Really just about anywhere. The American retail market is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, either here in Australia, over in Europe, or other international destinations I’ve had the pleasure to travel to. North America, as a whole, is considered to be extremely convienent, almost too much so. Here in Australia, the shops close around 5pm or so, each day except for “late night shopping” nights on Thursdays. Is this convienent? Sure it’s not, but at what point must we throw convenience aside for the things in life that truly matter. I worked in the retail sector in America for years, and on numerous instances, it’d keep me from having dinner with the family, hanging out with my friends, and even occasionally missing important holiday events. Why? For the convenience of the shoppers.
Unfortunately, it looks as if the rest of the world may start to follow this trend. The retail sector, in countries around the world, is growing at an unbelievable rate. Will other countries follow the lead of the American retail sector and keep their doors open at all hours of the day? Perhaps. Is it worth it? Maybe, but it really doesn’t matter. The retail sector as a whole is the 2nd largest employer in the country. Whether or not we should have the accessibility to products we don’t even need, the retail market plays a big part in keeping the economy afloat. Many of the employed individuals in the retail sector are younger, and often pump their hard earned money right back into the market. I don’t think the 9a-9p hours are going anywhere anytime soon, and it might just get worse from here. A economic slowdown won’t help, in fact it may just make retailers go to extremes and milk the market for all it’s worth.
So treasure those family dinners, and appreciate the time spent with your friends, because despite how few and far between those are now, they may soon disappear completely.
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I think people will start getting used to ordering stuff over the internet more (as they have over the last years) and I expect the internet to take a chunk out of the retail industry’s market.
Not worried about the growing ‘convenience’. With the current states of major world economies, I expect the retail industry to start taking some big blows once people start noticing that their money buys less.
Might be totally wrong about it though
The only problem with stores closing at 5pm is that that is when I get off work! I wouldn’t be able to do anything or get anything done! I think America has conveniences that we don’t notice while living here, your right. But I also don’t like the “work whenever possible, holidays included because work is more important than family” attitude. I missed holidays in highschool and a few in college because of that. I keep looking for alternative income resources for Jere and I so that we don’t have to be gone working so much
“The only problem with stores closing at 5pm is that that is when I get off work!”
True that.
this is sad…when shop close at 5pm
I have realized since living abroad, that we do take the conveniences of longer opening hours for shops for granted in America. And I guess that there are pros and cons to the convenience, but I am adapting to shorter opening hours since I have been living in England. However sometimes I miss being able to run out to get something later in the day.
i, being a little older, do remember when stores were only opened until 5pm and CLOSED ON SUNDAYS!!! (these were known as the blue laws) in our area the town of paramus new jersey still observes this law. what i remember most about sundays is that it seemed that everyone was visiting and chilling; and our parks were crowded, and the bakeries would sell out by 10am and the roads were crowded with people cruising and everyone seemed to enjoy being relaxed. it was very nice. now sunday just feels like another workday.
In most towns of any size in the states now, there are 24 hour superstores. While this may work for some employees who go to school in the day and need to work nights or whatever, it is definitely a negative for most people who would miss out on important family time in order to continue to be employed. We seem to have become accustomed to immediate gratification. There is something to be said for the anticipation to appreciation ratio.
I would truly die for the chance to move back overseas and be able to work in a foreign land. Consider yourself lucky.
As one illustration, in Kazakhstan, many convenience stores are accessible 24 hours a day. After 9pm or so, they lock the door but someone sleeps in the store on the floor. If you something, you just bang on the door to wake them up! Of course it seems incredibly inconvenient to Americans like me because it can take a good 10-15 mins to wake them up. Plus one feels horrible so I usually shy away from doing it unless I NEED something.