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.
