Dear Mik and Mike: Yesterday I was at the mall with my very good male friend. Although this was supposed to be a very quick trip to find him sandals for a trip, we ended up being tricked into going inside a new tea shop. They had a woman out front offering samples of tea – think hawker at the strip club. Long story short, we each bought a cup of tea they recommended that was black tea, chocolate, mate, and vanilla, which smelled unbelievably good. A half hour later we were both so amped, high, and charged up that we bought a new iMac and printer, two full changes of yoga clothes each, several pairs of sandals, and then went back and bought more of this highly drugged tea. It gets worse. We got home, unpacked our stuff, then went back and bought MORE. It ended up being a $3K day! My question to you: is this a new strategy the malls are using to up sales?
I have never needed tea to spend that kind of cash at the mall. My own feelings of inadequacy have me thinking that I will be more successful in my business with that new iMac and I will be more in shape with the new yoga clothes, that Armani jacket will get me more deals, and so forth. My sense is that maybe you’re a reluctant shopper, but we all have to keep this struggling economy going, so suck it up and do your part. This is how they do it in Japan. As you can see, this is one Big Effing Sale.
This actually an old strategy and I am actually surprised we do not see or hear about it here more often. Caffeine does make you want to “Buy, buy, buy”. Sometimes they get the pounding music going along with it too. “Oh we are so hip, you can be hip too… yes it’s fun to be here, give us your money”! But $3K? That sounds like a lot for a cup of tea!
Photo by Naana ym
