It’s become a national addiction.
On my way to work this morning I cycled past the Morley Galleria shopping centre to see a line of cars filling the car park. There were already a number of people lined up in front of Myer, a couple of hours before opening time. Thousands of people are heading off to find a bargain in the post-Christmas sales.
Most cities around Australia start their sales on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas. We wait an extra day and that always seems to be a good reason to grumble. Each year we see people on TV talking about how awful it is that they have to wait an extra 24 hours before they max out their credit cards. They think it would be better all around if those who work in the retail industry only had the one day off for Christmas to recover from the extra stress of last minute Christmas shoppers before they face the barrage of post-Christmas shoppers.
Have we really become that addicted to consumerism that we can’t relax with our families for an extra few hours? Do we really need to fill our homes with extra ‘stuff’ that much and that soon?
As well as the many thousands that will head off to find a bargain today, there’s sure to be a long line of people waiting to exchange Christmas gifts that were the wrong size, wrong colour or just plain wrong.
I enjoy getting a bargain as much as anyone but I have no real desire to be crammed in next to thousands of other people, all wanting to be served at once. I have enough self-control and patience to wait a week or two until it all calms down.
Let me remind you of the coping strategies that I mention each year. If you are venturing into your local shopping centre to bag a bargain or two there are just two things to remember.
1. Stay calm amidst the chaos.
2. My shirt size is XL.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
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The most exciting thing about the post-christmas “sales” is watching hundreds of people pushing, shoving and fighting over the one bargain — when there really is, only, the one bargain.
Yeah, but “The Day-After-Boxing-Day Sale” just doesn’t have the same ring to it… 😉
Yes Rodney, I think it has become an addiction. What’s really scary is that we suddenly reformed our ways the country would be plunged into an economic depression!
Rodney, I couldn’t agree with you more. It really sickens me.