When I think back to this time last year, I realize that I had no clue what we were in for in the upcoming months. The housing market slowed down, but prices had not yet dropped significantly.
I cannot recall any talk of a recession or concern that there may be one in the near future. We were preoccupied with the primaries and were looking forward for “hope”, but I think very few of us realized what was coming beyond a new president.
The struggling economy has brought me a new breed of customers. Money is tight and people want something for nothing. Who can blame them? Everyone is focused on tightening their wallets and you have to get the best deal out there.
I saw retailers clamoring over the holidays trying to bring in sales with their deep discounts, but from what I heard, it did not turn out as they had hoped. Sure, those discounted items sold, but was anything else purchased while they were there? They might have boosted their top line, but with those discounts, I can guess how that all important bottom line fared.
Personally, this whole situation has affected me differently. I try to be more conscious of the whole picture when I make a purchase. Within this past year, I have witnessed a few stores and restaurants that I frequented often shut their doors. These were places I enjoyed and if I would have known last year that they would now be gone, I might have made more effort to support their business.
This week I received a call from a gentleman who tried to dictate to me what price he was going to pay for a chair. He stated he saw it being advertised on other sites for this price and wanted us to match it. I hear this often and have to bite my tongue to keep myself from asking “why didn’t you order from them?” Of course I would never say that, but I do wonder.
Instead I am honest. We discussed the price and of course he could not provide me with those other sites and he realized I called him on his bluff. He knew the ball was in his court because it is a buyer’s market. We are at the consumer’s mercy to an extent but we can only go so far.
I am hoping that as a country, we become less self-centered and realize that we need to help each other as a community. Saving for a rainy day is smart, but businesses depend on us as well. Did I mention he ended up ordering? 
Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon
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