One industry sector greatly benefiting from the global health situation are online retailers. And we are not talking about the occasional Pizza delivered to our front door. In some countries e-commerce already reaches the 25 per cent mark of all sales – this trend certainly started well before a pandemic hit the planet, but it was never expected to hover above the ten to fifteen per cent level on a sustainable basis.
Granted: if you cannot go shopping for anything else than essential items such as food it is logic that we switch on our computers and proverbially speaking flash our plastic in front of the screen. But a temporary necessity should not automatically lead to a permanent change in lifestyle.
In today’s end of year article, we will look at three main reasons that should enable us to better appreciate the value our local tradesmen add to the quality of our daily lives instead of in an ever-increasing rate supporting multinational and anonymous retail giants. Off we go:
First, the omnipresent risk in going online is that you spend more than you envisaged or in many cases, more than you can afford.
Let me give you two examples. The advertised price on the homepage of a retailer says 50 US Dollars. All of a sudden a pop up window appears informing us about many alternatives including supposedly better quality for a higher price. Assuming we had made a studied choice we skip all those unwanted details and proceed to check-out. Figuratively speaking another surprise is awaiting in store – unless we accept a three-week delivery – window we can opt in for 48 hours express courier service. Not before we click ‘pay now’ would we realize that a further 15 US Dollars were added to the tally.
Sounds familiar? What about this scenario: you had intended to shop for one pair of winter boots; liking what you see you scroll down and down until you reach the women’s clothing section followed by the men’s clothing section and so on and so forth. As we pay by plastic and not cash in hand it is rather easy to lose control – is it not so practical while we are on this site to buy whatever we might need in one go, no more clothes or shoes shopping for a few more months?
In particular in crazy times like these there are more and more citizens who fall back on their credit card repayments. What looked good at first (online) sight might soon turn into a making – ends meet nightmare.
Second, we know the name of our neighbourhood shopkeeper and can easily remedy a problem regarding product or service but when confronted with a call centre in a far away country all things change dramatically.
Staying in the picture of winter boots and shoes why not share a personal story? Young adult daughter next to me a decision was made to buy a trendy pair of shoes via the internet. A website in North America offered irresistible choices. I inquired is it a safe site and heard per reply, yes, all my friends have bought from here. As it was birthday time approaching, done deal. As paying per card often requires a mobile security code typed onto the order screen all looked pretty neat until that big screen told me, payment rejected. Still in the mood of that everyone buys there I clicked the ‘back’ button and re-entered all card details… Soon thereafter another security code appeared on my phone, duly entered, and Bingo, order complete and on its way.
A few days later something struck me as odd when printing my bank balance statement. An amount exactly equal to the one assumedly paid for my daughter’s shoes was blocked twice… Cut a long story short, bank refused to de-freeze the amount saying the US retailer must reimburse, US retailer telling me only your bank can reimburse. Many weeks later the retailer apologized, I send their mail to my bank, they de-blocked the amount. Luck? You bet. Annoyed? Certainly! Happy with the shop ‘everyone else had bought from before?’ Well, in diplomatic terms not necessarily entirely…
Third,and coming back to our local business community, a town, a city as well as a resort depend on entrepreneurs opening-up shop and start trading.
For sure, there are instances of when we plan to invest 100 US Dollars entering our favourite clothes store on main boulevard and depart with a bill worth 150 USD. Most definitely it is possible that a supermarket check-out person charges us twice for one item without us noticing it straight away. But these can be sorted fast and efficiently by returning to that same shop the day after as we would in all likelihood have kept the receipt anyways.
But 99 out of 100 our local business community are honest folk only interested in two things and both are equally legitimate. First, satisfy us, the paying customer and taking good care of from the moment we enter his or her premises. Second, provide for a family income to send the kids to school. High product quality meets high end business acumen and attitude. Kusadasi is a prime example for Turquality and not just in the item on sale and services dimensions, but in the human service attitude and kindness dimensions, too.
You simply feel the difference, the personal greeting, the personal farewell, the wrapping of presents, the conversations… it is as if the parting with one’s monies is just a by-product and not the major event.
All online versus high street shopping matters said and done there is one more thing that is dear to my heart and that is you, our esteemed readers, really. Kusadasi manages to attract the most diverse and interesting and charming kind of visitor and long-term resident alike one would ever find. It is a blend of young and old, of working and retired, of single and with family in tow. Then we have our wonderful Turkish friends and neighbours with whom we not simply live side by side but live together. If the word microcosm merits a new dictionary definition it would spell ‘Kusadasi’. With this in mind: there is nothing left for your friendly commentator to type into his keyboard but to wishing all of you a fantastic Festive Season, Merry Christmas and a Very Happy and Healthy New Year 2022.
