Buyer beware...

I love this time of year… normally. The holidays, family, good cheer… normally. But most people I know are worried this year about the surging pandemic and the uncertainty about whether and how to celebrate. And how it’s getting in the way of their shopping: I read that Black Friday sales in brick-and-mortar stores were down, but that online shopping was up 22%.  As you probably know, there’s a dark side to online shopping: every time you look at or buy something online, internet tracking bots then bombard your email, FB page or other online activities with lots more stuff just like it. So much so, it rattles your brain.  Good thing then that while biology gave you that brain, your life experiences can turn it into a mind, one that hopefully can sort through all the noise and hype and still make good buying decisions.  Full disclosure here: I buy some of the mostly useless or unneeded stuff that’s pitched at me by these internet sales practices. With so many people working from home this year, it stands to reason that, like me, they’re spending some of their work time shopping online. That may be an interesting topic for one of your upcoming staff meetings: comparing notes, exchanging stories and letting your team vent a little about their worries this holiday season, showing empathy for what they’re going through. Just a thought as we continue the holiday shopping season today.

Jeffrey Eugenides (born 1960): American novelist and short story writer