The Christmas Shopper – a peculiar creature with a multitude of dispositions and a wide array of shopping habits, or techniques as I like to call them. The shopper exists in nearly every one of us, and primarily emerges during the holiday season. He or she presents themselves with a cheerful and kindly demeanor, a face filled with angst and frustration, or the characteristics similar to the ever-so-grumpy Grinch. And truly, the shopper will peruse the stores or the internet not only with their current mood as a guide, but also using one of Shelley’s Sagacious Slants Christmas Shopping Techniques as a way to lead them toward their end goal.
First off I am not one of those summer-time Christmas shoppers. I’ve known a few of ‘those’ over the years. These are shoppers I have defined as The Early Birds, and they really pretty much annoy the heck out of me. As Thanksgiving rolls around these people tend to brag about the fact that their holiday shopping is not only done, but in fact was completed months before. I often wonder – how do they know what to get people for Christmas in the middle of June? And what kind of things are they buying? I can only guess – beach towels, flip flops, clothes and toys that the kids have out grown. No, I don’t get it. And it surely can’t be fun, the Christmas spirit isn’t around in June.
And then there is the Grab and Go shopper, as defined by my aunt and my husband. If I put myself in the right mindset I can usually manage 
shopping with these people, although I rarely do any buying. Just a few days ago I did a bit of Christmas shopping with my Aunt. Somehow she knows what she wants before she heads out, or has a good idea. And when she arrives at the store she walks in with full determination and confidence, grabs the aforementioned item, pays for it, and leaves. And my husband does the same. If the store includes a cart he simply takes to the aisles and drops merchandise in as he goes. I’m not sure he even stops to check out a size or a color. Yep, the Grab and Go shopper does not hesitate. I don’t think they even engage their brain when they shop. They can be fun to watch, amusing really. But in my opinion, I think they’re missing out.
The third kind of shopper is the Procrastinator. My husband fits right into this category too. He doesn’t even realize it’s Christmas time until the 24th of December. Oh sure, he helps us get the tree up and sees it daily right along with all of my lights and decorations, but I really don’t think any of the holiday spirit registers until the day before. On the 24th he can be found wandering the aisles of any one of our local discount stores filling his cart with whatever items remain on the shelves. Usually gifts from him are terribly practical like Tupperware, lotion, food items, or any kind of tool or kitchen gadget. This kind of shopping would never work for me – way too much stress and way too little thinking.
Finally we have the last shopping technique – The Browser. And yes, this is me. And because I am a Browser I only like to shop at Christmas or for my kid’s birthdays. After all, the act of browsing requires a great deal of thinking, hours of store hopping, the checking and comparing of prices and colors and styles, and of course time to enjoy and bask in the spirit of the season. The gifts, the wrapping, the decorations all have to be as perfect as possible, and this can take a lot out of a person! I know the Browser is not well liked by the Grab and Go shopper and generally not very much appreciated by the Procrastinator. My aunt and my husband can attest to this. But it’s okay. I’m totally comfortable with who I am and my shopping persona, even if it does drive people I love a bit crazy and makes them wonder what’s wrong with me.
The Christmas Shopper truly is a unique individual. Each of us steps into the shopping arena with our mood of the moment and with our shopping style. Some of you may wander back and forth, testing out all four of Shelley’s Sagacious Slants Shopping Techniques, but in the end, I think we all tend to gravitate toward one that we favor over the rest. Personally I think the Browser is the only shopper that can fully embrace the Christmas spirit, and I know that those of you who aren’t Browsers prefer not to shop with me. I don’t mind, I can shop alone. I’ll love you all anyway, and there will just be more out there in the world of shopping for me to enjoy.
Pingback: I’m A Believer | Shelley's Sagacious Slants