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As seen in the comments...
Report on my local mall:
For the holidays, they had some vacancies. They filled two of them with what look like flea market venders. No decorations - cheap jewelry and cheap handbags. Otherwise we have a JCP, Belk's, Beall's and a couple of jewelry stores. Can you spell desperate?
And I had noticed that JCP didn't seem to have anything new since about August in the windows - And just this week I saw that the new CEO is planning to turn the company around by creating an environment where employees are creative and engaged. Please. I've been around the block a time or two - not happening. That is just nonsense. Not that I know what is going to happen.
The JCP CEO also said that sales of basic goods were weak this quarter because of less demand. Not exactly. I bought one item the last quarter - socks for my hubby. They cost the same as the previous socks but were half the quality. I was going to buy him pants too, but when I realized the fabric was half the thickness for the same price(he wears heavy duty cargo pants - construction work), I passed. So if it weren't for customer loyalty/ stupidity/ or something, sales of basic goods wouldn't have even been as high as they were.
I am confident you'll post an appropriate video.
Audrey
It would seem that JC Penney's plan is a "cheap" trick. Consumers neither "want" nor "need" overpriced socks at half the quality? Who knew?
May 2, 2009
"Good Enough" Revolution
I am a complete believer in the "good enough" revolution. I'm a former lead software engineer but I'm running a computer that was built seven years ago. It is still running Windows 2000! How's it working for me? Good enough!
It doesn't just apply to computers though. I'm not seeing much improvement in aluminum foil, ziplock bags, garbage bags, toilet paper, paper towels, t-shirts, sweat pants, underwear, socks, sneakers, bath towels, and anything else I've bothered to hoard based on my ongoing concerns about future prosperity. I figured they are all "good enough", so why risk having to pay more for them in the future if inflation actually does pick up at some point?
For what it is worth, I hoarded a lifetime supply of Gold Toe socks purchased at Wal-Mart a few years ago at prices far, far below what the JC Penneys of the world once charged me for the same product. My local Wal-Mart now no longer carries them. It was definitely one of my better purchases!
Viva la revolución lo suficientemente buena!
(Long live the good enough revolution!)
Real Estate Newsletter Articles this Week: Existing-Home Sales Increased to
4.15 million SAAR in November
-
At the Calculated Risk Real Estate Newsletter this week:
[image: Existing Home Sales]*Click on graph for larger image.*
• NAR: Existing-Home Sales Increase...
14 hours ago
16 comments:
And just this week I saw that the new CEO is planning to turn the company around by creating an environment where employees are creative and engaged.
That's code for the CEO is going to hang around long enough to bank a few bonuses.
Word Verification: "UNCON".
mab (& Audrey),
I will NEVER forget the quote I saw in a magazine from my company's leader. It was seen shortly after I left the company like a rat would from a sinking ship.
We have a fun environment with creativity and fun.
Yeah, right! Can you sense the desperation?
From that day forward I considered "fun" to be a propaganda word of the highest order. There was VERY little fun when I left. It was just layoff after layoff combined with doomed projects.
And just this week I saw that the new CEO is planning to turn the company around by creating an environment where employees are creative and engaged.
Note that this quote uses also uses a word twice!
1. "creating"
2. "creative"
We should combine the two quotes to send the propaganda into a new plane of existence.
We have a fun environment with creativity and fun and are creating an environment where employees are creative and engaged!
If that won't turn around the company then nothing can!
2 funs! 3 creations!
I'm still laughing in that gallows humor way.
LOL, good post. Get those employees engaged!
Great post...the invisible inflation of crappier products without reduced price is everywhere. I think this will push the consumer towards a craigslist economy: finding older, better quality stuff to buy and avoiding retail altogether.
Quality shaving is another shortsighted tactic to pump quarterly numbers at the expense of long term business viability.
It's international! A couple of months ago my wife bought me seven pairs of socks from Marks and Spencers. One already has a hole in it, and they only do light duties.
Outrage! It really won't do.
Mark,
Thank you for posting my story.
I see it comes to no surprise to your regular readers.
But I was shocked, shocked I tell you. I am behind the learning curve, but catching up fast.
Fun is the main catchword used in my son's school. It freaked me out the first time I heard that and I still shudder every time I hear it. Last Friday he got to do four, count them four, fun special things...
Oh my. I think I have to go lay down now.
Audrey
I don't know if this is relevant. 11/11/11 was Nigel Tufnel day. http://youtu.be/ll7rWiY5obI
On the Echo Boom Bomb story today - the fellow that the blogger (don't know his name) interviewed for the story about Thumbtack said it's a fun place to work.
Eek.
Audrey
GYSC,
I think it is important to keep the employees engaged as long as possible. That's the must fun period. I say this as a person who was once divorced though. I may be a tad biased, lol. ;)
Scott,
Here's my best example of the new economy.
Banquet Fried Chicken Meal
The meat of the review (pun intended) is actually in the comments and was made by someone who actually understands what happened.
You have to be kidding! First of all, the meatier thigh is a joke and the “our original fried chicken meal” is another joke. It no longer has 2 pieces, it only has a thigh from the littlest chicken you may have ever seen. - Renee
It could have just as easily been written by my girlfriend. She's not a fan of dark chicken meat so the idea of replacing two pieces of chicken with one meaty thigh is more than a bit repulsive to her.
In any event, the calorie count went down when they switched to the new chicken. That's about all one really needs to know about the new economy. Our standard of living is falling.
dearieme,
Outrage! It really won't do.
There should be a global Occupy Socks movement. Seriously.
Audrey,
I found the perfect "fun" event and will be doing a special post on it today. I guarantee that it will lighten your day.
nanute,
This is a spinal tap economy. It is all relevant! :)
Mark,
If you'd have responded an hour sooner it would have been 11 hours. As Nigel notes, "these go to 11." The quality hasn't been diminished. :)
nanute,
It's like, how much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black. - Nigel Tufnel
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