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I admit it. I am an Amazon addict. It is easy: Search, click and it appears on your porch, and if you don’t like it, you can return it. All good reasons to shop online, except you miss one thing you might have forgotten: real people.
This week, I Googled an item my wife hinted she wanted for Christmas, which means immediately I picked up the hint. I found it available online, but I also found it available in downtown Orillia. Being the adventurous person I am, I thought I would go downtown. This was despite the constant complaints about high parking fees and panhandlers and the general feeling that downtown is not a place to shop.
I went to Beckers Shoes. I admit I had not been there in years. I have shopped at the big chain stores in Orillia. Yes, big chains exist, and they are a good place to shop.
Here is what I found at Beckers. I found everything I looked for online and at the big chain stores and the prices were comparable.
What surprised me but should not have is the human touch. There were staff that had been there for years, and the art of customer service was evident. It turned out they did not have exactly what I was looking for. However, as we explored other ideas, I came up with a gift that I think works. And, yes, they gave me an assurance it could be returned.
Here was the amazing part: They offered to wrap it for free. I was stunned and pleased because when I wrap things, it looks like a five-year-old got loose with scissors and tape. Now I look like a genius. My wife will be impressed. Don’t tell her.
So, if you are following along, there are many reasons to shop downtown. You will not find better customer service. I have heard that this is not unique to just this store. Unlike Amazon, you can touch and try on things. And parking is cheap and easy. I even learned to use the Passport app. More importantly, you support local business people who live here and might even be your neighbours. You might even see your neighbours shopping.
So, this Christmas try something new and old: shop downtown.
Duncan McDonald
Orillia
