Yesterday was a beautiful day, nice high billowing bright white clouds, temperature was in the mid 70's and we have a visitor, so perfect time to take a road trip.We usually like to take a road trips on Sunday.
So does 90% of Mexico.
We decided to run West to Uruapan, I needed a few items that would or should be found at HD.
When we got there their parking lot was full.
I mean full.
There is a unpaved lot between the Soriana store and Home Depot were I parked, starting a new row.
When I exited the store there were at least 25 cars that had followed my lead and parked in the adjacent unbuilt parking area which at some point in time will be some more stores.
They had a great assortment of Christmas trees and their decorations department was pretty impressive. Maybe next year I will go all out and decorate the outside of house with lights and stuff. This year only the Santa Fe Style luminarias will be lighting the path....
As I walked past the greeter who was handing out their latest sale propaganda I notice that the store was packed.
I would have to estimate that there were at least 300 to 400 people milling around in the store. That would be a conservative estimate on my part since I didn't take pint sized bodies in motion as a full count.
These millers about were comprised of, couple of kids that were running back and forth as the parents strolled leisurely down the various isles. One out of 5 or 6 family strollers units had a grandmother or grandfather in tow.
The store has only been open for 4 or 5 months already it is a destination amusement park.
My observation comes from the fact that although the place was jam packed, 90% or more of the attendees where their to look, to enjoy the sights, to see how many times they could open the door of the new LG double door stainless steel fronted frost free refrigerator before they would attract the attention of the clerk.
I surmise this simply because although there were 4 cash register positions available, 2 of them had no shoppers in the transition of becoming buyers.
In fact the several time that I had been there during the week, I usually was number 3 or 4 in line at the registers. Yesterday I sailed through, well actually sailing is a poor word for that.
I kind of oozed through, only being slowed down by having to answer questions such as if I wanted to donate to some cause or another or whether I wanted to use my Home Depot card or if I didn't, did I want to sign up for one?
That being the interruption I was in and outta there in a flash.....now only one more hurdle before being set free from the incarceration of the Big Box Store......The Security Checkout.
I will never for the life of me understand the logic of having staff wallow through you bag 9 feet from where the damn stuff was just put in your bag.
If it is my bag and my stuff than they should have no right to look,touch or feel my STUFF.
That was the only hesitation of the shopping experience and even that was not that bad since both nicely uniformed checkout Nazis were not busy and did their mandatory baggie raid with a rapid rubber stamp on my "papers".....
So, now you know why the lot is filled, it is will lookers not shoppers and don't be intimidated by going there on a Sunday other than an occasional wandering child bumping into you or the sauntering grandma not getting out of the way of a buyer who has a mission and directive to accomplish the task without making a family excursion.
The only thing that would make this Home Depot more Mexican is if they installed a kiddy ride or blow up bounce trampoline center and a comida corrida counter in the corner.......
10 comments:
Perhaps some of the extra people at the store were because this weekend was "buen fin" Mexicos newest answer to competing to the after Thanksgiving shopping mayhem in the USA. All across Mexico stores were giving discounts on merchandise trying to keep their shoppers in their country rather than have them head to the USA.
I too have wondered about that bag check at HDepot - as you write it is just feet away from where they just checked the stuff out.
I think they are checking on employees that might be working with a shopper - it seems when it comes to handling money they always have at least two people involved.
Wow! Your bag nazis use a rubber stamp? Ours here in NYC just scribble on it with a ball point.
Great post.
-ac-
Hey, you gotta remember that Costco stores in the US have a Nazi at the door to ck the ticket supposedly against the # of items in said cart.
You skipped one thing necessary to all Mx stores, the large round wire stand holding balls, so all the little brats can bounce them around between all us old crotchities, lol.
I wonder if they ever catch any discrepancy on the shakedown at the door. I think it is a waste of time, especially after I already paid for the stuff.
We occasionally have those blow up things that attract screaming kids to romp around. I understand that they are the worst place for dirty germ ridden bacteria and feces playpens.
Brenda, It may have been a special sale, but looking at the lack of buyers at the register, it appeared to be more lookers than buyers. I'll have to compare it during a Saturday trip.
Calypso, Lot of discussion has been done on the irk of delay while someone who doesn't know a rivet from a saw blade rummages through your bag, but I have never seen anyone thrown against the wall at any of these checkpoints...
AC, yep a rubber stamp that would have made an Soviet Bureaucrat proud!
Gin, you would think that the security cameras would have effect on the pilferage thing, but then again the uniformed guards are for show just like Homeland Security....
Jerry, I wounder too, it must because they keep doing it.. I saw a news story on your kiddie playground and the bacterias they coat little kiddies with....a reason to not go to McD...or any other place with those kiddie magnets.
I asked a Mexican friend why every department store in Manzanillo has a guard at the door. His answer was immediate and brief: "Because we do not trust each other."
We were at Wal-Mart in Morelia on Tuesday afternoon, and it was jammed.
I knew that weekends should be avoided but Tuesdays? We stood in the checkout line at least 30 minutes.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Must be signs that the economy is getting a little better. We too were in Morelia a few days ago and saw the parking lot on Tuesday and decided to go elsewhere. Did you get caught in the traffic jam due to the manifestation?
Not to be too cynical but instead of the economy being better could it be more people now have credit?
That could be a portent of bad things to come if it's true...
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