Bay Day not Mayday – Part 3

Let’s now spend some time on consumer buying decisions in the retail context.  When I am shopping for a new shirt or pair of shoes, I usually set out with a pretty good idea of what I am looking for and my target price range.  When I find the item, or some equivalent item that grabs my attention, I will take the opportunity to try it on to see if it fits me and suits me.

While there may be certain product aspects where I have a knowledge gap – such as the durability of the item and the exact conditions under which it was both made and distributed – the balance of information between the store and me is generally symmetrical in this type of retail transaction.  In addition, the increasing presence of on line product reviews allows me to now obtain information on aspects like durability and product ease of care.  Furthermore, the roll-out of ethical guidelines and fair trade practices (such as those of the wonderful Bridgehead coffee operations here in Ottawa) give me much more insight into conditions of production and distribution.

So while I will continue to listen carefully to Bonnie Brooks’ radio ads for the Bay featured products, I am increasingly comfortable with the high degree of information symettry in the retail industry.  When I head off to the store, I feel that I have access to the information that I will need to make intelligent and informed retail buying decisions.