The setting is bright, humid, and sticky. It is going on one in the afternoon, and you have twenty minutes left in your battle--your battle for the sale before your lunch break ends, that is.
Every now and again, Loft strikes up an unbelievable sale that dedicated cardholders and curious passerby's cannot seem to ignore. The "50% Off Entire Store" signage in both the windows and on the stands in the streets are a muted red yet still bright enough to catch plenty of eyes. Being that I work in University City, the majority of our cliental are students, professors, or other professionals in the area, specifically in the medical industry. I find women constantly in a hurry between their lunch breaks, their next appointments, or the ever ticking meter threatening a hefty ticket. When these said sale days hit, it is no wonder that the sales floor is completely congested and chaotic with women bustling to find their desired styles and sizes and employees bustling to fit these needs, pushing both consumers and sellers to their extremes.
Until recently, I took this environment for granted. I'm also a woman who loves to shop. Can I blame the crazed behavior? Not in the slightest! In fact, I would commend them for taking advantage of the opportunity and saved money (that could be put towards another t-shirt of course). However, a week ago, when another one of Loft's "too-good-to-be-true" sales hit the local University City store, a wise metaphor flew in with it. It came from my co-manager's mouth as we were trying our best to straighten and close the store in a timely yet still neat manner. We were naturally mustering sighs and complaints at how erratic women can be and the shock and sinking feeling we had when looking at the mess the fitting rooms were left--all remarks made almost regularly, especially on these types of days.
It was not until Caitlin, store number 1319's co-manager, made the interesting comparison of women's behavior towards sales to their behavior towards men that I tuned in. "You see women behave in a way that they would normally be embarrassed caught behaving. It's like how they get around men--crazed. Women will go to an embarrassing extreme to be noticed by a man, and when there is a good sale they also act uncharacteristically crazy," argued Caitlin. I turned my head upwards from the sale section I was straightening that looked like a mini tornado blew threw, not a bunch of savings-happy women, and let out a cackle. She thought I was laughing at her metaphor. "No, it's hilarious because it could not be more true," I insisted. Women will go to a sometimes-far-too-assertive state to ensure they get what they want when savings are involved, especially when on a time limit as mentioned before.
I cannot say I haven't had my share of safari-like experiences where I had to turn to predator instinct to catch the prey I so desired. It may have been out of behavior for me and something I later would be embarrassed about or wonder why I had been so extreme. But like animals in the wilderness, aren't we all just self-interested, looking out for the needs and desires of Number One? Although materialistic versus naturalistic, it helps draw a relationship between the wild and human behavior and what one is willing to do to get acquire they want.
Working in retail, I may become frustrated with clients on sales days, but this comparison reminds me that the women are reacting instinctively over saved funds similarly to the way a lion would over a gazelle--and even more, similarly to me, the customer not the sales associate.
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