Buying with Intention
With the holidays approaching, shopping season is in full swing, I want to get this out there; we all know when you shop for other people, you end up buying for yourself. Yep, everyone knows, the jig is up. Now that that is out of the way! We can get back to the core of our discussion: Buying with Intention. I can assume if you follow this brand, you are a bit more purposeful with your buying. Yet what I have found is that “buying with intention”, for all of its purposeful nature, is still up for debate. What is intention? Where does it start, where does it end, what does it need to be attached to? First, some numbers…
In 2022, Cyber Monday is expected to be the most profitable day for sales during the holiday season, and even the year. Adobe predicts that this year’s spending will reach $11.2 billion, increasing 5.1% YoY, and breaking a record for the day. In 2010, American Express installed the Saturday after Black Friday as Small Business Saturday. The day was created to celebrate and support small businesses in the US. In 2021, online shopping was up, with 58% of shoppers reporting that they made a purchase online in a small business, compared to 56% in 2020 and 43% in 2019. (Source)
I got my start in retail 12 years ago and about 10 years ago big brands started opening on Thanksgiving. It was a nightmare. I would be in, Jos. A Bank Thanksgiving evening at 7pm, a customer would walk in and say, “Wow I can’t believe they’re making you work", * not hiding any shock on my face, as if to say, it’s because you’re standing in front of me that I am forced to work * “Wild right?” Anyway, I’m not bitter. The point being, that it is difficult to pass up a good sale, no matter how ridiculous you know it is to spend.
On the surface level, “Buying with Intention”, means no frivolous spending, refraining from buying things just to make an outfit for the weekend, and not buying everything because it’s easy. Well, that’s all well and good, but positive reinforcement is much strong than negative. Intentional shopping should not simply prevent your spending; it should empower the decisions you have made and resonate with the person you are. Similarly, individuals who are on a health kick don’t only focus on not eating McDonalds, the focus on eating the right foods because that is the path they’re on.
The next time you get the urge to buy here are points to think about
Buying with intention is buying something for more than one purpose, ie; “i just need these shoes to get me through this event. I just need a shirt for this wedding” - we normally do not get rid of those one-time pieces, we hoard them.
Buying with intention is pausing to think: “ok, I need this item for this event, but I also need it to fit 10 other events, will it do so”
Buying with intention is more than finding a piece that serves multiple purposes. Does it resonate with your values? Does it match your style? ie; I have white dress shirts I hate, I just bought them because whatever, how can a white dress shirt be different? ohhh they can be.
Buying with intention is more than fulfilling an immediate need, it is taking the time to exchange your money (money you earned with your time), for a piece that will further your style and compliment your values.
When buying with a gift it is more than “i got you socks because you have no socks” it becomes “I got you socks because I found this place SockStarz in West Hartford (link), they employ people with learning disabilities, help get them started in life, and also the socks are great, they come from all over, this particular one comes from a company that uses all recycled material and I know that’s important to you” - sounds better right? "
But sometimes it doesn’t have to be that intense, people give me gifts and just say “it’s made in America” and I openly weep because that’s incredibly important. But my focus of buying with intention, and allowing it to resonate with my values, sends a message to the people around me. We all know what our close circle likes and dislikes. We can act on those feelings.
Examples: The business is owned by women, minorities, LBGTQ+, etc. The business uses recylced materials. The business supports womens rights. The business is family owned. The business is a start up. The business gives back in some way.
I wish you a good season of buying. As always, I will say: shop local. Thank you.
