Skip the ‘bucks………..And go with the good guys.

Generally speaking, I only shop at independent retailers.  It doesn’t stem from any riffs about big business, because it CAN be done right if the intention is there, it’s just that the quality typically goes down as a function of the size of a business.

Starbucks, if you want to serve me the same charco-broiled espresso wherever I go, I’m not going to support your business (not that I do with any frequency anyway).  Quality is important to me.  Having repeatable precision represents a good business model, but not if its based on a poor quality products to start with.

It may be just a rumor, but I’ve heard that there’s an Applebees planned to open a location in Cancun.  Cancun! You’re tellin’ me that people fly half-way around the world,  then eat at the same gross restaurant that’s two blocks from their house?

hmmmph.

Coffee and Applebees are just examples, but it extends everywhere (and gives me a place to rant).  If we settle for low quality in all of our products, what type of values are we supporting?

Value isn’t simply about buying a less-expensive product.  It’s an amalgam of what goes into a product versus how that product interacts with the world, and what the end price is.  When we don’t take into account the whole life of a product, and the subtle effects of cutting costs (like carcinogens in burnt coffee), we often overlook the real value of what we purchase.

soooo….Take some time to ASK retailers about where products come from, how it’s best used, and what the actual value of their products are.  Just a reminder-

Honorable Mention.