Wednesday, April 16, 2008

April = frustration for me in Japan.


Warning....rant is about to start!

Ok....I don't know about you but when you visit a store many times you know exactly where everything is, right? And that is a good thing, right? Well, in Japan they do this insane thing....they change the store around! So....the other day I walk into one of the shops I frequent A LOT and instead of a quick 5-10 minute shopping experience I'm there for 1 hour trying to find everything and the WORST thing is that the staff doesn't know where anything is!!!

I mean confusing a customer can't be a good thing but maybe they are all so used to it that it makes some kind of sense to them. IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!!

Does this happen in other countries? Stores (lots of them ) 2-4 times a year just moving all the products around? I want to say that I don't remember that ever happening in Canada. Sure, Christmas or a special holiday there might be special displays or areas devoted to those goods but to literally just move stuff around....no.
And why April? April is the beginning of the school year and graduates from University start their new jobs in April, employees are transferred in April and...stores move around their stuff in April.

Ok...Rant over!
Other news!

I'm sick....really sick! UGH! Some little kid gave me their cold and it hit hard and fast! Oh and for the next 2 months (so I've been told) my apartment building is having a face lift (see picture) so construction workers/painters are at my building way early in the morning (for me) so I can't really sleep in.

Oh and I got a gocco!! My honey and are really excited about this. We are planning to make our own products and sell them in our etsy store. We tried it out today and I LOVE it!! So....I won't just be a supply store but actually selling handmade goods! I love making things!!
Ok....off to bed as my head feels like it is about to explode!




7 comments:

maoiliosa said...

i worked in a small candle shop in a mall for 5 years, and we moved things around periodically, but not at a set time of the year. also, our store was extremely tiny, so it was still easy to find everything, haha.

yay for your gocco! :D

i'm sorry you're sick! i hope you get well soon :). dang those kids! :p

Anonymous said...

I really don;t like it when stores change around It did happen to me couple time in one year maybe hawaii is very influenced by japan,One good thing about it is you discover new things usually you wouldn't see since you go straight to what you need :):) end up with more than you came initially for LOL!!

What is a gocco ?

Feel better now xoxo

FromJapanWithLove said...

Hey Melisa-maybe we did it/do it in Canada but honestly, I don't remember being frustrated when I went to a shop I went to all the time. Happened to me yesterday as well...ugh!

I'm almost over my cold and can taste food again!!

Pineapple princess....I do agree that sometimes I find other things but I hate being frustrated! ^__^

A gocoo is a very cool machine-check this out.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/howTos/article/gocco-printing-etsy-etsy-etsy-how-to-video/1206/

If you put "gocco" in the etsy search lots of things will come up!

Anonymous said...

the hobbycraft near me recently changed some of its displays around. i was walking round the shop for ages trying to find where the stuff i buy had been put! so, nope, not just in japan, the uk too. another large retailer i shop in did it a few months ago too.

FromJapanWithLove said...

Georgina! Thanks for visiting my blog! Glad I'm not the only one walking around looking for things! Thing is....I don't remember this happening in Canada....at least it can't be the same way. Went to a shop yesterday and not only did they change things around but parts of the shop were blocked off as they weren't done moving things around. I got so frustrated I just left. :(

Gabby said...

Hey!
I used to live in Georgia (USA) and the built a Kohl's there (a department store) in 2001. In the 10 years I lived there (until I moved to Arizona) they moved stuff *once*. And it was bathing suits... from one side of the store to another. And many other places do the same thing, nothing really changes. Which I guess is a sly marketing tactic in Japan (moving stuff so you see things you didn't see before and buy it) to get people to spend more money. But anyway, I know this was back in 2008 but eh... lol xp

FromJapanWithLove said...

Hey Gabby!
It happened to me again recently and I walked out of the store I was so frustrated! I just went to another store and then I spent more money as I found more things I wanted lol. I think it is a stupid marketing strategy but that is just my opinion!

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