Tara Hunt of HorsePigCow recently posted a great piece on the Boutique Generation. It contains some good insights and fits neatly with my emerging freerange philosophy:
You may be a member of the Boutique Generation if you:
Enjoy shopping at your local pharmacy, grocer, clothing store where you know the owners and feel yourself going out of your way to give them business even if their prices are higher because you prefer to have the personalized service over cost reduction Enjoy shopping at specialty stores, like Cheese Emporiums, Perfumeries, Tea Shops, Sephora (drooool), etc. that carry a single, narrow type of product Will not pay much attention to the prices at these stores because the experience is worth it You were influenced to shop at the specialty stores as well as the local boutiques and shops mostly because a friend told you his/her experience with them You are starting to demand the same great experience from your online browsing. You prefer better designs, smoother UI, simple, streamlined checkout, some level of personalized service (ie. Oddica does a great job of this with their amazing packaging and ‘extras’), or at least a community where you feel you ‘belong’ (ie. Threadless) and you don’t mind paying for it as well. Prefer smaller restaurants that have a beautifully detailed menu who serve interesting wine pairings, have ’stories’ for each dish and are a locals best kept secret (said restaurants don’t have to be pricey, but aren’t really a bargain). The service is personal and you can’t have dinner there in under 2 hours Like to wear fashions by local designers, buy vintage pieces and buy clothing and jewelry when you travel that nobody else will have, but you always have a story for Will travel way far out of your way for a special cup of coffee, tea or mixed drink and make certain you introduce good friends to the treat of the experience Love farmers markets and prefer organic markets when the choice is presented Pride yourself in being able to give these ‘insider tidbits’ to others and connect to fellow customers when immersed in the experience
Whilst I’m not that much of a shopper I agree with all of this and much of my personal aversion to many big brands like Starbucks, Tescos etc is because they’ve ripped the heart out of many towns and cities in the UK and stifled experience by enforcing sanitised, standardised products. Fortunately Brighton presents its residents and visitors with plenty of independent choice. Long may it continue. Reminds me I must add some more independent Brighton cafes to the excellent Delocator directory.
