rutt
Nov-03-2008, 08:39 AM
On Saturday, I found myself in midtown Manhattan with a camera and an afternoon to kill. I thought I'd go investigate the economy by way of some of the big stores and see how busy the retailers were. After all, I hear that things are bad, very bad, a recession, a depression, but I don't really know what that means. Perhaps a some first hand experience would give me a more concrete view.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409118048_GJgta-L.jpg
I started out in Bloomingdale's. To be honest, I haven't been in there since the '60s, so I really had nothing to compare it to, except my expectations, which are probably based on Sex and the City or something. I expected that Bloomy's on a normal Saturday afternoon would be so crowded that I'd barely be able to move without bumping into people. As you can see, this certainly wasn't true.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409119107_pdNqS-L.jpg
But it wasn't actually totally dead. I think I should clarify. Initially I thought I might find these stores to be so quiet that I'd get an entry for the Silent or Loud Challenge, perhaps something I could title The Sounds of Silence at Bloomingdale's. But, in fact, there were quite a few careful looking buyers everywhere I looked.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409118486_Pu4he-L.jpg
Two places that seemed plenty busy were The Apple Store and Abercrombie on Fifth Avenue.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409119931_9RPPn-L.jpg
In fact, Abercrombie was so crowded that there was a line around the corner just to get into the store.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409121444_Tk483-L.jpg
I talked to the people in this line and discovered that none of them were Americans. I met people from England, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Japan, but nobody from the U.S.A. The people told me in the line told me that either there was no Abercrombie where they lived or that the prices were much lower here than at home. SO perhaps this was a special case.
On the other hand, it was deadsville in Bergdorf Goodman.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409120620_4w6FM-L.jpg
Saks was a mixed bag. Not many people upstairs,
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409121972_qbcdy-L.jpg
but a lot of people getting free makeovers downstairs.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409123121_ouLqj-L.jpg
Of course, it's impossible to draw a valid conclusion from this afternoon's entertainment. It's the absolute opposite of a scientific survey. But honestly, it made me feel a little better about things. People were out and about, doing at least some of what they usually do.
Maybe if more people bring their cameras into the stores, we'll get a better picture of the state of things...
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409118048_GJgta-L.jpg
I started out in Bloomingdale's. To be honest, I haven't been in there since the '60s, so I really had nothing to compare it to, except my expectations, which are probably based on Sex and the City or something. I expected that Bloomy's on a normal Saturday afternoon would be so crowded that I'd barely be able to move without bumping into people. As you can see, this certainly wasn't true.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409119107_pdNqS-L.jpg
But it wasn't actually totally dead. I think I should clarify. Initially I thought I might find these stores to be so quiet that I'd get an entry for the Silent or Loud Challenge, perhaps something I could title The Sounds of Silence at Bloomingdale's. But, in fact, there were quite a few careful looking buyers everywhere I looked.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409118486_Pu4he-L.jpg
Two places that seemed plenty busy were The Apple Store and Abercrombie on Fifth Avenue.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409119931_9RPPn-L.jpg
In fact, Abercrombie was so crowded that there was a line around the corner just to get into the store.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409121444_Tk483-L.jpg
I talked to the people in this line and discovered that none of them were Americans. I met people from England, Ireland, Germany, Canada, Japan, but nobody from the U.S.A. The people told me in the line told me that either there was no Abercrombie where they lived or that the prices were much lower here than at home. SO perhaps this was a special case.
On the other hand, it was deadsville in Bergdorf Goodman.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409120620_4w6FM-L.jpg
Saks was a mixed bag. Not many people upstairs,
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409121972_qbcdy-L.jpg
but a lot of people getting free makeovers downstairs.
http://rutt.smugmug.com/photos/409123121_ouLqj-L.jpg
Of course, it's impossible to draw a valid conclusion from this afternoon's entertainment. It's the absolute opposite of a scientific survey. But honestly, it made me feel a little better about things. People were out and about, doing at least some of what they usually do.
Maybe if more people bring their cameras into the stores, we'll get a better picture of the state of things...