Month: April 2011

For lack of something better to talk about, earlier this week I realized I can pick out a pair of yoga pants faster than I can cough medicine. No doubt, Lululemon makes finding what you’re looking for easier than finding the back of your hand, but finding the right cough medicine took longer than anticipated.

I needed something to get me through the day (non drowsy) and something to knock me out at night. I stupidly turned to sleeping supplements after countless nights of watching the clock till 3am. My time was mostly spent ensuring I could safely mix sleeping pills with non drowsy cough syrups.

Little did I know that ‘Nytol’ would not put me to sleep but instead keep me asleep. Another, frustrating, 3am, night. I nearly cried when my alarm went off at 8. But I didn’t, I just skipped class.. Problem solved? not quite.

Buyer’s remorse right there and back to the drug store I went. Why I didn’t go with Buckleys in the first place, I will never know. It’s a brand I trust, one that I am familiar with and have never been disappointed by. It tastes awful, but it works, and that is now enough to keep me loyal.

I recently gave my room some attention,  a deeper clean rather, and came across a stack of cards for a considerable range of stores; gift cards, membership cards, points cards etc. I remember putting them there a few months back. I was getting sick of carrying around this insidiously sized wallet and decided it was no longer tolerable. But I couldn’t just throw these cards away. No, I must keep them because one day, I will return to that store and that card must be readily retrievable when needed. Except, it wasn’t as I’d thoughtlessly left it at home sitting in that same stack on top of my desk.

These subtle in store promotions are of course to build and retain loyalty but do they actually work? I sincerely doubt anyone shops in a store just because they’re already a card holder. It doesn’t even cross their mind. They shop in stores that have already gained their trust by providing consistent value to their customers.

After proving to be completely useless, that stack of plastic has been relocated to the trash can. There needs to be a greater incentive to sign up and carry around these membership cards as faithful as you would your driver’s license. People want immediate gratification, our generation is impatient, and most people don’t shop enough to reap the benefits of these cards in such a short time frame.