I've read articles and listened to speakers talk about the reasons for Apple's success narrowing down to the fact that while every manufacturer and developer tries to add new features, Apple is able to actually throw out features and just make sure it (whatever it is) performs the basics and does it well. Basically, Apple is simple. The iPod doesn't have the features of a Creative, Microsoft, or whoever else. But it works

I realized that this was more than an Apple thing after I spent more than a day putting up icicle Christmas lights on the house, only to have the whole family come out and say, "It's too cluttered." It was the exact same layout that we had done the past three or four years, yet I agreed. This year it looked too cluttered. I actually took down all of the lights and put up simple, elegant bulbs (satin finish globes). It looks very simple and everyone liked it. So I've been trying to figure out why it is that we're moving towards simplicity and away from features. Here are two possibilities:

1. The more features, the more confused. We simply can't figure out how to work it or get it to do what we know it's supposed to be able to do. So we get tangled up in the icicle lights or end up yelling, "Just play the dumb song" at our knock off brand MP3 player.

2. The Wal-mart effect. Wal-mart has made things more affordable. As a result, we are buying more things and lower income families can afford more things. A couple starting out can actually furnish their kitchen with appliances to make their life easier. Parents can afford to get their children cool and fun toys, including electronics. And Christmas decorations, especially including those giant inflatable air pumped things that everyone has on their lawns, became affordable. Not long ago, it seemed like putting more and more things out on your lawn and roof for Christmas showed that you could afford it. Now, it might seem like you're buying all of your Christmas decorations at Walmart (I have no trouble buying them there). So, now cluttered and more features doesn't mean that you can afford it, it might mean that you're shopping where things are made cheaply. iPod is more expensive with less features.

It could be a combination. What really drove this post was my recent purchase of the Creative Zen Vision W (which I love), the announcement of the iPhone, and my decision that I never wanted to put up an inflatable air pumped Christmas lawn decoration and I didn't know why. Other theories are welcome.

Labels: christmas shopping, simple, walmart

With so many articles going around about gift cards' effect on holiday gift giving and on corporate revenues, I return to the questions I've asked myself and store employees many times about how gift cards are accounted for in corporate measurements. Corporations keep track of sales at each retail location and the locations are often rewarded depending on their performance. More sales means a certain location is going a great job. I would imagine that on all of the reports there is a redeemed gift card line item singling out the dollar value and percentage of sales are attributed to gift cards being redeemed. Do corporations take those out of the equation? If I buy a gift card at one Barnes and Noble and my friend redeems it at another, who keeps the sale? None of the sales associates seem to know.

There's another question that I often ask sales associates in response to a question they ask me. "Credit or Debit?" I usually respond, "Which is cheaper for you?" They never know. I know that Visa charges most places differently depending on credit or debit. I'd like to know the break down.

Labels: christmas shopping, credit, debit, gift cards, sales