Stamford Holiday Shopping Analysis

sgniteerG s'nosaeS, Stamford! I snapped this picture on my 8:15 am shopping spree last Saturday. I sped down to the Michael's/Bed Bath and Beyond complex early, figuring I'd beat the rush.

I drove up and the parking lot was almost empty. I was disappointed. I wanted to beat the RUSH, not every other living being in Stamford. I took the escalator up to Marshall's, ready to freak out if they weren't open. I saw a lady inside with a toddler, thank goodness. I swept around the perimeter of the store and grabbed some mini-Breyer horses for my nephew. Things got a little more exciting at Old Navy. A teenager argued with her mom, a man looked at shirts for his wife, and I tried on a shirt and bought one for my sister and one for myself. Black, long-sleeved.

Despite the uninspiring lack of resistance, I kept my intensity and continued on my precisely-planned trip. I drove the 50 yards from Marshall's to the tiny, coveted CVS/Carter's lot, simply because this was probably my one chance to park there in the next year. Even at 9am, there were only 2 spots left. Like a shopping assassin, I hit Game Stop the minute after it opened, zipped down to People's Bank in Super Stop and Shop (closed until 10am!!!), and finally booked it over to the mall.

The mall wasn't crowded, either. I couldn't understand it. What were people doing at 10am on a Saturday? SLEEPING? In Fredericksburg, VA, or Dover, DE, stores would have been jammed with enthusiastic, wired shoppers. I can only guess that Fairfield County residents were out partying on Friday. If you ask me, that shows a lack of priorities.

Later that day I went to the new fancy glass store on Bedford (I'll tell you about their awesome bracelets later) and Schakolad. I'm hoping the glass store is a harbinger of increased walkable, downtown shopping.

I returned to the mall at 2pm. I saw the throng I expected, but everyone looked stressed, not enthusiastic. Those people missed the best shopping hours, and they were suffering because of it. Sharper Image was a mess. I had to flatten myself against the light saber display to let a man and his kid go by. We left the mall soon after that. Cheap electronics and boxes of chocolate just aren't worth the claustrophobia. I can't even imagine what the Apple store looked like.

I hope your Stamford weekend was as successful as mine. This is my first Christmas day in Stamford. It's going well so far. I'm jetting off to Tupelo, Mississippi tomorrow, where I should have plenty of time to work on this blog!