Old and Crotchety?

I'm starting to think that I'm just plain getting old and crotchety.

I really miss Marshall Field's.  For those of you not from the Midwest, Marshall Field's was Chicago's premier department store from 1852 until being acquired in 2015 by Federated Department Stores and turned into Macy's.

Like many Chicagoan's, I was furious that Federated would get rid of Field's, and if the windows are any indication of what's inside, it's not a quality store like Field's used to be.  Carson's was the second best department store here, and I have shopped there now for years.  There is one near me that is part of a defunct mall.  Carson's is the only store left, and I have a feeling that they are still there only because they actually own the land on which the store sits.  I was in that store yesterday to buy a gift, and I was supremely disappointed.   The quality was not nearly what it once was, and there were shopping carts . . . I might as well have been at Kohl's or Target (not where I would go to buy a nice gift).

I asked for a box for the gift I purchased.  Here's how that went:

Me:  "Thanks, and I'm going to need a box for that."

Them:  "We don't have boxes." 

Me:  "You don't have boxes anywhere in the entire store?"

Them:  "No."

Granted, I haven't been shopping in a very long time because I don't need anything, but am I so woefully out of date that I didn't know that stores don't give you boxes anymore??  I mean, does everyone just use a gift bag instead of wrapping paper and ribbon?  Or do some stores still give you a box if you ask for one?

This bothers me!  Seriously!  :-S

I realize that change is hard.  And I realized that Field's has been gone for a DECADE (and I can't even tell you how much I still miss it . . . ) and that I should just sing the Frozen song and let it go.  But I miss it.  I miss Field Gear (their house line).  I miss Jones New York.  I miss quality clothing in my size.

I feel like I should be waving a cane and yelling, "You damn kids - get off my lawn!"


Comments

candy said…
OK that picture made me LOL. No, you aren't getting old and crotchety, you simply miss QUALITY, which it seems we are loosing because everyone wants cheaper cheaper cheaper. I can't believe Carson's didn't have a gift box! Defunct mall...the one in Hammond?
Nancy said…
In Iowa we can still get gift boxes, and have the gift wrapped, at Younkers and Von Maur. Well, at least that was true a year ago.
A :-) said…
Candy - no, Lincoln Mall. And yes, good point about quality.
A :-) said…
Nancy - I'm going to check another Carson's and see if they have boxes. Maybe that's just how it is now :-(
Anonymous said…
we've become a disposable society and part of the problem is that we purchase on-line. We want things faster and cheaper.

But I, too, miss the quality of clothes, gifts, and household furnishings. I miss being treated with respect when walking into a store. I miss the fact that they aren't thankful for my patronage. I hate the fact that when you ask for some kind of service you are faced with impatience and insolence. Really?? Why are you in business??
A :-) said…
Anon - I do shop online often. It's definitely easier and oftentimes less expensive. But I make it point to patronize my local merchants as often as I can. I live in a small village and the merchants here are generally very pleasant and thankful. We're about to get two large mega stores . . . I'm not excited about them, but I suppose it's progress. Your point is well taken, however - there was a yarn store in the City that has since changed hands. The original owner was so rude and unpleasant to me years ago that I never went back, and I told them that I would not be spending any money with them, and that I would tell my friends of my experience. I have no idea if it made an iota of difference to them, but it made me feel better to vote with my wallet :-)

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