Shirtonomics

Yours truly is back after another foreign trip. Writing on this blog is a way for me to let go, at least with words and it has been a trying first few months this year with travel and dealing with everything that comes with travel. 

This time it is an economics lesson, but right here in the US of A. Yes, you can find incredibly good deals here too!

Over the last few months the kids have been taking ice skating classes. The classes are only 30 minutes, but with the driving to and from the rink, putting on and taking off skates routines, it takes an hour and a half almost for the "skating process". 

There is an upside to this routine when I do the pick up and drop off. There is a JC Penny and food court right next to the rink. If it is not the hot chocolate from the food court that occupies me for 20 minutes of break time, it is the clearance rack at the JC Penny entrance!

Usually the things on the rack are XXL and above sizes. True, I could buy those XXXXL flannel shirts, cut the collars off and use them as bath robes, but there are a few Smalls and Mediums that find their way to that rack. 

It takes me ten minutes tops to go through that when I am there. One curious thing is that some items that I see take a price nose dive every alternate week but never leave the rack. Last month, I finally spotted this shirt and could not belive the price. 

Ok, I know you caught that. 50% off on $34 should be $ 16.99, not 14.99.. someone at JC Penny needs to pay some attention. 

Took it to the counter and the lady said "It is actually $3.13 with taxes!" as though the shirt price had crossed the sound barrier. Told her "I will take it!" and she says "don't know what is up with that shirt. seems very good to be on clearance"

Came home, wore it to the local park to meet some friends after a long time. Realized while putting it on, that it missed a button! That was the only flaw in the shirt. Funny thing is that there were two spare buttons stitched on the inside.  

(think that is the first family portrait for the 2015 year!)

Got compliments from friends saying "this shirt looks good on you!" So, came home, stitched that button back!

The shirt has already been through the washer twice and everything is still intact.

Guess, it has now been restored to its $34 glory days.

The funny thing is that most of these stores have resident alteration tailors. The thougt that was going through my mind was, why couldn't they fix these little things and make a profit? Is it because that labor cost of a 3 minute button restitching is so prohibitive? 

Really don't get that. Last week the little one had to interview me for a school project on immigration. One of the questions was "what day to day differences between your former country and USA did you like after coming here?" and without much thought I replied "no water cuts, no power cuts, clean roads, garbage collection, in short good utilities and a better quality of life!"

Somehow stating that came with a practiced ease that made me shudder. Those who are in the "quality" business know that quality is as much about eliminating waste as it is about creating value. If you look at things from that stand point, we here in the USA are probably on the top when it comes to creating waste, be it packaging, poor recycling habits, our inability to promote shared transportation, and the list goes on. We have a lot of resources but we treat them with little respect. 

We drop the price of a shirt from $34 to $3 because of one missing button, because we set our bar for quality pretty high!

The irony of that, is not lost on me. 

ps. There are many unfinished posts that will hopefully see the publish button today!