In today’s society people are never short of needs and wants. In capitalist-driven societies like Jamaica, shopping is one of the most basic ways of obtaining our needs and wants. Shopping is unavoidable, whether we’re shopaholics or not. From wholesales to supermarkets, clothing stores to street vendors, there are a variety of commercial outlets from which to get the items on our shopping lists. However what exactly we buy and where we buy it from seems to depend on a variety of factors. This week’s collection of Would You Rather scenarios might help us discern exactly what influences our decisions on shopping trips.
- You are shopping for a pair of sneakers. They are needed to complete your P.E. uniform as you are constantly getting detention for not having them. However you also get in trouble for not having your tennis racket for class. Almost everyone in your class boast about having the latest brand of Adidas sneakers costing $1200. Your mother gave you that exact amount of money to get the tennis racket and a cheap pair of Nike sneakers from a street vendor that she knows. When you go for the tennis racket, you see the pair of Adidas that everyone in class is sporting, but if you get them you won’t be able to get the tennis racket and the cheaper shoes.
Would You Rather
Get the Adidas and continue getting detentions for the racket (30%)
Get both the racket and the shoes and get made fun of in class (70%)
- “I’d get the Adidas not so much for fear of being made fun of but because i’m in a love affair with Adidas shoes lol.” (Taylor, 17)
- “It doesn’t make any sense to keep getting detention for the one racket. Might as well just take the little mocking and wear your cheap shoes.” (Germaine, 16)
- There is a dress that you’ve been wanting for an upcoming party for months. You’ve finally found the dress online for US$20 with free shipping. But the last time you got free shipping for an item the product came a whole size too small with random holes in it. To make it worse, the company you are buying the dress from is known to send faulty good. But you really want the dress. The same dress can be bought in a store nearby for JA$11000. If you ask your parents for that kind of money they won’t give you anymore extra money for likely the next 6 months.
Would You Rather
Ship the dress for less money and risk it being faulty (60%)
Buy the expensive version and get no more money for 6 months (40%)
- “I can’t go for so long without extra money so all that’s there to do is just ship the dress and pray it comes looking right.” (KD-Ann, 17)
- “Well if it was a dress I really REALLY wanted, like a Maxi dress or something then i’d have to get it despite it being expensive. I just can’t risk bad shipping messing up my clothes.” (Britney, 18)
- You bought a 6-pack of Supligen that you realized was expired when you got home. Upon returning to the store the management gives you a complicated response explaining that the Supligen would have to be returned directly to the factory for testing before any purchase could be refunded. The process would take a month and you would have to go directly to the factory in a neighbouring parish for your refund. Upon hearing this you ask for an exchange instead but the store states that the only items they can give you in exchange are six tins of Vienna sausage. The pack of Supligen had cost you $3000.
Would You Rather
Go through the process of returning the Supligen (20%)
Take the six tins of Vienna sausage in exchange (80%)
- “Burn down the store.” (Najae, 15)
- “That’s far too complicated. I’d take the sausages and simply never shop at a store like that store again.” (Kevona, 18)
