I usually prefer Saturday afternoon for our occasional shopping trips to Supermarkets because at this hour of the day there are usually not too many shoppers and one can move freely through the narrow alleys and shop peacefully, but peace was the least I was to get while shopping yesterday.
I entered the superstore, rolled out a shopping cart and took out the shopping list which we had carefully decided upon at home so to make the most out of our limited financial resources, and I am supposed to strictly follow it.
I pushed my cart towards insecticides, the first item on my list and as soon as I added an aerosol car of a famous insect killer a lady approached me and introduced me to another one of the more powerful but similar product from the same company. I was glad to be informed of a better choice and I opt for the newer and better type of their product But when I approached the other shelve for some soap, another lady quickly started convincing me to buy one of her companies brand instead. I politely refused, but I only when I had moved to the very next shelve for a bottle of shampoo there was another convincing me to buy a shampoo of her choice. By now I was totally annoyed but I knew she was just doing her job, so I kept my cool and politely told her that I wouldn’t change my mind.
After making a few more stops for coffee, tea, pet food and avoiding another attempt to influence my choice of brand at the dairy section finally I reached the section for edible oil where again a representative for a yet another famous brand was waiting to haunt me, at first she tried convincing me to buy a brand of her choice just this once but when I told her I wouldn’t go for anything but the imported one she asked me why. At this point I was totally in a mood to place an argument, I told her it was the quality and the oil of their brand turns to gel after expiring or exposing to heat, I also told her other reasons, the smell, viscosity, and taste which gives me good reasons not to trust this local brand but when she still wanted me to try a smaller pack of their product I had to tell her sorry in a bit stern tone.
By the time I reached the checkout counter, I was tired not of all the shopping but of all the annoyance, confusion and arguing for the choices on brands I made. These companies have literally started pushing their products down our throats and they may not know it but it is really nerve wrecking to argue for every choice we make on the local brands. Being responsible citizens and the targeted consumer it is our responsibility and right to lodge our complaints and voice our concerns to the respective companies not against those poor marketing representatives the brand conveniently puts on the spot but against such marketing campaigns, when they get too close for comfort.