The Day the Store Died

 I was trying to make our usual morning cappuccino this morning. I had completed making the two espressos, and now I was ready to foam some milk for the cappuccino foam.  I flipped the switch on our Cappresso machine to ready it to foam the milk. Then I placed the foaming nozzle into the milk and turned on the nozzle. And I looked, as nothing happened. Some minor steam came out of the nozzle, but not enough to matter.  The steaming section was apparently not working. I fooled with the machine for a bit, but to no avail.

So, we drank two nice espresso’s instead.  Then, after, I played with the machine, but, again, to no avail. The steam part apparently was done. This machine had given us great results several times a day, for well over six years. I guess we were done.

So, we began looking at a similar replacement.  We looked online, and found a similar machine at both Best Buy, Target and, of course, Amazon. So, I checked and it seemed to be available at Target. I did not wish to buy online if we could run over to the local store and come home with a new machine. So, we drove over to our local Super Target.  And we went over to the kitchen equipment and found a nice array of coffee machines. Except . . . yeah, Except, the store did not have the machine we wanted. Nope—several other brands, but not the one for which we had come shopping. For that, we would have to go online. And then, of course, we could buy it from any of several sources, including, of course, Amazon.

So, we ordered the machine online. Huh!. I had been hoping to buy locally and bring one home in our car. But no, the world of online shopping was compelling us—BUY ONLINE.  DO NOT SHOP LOCALLY> BUY ONLINE.

As I drove home, we passed by the now closed Sears store. Yeah, it had dominated a local shopping mart for maybe 25 years, then it closed.  Sears is a funny example here. Because, it was the Sears Catalog that dominated for decades. When we lived in India, we used the Sears catalog with some frequency if we wanted, say, some American clothing.  The catalog was as American as apple pie.  But when we returned home, while we still might shop Sears, we went to an actual store.  See, we liked shopping at stores, feeling the merchandise so to speak.

And now, some 50 years later, shopping at stores is becoming an infrequent event, with “shopping” reduced to online “catalogs” (well technically they are not catalogs). Instead, we type something into a search engine, and it pops up in a dozen versions, telling us where we can buy it and at what price. Then we go to that online “place”, buy the item, pay for it, and schedule it for delivery. That’s called “shopping” in the 21^st century.  No “feeling the merchandise” any longer.

 And all this makes me wonder, when will actual stores no longer be available?  The big stores like Target, Sears, Walmart and Best Buy will likely close up soon, and convert into online solely. Then of course, the online stores will also begin closing as we head into a future with THE STORE—yeah, one online “store” where we buy all of our non-food items.  I suppose food will still require “stores”, for a while at least. I guess, at some stage, Amazon will figure out a way to deliver asparagus and carrots to us through online shopping. Oh, Farmers Markets, we will miss you.

This all makes me very sad. But then, pretty soon, I will be gone too. I am heading into my 90^th this December, having outlasted all my family. So, maybe “the Store” will outlast me a little, but not long I am guessing. And our Great Grandkids may simply not understand what is meant by that term, “The Store”.

Sigh . . .