Raise the Hammer

"The thing that makes me hate the whole modern shopping experience, i.e. Wal-Mart and any number of soulless, sterile, degraded (I'll stop here because my list is quite long) stores is that nothing there is special. In big box stores, you can look down an aisle and see neatly conforming sections of the same mass-produced stuff organized in tight rows - not unlike the view of a suburban landscape."

"For me, the strip is the tightly controlled stream of products offered to us under the guise of choice. Go to any strip or shopping district, in any town, in Canada, in the US, and you'll find the same mothership of cloned box stores, food chains and movie theatres has landed to suck the unsuspecting locals of their individuality."

Darren, if you don't like these stores then don't shop there! Mind your own business and let other people live their lives!


As for the skirt that the waitress bought at the thrift shop, could it not have been originally purchased at a big box store? Perhaps Wal-Mart? If so may God have mercy on you.

While I feel the same way as the author in the article does, isn't it pretty basic? Corporate blandness vs. quirky shopping. Most people would have figured this out in high school, or before. The grownups that want the products from the strip get the products from the strip and the ones that don't, don't. They understand what's out there and what's best for them. They don't need to be told. I guess my question is, what is the point of this article, besides navel gazing and self-advertisement?

It's interesting to hear of new thrift stores/consignment shops around here. Perhaps I'll walk up there one day soon.

While I agree with the premise of the article, I still find thrift shops a bit hit-and-miss though. There's some great stuff there. But that's still mostly suited to casual clothing and personal items. And even though I'm not too picky (I wear jeans and a neutral sweater or t-shirt 90% of the time) when I need something more polished it's a whole other story.

So when I need a suit, or a crisp dress shirt, or something else specific, thrift stores aren't much of an option unless I'm very lucky. Even consignment shops (where quality may be higher/prices may be higher) are hit-and-miss. I've got a few good pieces of great quality that way, but it's much harder overall.

I've had the conversation a few times with others when we've wondered how we could get better Canadian-made (or even ethically-made) women's business clothing at any price point, and if.when something will open up to meet that market.

If it does, while not competitive with big box stores, hopefully the quality would be better and competitive with mid-price-point retailers.

Men have a few more options - Gilbert's will do custom men's suits with Canadian fabric or custom-tailor a suit made in Montreal - many other places do this or similar things as well - of course, they still start at over $500, which is a good price for a decent-quality suit, but not everyone is in that price bracket either.

Meredith, I wonder if a craigslist or Kijiji posting seeking locals with seamstress talents might work. It would be great to have a website where folks could look for local skills to fulfil their needs.

Darren, thanks for the article. Having recently relocated to Vancouver (not quite by choice), this west coast native misses the unpretentious vibe of downtown Hamilton. I do occasionally shop at thrift stores, though I've never once had luck with pants or shirts, only blazers and jackets. I do agree, from a "green" perspective, that more people should consider looking second-hand, though I suppose that would be contingent on people shopping brand-new to begin with. As for having a greater selection of shopping options - new, used, consignment, independent - you're bang on, though, for measurements like mine (wide shoulders, long arms), I'm usually stuck buying new; my girlfriend, however, was better able to take advantage of the wide range of used, consignment and independent shopping in the city.

Capitalist, you have once again missed the point, and I've yet to see any indication that you possess even the remotest understanding of a green/environmentalist perspective. At any rate, you simply do not make the effort. I agree with the notion of choice, but take issue when a person's choice (to drive/pollute everywhere needlessly, build freeways and houses in sprawling subdivisions with poor transit over creeks and farmland, etc.) has such a disproportionate impact on those who try to live a more ecologically responsible life.

I think it's worth pointing out that in "the strip" aka Hamilton Mountain there are quite a few thrift stores that have taken the concept and hybridized it with big box suburban shopping. Take for example Value Village or more locally Talize.

So it's not like people shopping in "the strip" are unaware of being ecologically conscious or more specifically thrifty.

Then again many of these places are mostly car dominated and on the peripheral of larger Smart Centres(R) style suburban resident traps. I like to them of them as a venus fly trap that preys on cars and prefers Mastercard. Pedestrians, transit users and cyclists too light a snack to satiate it's voracious appetite for volume purchasing.

Also Capitalist, I'm so glad we have a resident troll! Every good discussion has to have somebody play the fool. Sincerely, thank you.