That's just how it is!

So there is the piece as shown by the manufacturer and there on the right,
it is on the website of the below referenced bog box- uuuugh!

While I hope never to become one of those people who use their blog as an outlet through which they channel all of their frustrations (no, I prefer to bottle them up and really cherish that pent up, choking feeling that only repressed resentment can cause- I, was raised right!) onto an unsuspecting or wanting audience, today, I must vent. So, for those of you who are fein of heart, now's your chance to point and click your way to another, less uh, saucy online destination. But for those true-blue, die hard Filthy Gorgeous Lifers and ride or die friends, gurl, let's work through this one together! Oh, and one more thing, I honest to goodness had no intention of sharing this today... NONE! I really don't prefer to wallow in negative muck like this... but every once in a blue-polka-dot moon, I get stuck'n'da'muck! Today, I'm stuck. So, just yesterday, while I was in the Shop I met this lovely lady who was looking for a mirrored side table. She told me about one that she had seen recently while at a big box store (who shall remain nameless, but between you and me, their name rhymes with Manthropologie). I told her that we carried lots of them and would be more than happy to send her an email with pics of some of the more popular pieces. So, I promptly began to gather info for her email. Well, long story short, I found her the very piece which she had been admiring at the above-rhymed bog box- it happened to be a piece that we had carried for several years and even showcased on the sale's floor years ago. Now, here's where it gets good: before confirming that I could get the piece for her I decided to do some research, and found that the big box was selling the piece for less than the wholesale cost that the manufacturer would sell the piece to me for!!! Could it be?!?! No! Or so I thought; so I called the manufacturer to inquire. Sure enough, they unashamedly admitted that they produced and distributed the piece for the big box and that no, they would not budge on the price for anyone else even if we had carried the piece longer than the big box had!!! At the end of the day, the big box bought in such bulk that I could not hope to compete with them. Sigh. I sadly recommended that my client purchase the piece at the big box as I could not meet, let alone, beat their price! FRUS-TRATION!!! Well, just let it roll off your back, right? Ummm, easier said than done, especially when this sort of thing is becoming more and more common place. It is both the blessed benefit of Capitalism and the bane of my boutique-existence! While small shop owners toil and sweat to create and inspire, corporate stores shop us for ideas, sources and innovations (I might point out here a store that rhymes with Constipation Shardware's recent 'development' of a 'new look' or another such store that rhymes with Pottyme Marm's constant picking up of 'new product' which just happens to be niche-goods of home boutiques- but I'm not going to even go there, Im... uh.. above it all, ha!). I mean, really? Really, I should be flattered and such. But I'm not- not today anyway. Uuuugh! In a time when retailers have to fight for sales, shouldn't we all be seeking to work together by fostering uniqueness and individuality(?) not 'borrowing' each others vendor list or merchandise mix! And, no, I am not suggesting that I am the only small store owner who has or is experiencing this. But that's exactly my point! This is something that is too prevalent and yet unaddressed. And still, what can be done? And further, what will be the ultimate result? My mind flashes back to a movie I saw as a child where Taco Bell (yes, I'm saying their name... I LOVES a Burrito Supreme, yes ma'am!) was the ONLY restaurant left in the world and people consequently viewed it as 'fine-dining' (some of us already do- but let's talk about that at another time). In a landscape of fewer and fewer mom-and-pops and growing numbers of corporate conglomerates dominating every corner space, are we headed towards a future of less product options and fine-dining served up in steamed flour tortillas? OR, am I just being dramatic? Thoughts? Anyway, after I sent of my sad little email, I spoke to my most FAVORITE person in the whole wide universe, JD. The advise was clear and simple. Don't get distracted and keep on doing what you do best... walking a step ahead of the rest! But... still... I'm exasperated... and vexed... and irritated... and annoyed... and... damn it, I need a Burrito Supreme!

Steamed with frustration,
-J