Paying for Ambiance

Photo Courtesy of: www.elementsfinecatering.com

Did you know that you pay for ambiance? Did you know you actually pay for those fancy fancy carts, fancy shopping bags, and employees who are trained to cater to your every whim. I personally consider myself a pretty low maintenance individual so I make a point to not frequent places where I am actually paying for anything other than the product or products I am buying. 



 In today's world of personalized consumerism we see this concept everywhere. By saying I don't pay for ambiance I am not saying I don't enjoy excellent customer service or think employees should pay their workers fair and honest wages (I personally think employees of stores like Walmart do not make nearly what they should), but instead I am not willing to pay for status associated with shopping in certain stores. In fact, there are far too many stores out there that don't pay their employees what they should, despite making billions of dollars annually themselves. I actually make a point to avoid those stores if at all possible. 

I am perfectly content buying my cheese from a shelf without having to consult a "dairy consultant" or "fromage oficiado." I think I can handle trying on clothes without the need of a "personal fashion consultant." I am not downgrading the importance of an occasional splurge, but these are not things the ordinary person needs on a regular basis. 

You would be shocked at how much items are marked up for costs associated with the location in which they are being sold. There have been studies showing that the same piece of fruit or dairy from the same farm can be marked up by as much as 50% simply because it is sold in a higher-end store. There is no actual physical difference in the two items, they taste the same, and do the same thing so why would someone choose to pay more because they prefer to shop at the "nicer" store. 

Do you pay for ambiance? I am curious to know your experiences with this concept. Please comment and discuss below.