Mall Salespeople and Me

Ever since I was a teenager, mall salespeople have always found me in a crowd to try to sell me something. The worst example was going into a candle shop with my friend at the mall I used to walk to from my house in Brooklyn. There were a few other people in the store, I had just walked in not too long ago, and the saleslady in that little shop began putting candles into my empty basket, saying “This one smells good,” “This one’s good, too,” and then just walks with me to the register, and I actually bought them! Because I was too embarrassed to put them back. They didn’t smell good, so I threw them away later on feeling like I had just gotten robbed at a candle shop. 😮 But that was it.

And then at the malls here in Massachusetts, always different salespeople, female, male, always different stuff, as I am going by in a crowd they quickly make eye contact and start the sales pitch. I had wondered if they learn something in their training to scan a crowd and I somehow fit the profile for….what? Someone who looks like they want to buy everything?

I wasn’t surprised when Teavana salespeople used to start selling their products to me and try to get me into the store as I went by because I was thinking maybe they could sense I like tea? But I would still be embarrassed anyway.

I had almost forgotten about that the other day. I hadn’t been to a mall since before the pandemic. There were considerably less people there of course, but I still was going by with a few other people nearby and a salesperson started selling something to me. And I thought, Oh yeah, I remember that. 

He was very enthusiastic about this item. So I said, “Oh my god! That is really cool!!” And he’s continuing to tell me about it. The high energy was good and I was energized, too, so I said, “Are you serious? I have never seen anything like that before!””

After that, I was walking to the other side of the mall, and then I turned back to leave the mall, but I didn’t realize I was passing the salesperson again, so he starts selling me the same thing again. I was just as excited this time saying, “They don’t make things like this!!” 

When I left, I realized, I don’t even know what he was selling. But enthusiasm is good. So even if I was making it up, it was the closest thing to a party at this time.

Ohh, I didn’t plan for this to be ready to post on Black Friday. 🙂