So at the last minute you make one of those grab-and-go, search-and-destroy, commando-raid trips to the mall, an emergency strike — you have no time to shop so you’re just going to buy. This is the time of year when a shopper needs a carefully defined mission, a clearly stated objective, an insertion and exit strategy, and possibly a helmet and elbow pads. …
Semiprofessional consumers have turned the mall and the big box store and even an all-American crescent-wrench-and-lampshade-selling place like Sears into a hostile wilderness of choice. No one is allowed to buy anything without considering 500 variations on a theme, without pondering the different sizes, models, colors, special features, add-ons, auxiliary components, accessories, warranties and payment plans. In short, buying anything today is like buying a computer.