All right, Christmas shoppers, be honest. Let’s say your spouse wants a new digital camera. You visit your local camera shop to seek advice from a knowledgeable clerk. The clerk spends several minutes reviewing options, features and brands and ultimately recommends the perfect device for your needs and budget. You then leave the store without buying the camera and instead purchase it from an online retailer for a few dollars cheaper. A month later, you discover the camera shop has gone out of business. You shake your head and lament the vicissitudes of the retail economy.
If you’ve ever done such an underhanded thing, may Santa bring you a lump of coal!