Holiday People

Definite change in customers yesterday to our holiday crowd who can't
help themselves. They need to be shown where sections of the
bookstore are, that books are in alphabetical order by author, that
there are many many books we don't carry (one upset customer that we
didn't have the book on the treatment of malaria he was looking for).

Generally it is a good crowd in a good mood. They are less likely, I
think, to make a mess (as opposed to our campers who take piles of
books and magazines to read in distant corners of the store and leave
them along with their empty cups, candy wrappers, and god knows
what. Our holiday shoppers are getting gifts for other people. They
have lists and newspaper clippings. They don't want to browse, they
want recommendations, get the book, DVD, or CD, and get out. We still
have our campers but less time to clean up after them.

And lots of them. The lines at the registers are long. Items per
transaction is up. Oddly, our cafe sales dropped. I think this is
because we put stanchions up around it to manage the lines. It looks
like a corral.

But people standing in line at the information desk to get help.
Generally patient and happy people. A few meltdowns. A few unattended
(or attended and unsupervised) children making messes.

Happy Holidays! Only two more shopping weeks...