Getting caught in a heavy snowstorm while visiting a pub or three, recently, I was surprised to find that my new, snazzy, nautical-style jacket was soaked through in seconds.
I had bought this thing not only on the principle that all the nice girls love a sailor but that, as an apparently sea-going affair, it was bound to be resistant to the elements.
It wasn't. It was as porous as a sponge, and it set me thinking: How fit for purpose are goods these days?
After all, for the retailer, it's the moment of sale that's the thing. It's that frisson of acquisitive pleasure that needs to be tickled.
I see Posh Spice spent £24K on a handbag the other day. That is the essential aspiration of the vendor - to provide the frisson without providing anything of use.
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