From where to buy?

I always try to make effort to acquire items of daily use on my own. But what if you are placed in a completely new place and you don't know the whereabouts of the store outlets offering those products?

"E-commerce platforms come to the rescue," you may have responded in your head. No wonder it is a lucrative option, given the ease and convenience. (Supermarket also wins points in this situation.)

Earlier I used to think that I'm the only one in this dilemma of finding the apt place for buying stuff. About a month or two ago, I came to know of some fellow companions. (Roughly around the time when I thought of writing a post on this subject and then started noticing other people. You know how our minds start making connections to some event once we know we are attached to such occurrence in one way or another.)

Source: wheretobuy.biz

So, my sibling needed a drink, particularly used for health benefits. She had seen my father consume it years ago, so she asked him to bring it for her. I said, "You're on your way to the market, why don't you take it yourself from there?" To which she expressed her inability as she didn't know from where to buy it. Thankfully, I knew and hence directed her to the desired shop.

The other day, a friend of mine needed a sanitary product. I was surprised at this confusion as it was such a common product and visible from a distance at all the like shops.

I have had my share of turmoils. They say you learn from experience, so have I. But to gain this experience, I used this tactic of thinking of a shop that would most probably offer that product (or service). If I am wrong, then I would ask that shopkeeper himself to guide about the suitable shop, (preferably in a nearby locality).

Of course, I can google all of this. But think of this. I was preparing to make pasta and wanted to make it quickly. I wished there were a Pasta tastemaker. The web results displayed the names of not so popular brands. Some of them even appeared to be foreign brands. Say American or Canadian. I wondered if they would be available in the local market. 

So, I went to the nearest shop to enquire if there is any such tastemaker available in the market. They nodded confidently but they didn't know the name exactly. And this is how I found my way.

Source: istockphoto.com

Waterproof apron, Pendrive, bag zippers etc all once constituted the list of products of which I didn't know the selling place.

Sometimes, I wonder how does dad come to know of all this. These things are not taught to you by anyone. The only possibility that seems to assure is that men keep on running errands and roaming in the markets. 

However, there is one exception. A colleague of mine told that she does all the chores of the house and of the outside all by herself. From cleaning, cooking, baby-sitting to arranging carpenter, plumber, electrician to fix things up, she has done it all. But that was more out of compulsion as her spouse refused to take up responsibilities.

Rest, I'm not sure if it is only the case with women as I've only come across them facing this dilemma. Anyway, it offers a digestible answer to the craze towards online shopping amongst women.