As I get to meet literally thousands of people every year to talk about personal finances and their struggles and successes toward building their net worth, I've noticed an interesting trend phenomenon that seems to have an uncontrollable growth. That is the behemoth that we all know and have come to love as Amazon.
Although it has snuck up on us quickly, there is at least one spendaholic in your household (or a very close friend or relative) that has been completely brainwashed and taken over by the alien Amazon nation. As I recently perused the Amazon website, it dawned on me that Amazon may be one of the most aesthetically displeasing websites when you consider the pure design of a 'pretty' website. But, being the math geek that I am, I counted 27 different pictures that I could click just on the top part of the main page that loaded up on my computer. Then and only then did it strike me that it isn't a physical affair you need to worry about with your spouse or partner, but rather the internet affair that Amazon is having with your wife or husband.
Why is this? Well consider for a moment (and this may apply in your business) that Amazon is capitalizing on the very human nature amongst all of us that will never change. People like to CLICK. People like to be LIKED. People like to be RECOGNIZED. People like to be REWARDED. In the end game, Amazon realized that people like be treated special. It is amazing how they are able to accomplish this in many ways, but the logistical brilliance of being able to do 1 day delivery has materialized Amazon into the Godzilla that is sure to take down brick and mortar stores one by one.
Fact is nobody will say it, but if you had a choice with interacting with a mall drone or not, you'd rather NOT. Fact is if you had a choice to run into a work colleague at the mall, you'd rather NOT. Fact is if you had a choice to deal with mall parking issues, you'd rather NOT. Amazon knows that we are all becoming more attached to our devices every day and when get bored or down on ourselves, making a small purchase makes us feel better that day.
You might be saying "The only reason I shop at Amazon is that there are things that I need." Hah! How long would it take you to run through your closet or your house and find 10 things you haven't used in a year or more? Or, just get into your garage and it might be several years or more. For the spouse that stays at home, Amazon is even more deadly. There is something truly special like a dog in Pavlov's beta test on how you'll salivate all day until a tiny little Amazon package shows up and then it seems like your birthday over and over and over again. Amazon has figured out how get us to feel like its Groundhog Day every day.
I am not sure if there will be any end in sight for this phenomenon any time soon, but I am sure some of you have had arguments at home about the new boyfriend called Amazon. Remember, Amazon doesn't yell at you, Amazon doesn't talk back at you, and Amazon doesn't even laugh at you. However, Amazon did learn one thing that Las Vegas knew years ago…how to separate you from your money.
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Ted Jenkin is a frequent guest columnist for the Wall Street Journal and Headline News Weekend Express. He is the co-CEO ofoXYGen Financial. You can follow him on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/theceoadvisor or on Twitter @tedjenkin.
Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. oXYGen Financial is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. Kestra IS and Kestra AS do not provide tax or legal advice.
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