Workin' it at ANNA in the East Village

Hi all.  Realized I hadn't posted one thing all year, and well, this year is almost over. Good Riddance!

Anyway, this Guerilla Shopper doesn't shop as much as she did "back in the day." Retail has changed tremendously since I started this blog, with online shopping taking over and so many off-price stores declining in quality or going out of business entirely. I was particularly sad when Loehmann's shut down, as I had recently moved to the Upper West Side and found it to be a great go-to spot for many of my needs. Apparently it still exists online, which I just only found out when I looked up the URL!

Now I primarily shop at three stores...and I even help out at one of them from time to time!  ANNA, 330 E. 11th St., East Village, NYC; meg, with locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn (I go to the ones in the East Village or the newest location in the West Village); and Lingo, 257 W. 19th St., Chelsea, NYC.

So why do I still shop like it's 1999?
I rarely shop online, especially if it's for clothing and shoes, because even the thought of having to ship stuff back and forth annoys me. I spend HOURS trying stuff on in stores, there's little chance something I pick from a web site is going to fit or look like I want it to the first, second or nineteenth time. Additionally, the environmental impact of packing and shipping seems (is) massively wasteful.

But the real reason I have honed in on these three stores is definitely something the Internet cannot provide: a community of LIVE HUMANS that I interact with IN PERSON. I realize this is an old fashioned notion, but I suspect it will be making a comeback.  It HAS to.

I can't tell you the number of awesome women I have met and interacted with at these stores - employees and customers alike. Comedians, authors, filmmakers, musicians -- one woman I talked to a few months ago I soon noticed is on NY1 every other week with Neil Rosen talking about films (I KNEW she looked familiar!). It inspires creativity, discussion, hope, happiness. Better than a book club; better than Starbucks!

And yes, granted, I spend more money than I might if I shopped at H&M or hunted down every last online discount.  'Cuz I'm Worth It.  Aren't you?

xoxo GS