Thornbrugh: Wasteful store policies hurt those in need
Destroying the blanket before you throw it away so no one else can have it is something that goes beyond thoughtlessness.
Thursday, February 21st, 2008
Living in weather as unpredictable as Kansas’, where it’s 60 degrees one day and drops to below freezing the next, we know that throwing away a perfectly good blanket is wasteful, especially in the winter.
However, destroying the blanket before you throw it away so no one else can have it is something that goes beyond thoughtlessness.
Lawrence’s Urban Outfitters has adopted a policy based on this wasteful outlook.
According to an Urban Outfitters employee, merchandise no longer sold in stores because of damages, such as a water stain or tear, is not shipped back to a corporate office with other products to be redistributed.
It is being slashed or broken before being thrown in the company’s dumpster.
The company claims to be targeting “urban minded” individuals.
In today’s society, has “urban minded” come to represent consumers so absorbed by the product that they completely ignore the company’s wasteful policies?
A source, who has worked for Urban Outfitters, and agreed to talk to me anonymously, said the process of destroying items, such as blankets and sheets, happened generally because they could be damaged. This could mean something like a stain or a tear.
But when it’s freezing outside, homeless people aren’t going to care if their blanket has a stain in the corner.
Why aren’t the items not fit to sell given to someone who needs them?
Attempting to call Urban Outfitter’s corporate office, I struggled to come up with the answer. The company did not return any calls regarding my inquiry, and the only actual person I talked to, directed me to the company’s Web site, which lacks information about the policy dealing with damaged goods.
The Web site for Urban Outfitters says that its “differential shopping experience” is a way to “create an emotional bond with the 18- to 30-year old target customer.”
I fit that age group. I’m not sure I’ve emotionally bonded with anything, but I think the clothes are all right.
Then the site says something about a “lifestyle-sensitive store environment.”
What in the hell does that mean?
It also says the company’s goal is to be the “brand of choice for well educated, urban-minded young adults.”
Walking into Urban Outfitters on Massachusetts Street, I’m greeted with a slightly overbearing rhythm from some obscure song, which I’m sure has been carefully selected and added to an “ultimate urban playlist.”
I briefly walk around the store noting the various sales on blankets and rugs and telling myself no matter how cute it is I’m not spending more than $20 on a T-shirt.
I found a store manager working in the dressing room. I asked him questions about the store’s policy regarding its handling of merchandise that it is no longer able to sell because of damage.
The manager, who asked for his name not to be used, first said that employees have “orders” from corporate as to what merchandise to send back for eventual redistribution.
I asked if this was always the case, and he said yes.
When I informed him that a source had given me information about merchandise being thrown away and destroyed, he changed his story.
He quickly confirmed that this does happen for things that can’t be shipped back, such as plates and glasses.
When I asked if this included blankets and sheets, he hesitantly said yes.
There is a middle ground to be found.
I worked for Panera Bread for three years, and at the end of the day, various charities that had made previous arrangements picked up the excess food.
A wasteful attitude has permeated our society.
Recycling doesn’t only apply to the newspaper you’re holding or the pop cans building up in a corner of your kitchen.
Especially during the winter, getting a second use out of old coats, blankets and clothes should be a priority.
A charitable organization should be allowed to put the “trash” of Urban Outfitters to good use.
Become more informed about the places where you shop and the policy behind the company.
If a main goal of Urban Outfitters is to sell to well educated people, the company should be more up front about its policies and reexamine its actions the next time it orders an employee to slash a blanket before throwing it in a dumpster.
Thornburgh is a Lenexa sophomore in women’s studies and creative writing.
Discussion
All comments are moderated by Kansan.com staff. For our full user policy, click here.
Share your 2¢
Requires free registration.