Granny’s Birthday Shopping Spree Secret

           On this joyous day, the world celebrates another year of my existence.  All around the world parties break out in memorial of my creation.  This day in history has witnessed the exchange of great presents, birthday cards, and birthday wishes. I humbly write to you to share a story of birthday present giving, so that see into the depths of my past to learn about my present. The story depicted in this blog is true, only the names have been changed to hide the true identity of real people.

Each year near September a young man, Herbert, receives a phone call from his grandmother, Trudy.  The phone call’s purpose is to organize a shopping adventure for Herbert’s birthday.  Trudy, a relatively wealthy woman, loves Herbert and demonstrates her love by taking Herbert to Kohl’s and allowing him to select a few items for his birthday.  Herbert embraced this birthday tradition and held the deepest love for his grandmother who spoiled him so.  As Herbert grew older, he realized that the date of the shopping spree changed drastically, some years 2 months prior to his birthday, others only days before.  His years on earth had taught him to be observant.  His suspicions led him to look around Kohl’s curiously, scrupulously analyze everything he saw.  Finally after seeing vast amounts of the delightful elderly, it clicked – his grandmother only took him shopping on days with senior citizen discounts. 

Rather than being offended, Herbert found humor in the situation.  One could say maybe Trudy does not really care about Herbert so she tries to spend less on him. For all of those haters, Herbert’s birthday shopping experience mirrors that of his sister’s as well, she spends a wonderful afternoon at Kohl’s on senior citizen days with Trudy around her birthday.  His grandmother whose entrepreneurial husband founded a multi-million dollar company would only shop on senior citizen days for the extra 15% discount despite their comfortable wealth.  In my learning, I have known the elderly to be thrifty with their money, searching for sales, clipping coupons, willing to spend money if they seem to score a deal.  The turnout of senior citizens on the discount days has been remarkable in my experience and remains a positive reinforcement for senior citizens.  If one grandmother can schedule a shopping excursion for her grandson months in advance just to reap the benefits of the discount then Kohl’s must be taking the right steps to successfully maintain loyal customers (at least in the elderly category).  

Here is my recommendation to you, loved grandchildren across the globe, mark your calendars for senior citizen discount days. On those days give your grandparent a call and tell them you would like to go to lunch, shop, or just “hang out”.  I firmly believe that grandparents throughout the United States highlight and star senior citizen days on their calendars; utilize these days to demonstrate their love for their grandchildren.  Many believe that senior citizen discount days are gifts, gifts just like me, sent from above to spread joy to all those that inhabit this beautiful world.

Words by Shane Popham

Shane Popham is senior BEM Major with concentrations in Marketing and New Business Development and an Entrepreneurship minor.  He dabbles in Football at Wake Forest and enjoys spending rainy Sundays nestled alongside a warm fire.