While running some errands recently, my wife had to go into Marshalls to find a few things, and I made the mistake of going inside with her.
It was on the Sunday afternoon of a busy weekend, and my brain couldn’t handle the disorder. It was as if the entire store had been attacked by a tsunami of customers with only one plan: come into the store, pick up several items, then put them down somewhere else. It gave me a headache in about 90 seconds, but she was undaunted, as though nothing was wrong as she continued looking for whatever it was she wanted.
At one point, I witnessed a woman pick up something it looked like she was going to buy, but as she headed towards a cashier, she changed her mind and put that item down on a completely different rack.
Meanwhile, Martha couldn’t find what she was looking for, so we exited the store with empty arms, with my skull exploding in amazement at what I’d seen.
In the car, I asked if that’s the way it usually is in Marshalls. She looked at me like I was the crazy one. Yes, she replied, adding that “they have people who go through and put everything back where it belongs.” I asked, “So, the disorganization is part of a jobs-creation program?” By now, she’d had enough of my questions, shutting me down with, “Don’t ask me to explain it. That’s how all their stores are. I kind of like it.”
I’ve been married long enough to know this conversation was over, but I couldn’t help but wonder who was going to come through later and put logic and reasoned order back into this world.