鼓勵此網誌：0
在美國，從十一月底感恩節到耶誕節，是一年一度的血拼的時節，因為有送耶誕禮物的需求（就像我們過年給紅包的習俗一樣），加上廠商的強力塑造消費氣氛，於是人們似乎像被催眠似的個個卯起來買、買、買，不殺到眼紅不甘心！
每年這個時候，電視上總會出現大批消費者百貨公司或大買場開門時衝進去搶打折的商品，因而搶成一團或大打出手的畫面。店家這時也「特別」服務消費者，凌晨四、五點就提早開門，想買、想省錢（又真的省了多少？）的消費者於在寒冷中徹夜排隊，在我看來，這「特別服務」不是整消費者是什麼？消費者真是容易被支配，被得那些懂行銷術的、懂得消費者心理、心機深的廠商耍的團團轉。
許多人收到了不合用或不喜歡的禮物，禮物的下場很可能就變成了垃圾。這個血拼的季節，也是地球環境的災難。如果禮物是不得不買，如果錢不得不花，為何不讓錢用得聰明一點，與其把錢交給已經夠有錢的廠商，同樣是花錢買東西，我們可以選擇向真正需要錢的人買。
最近在Inhabitat.com上看到一篇報導，介紹各種對環境和人權就負責任的禮物，其中的一些手工動物娃娃實在好可愛，令人眼睛一亮，還真勾起了我消費的慾望！這些手工填充娃娃是一個網路商店Branch所販賣的商品項目之一，根據產品的介紹，每一隻動物娃娃都是非洲肯亞鄉下的婦女一針一線親手縫製出來的，買她們辛苦做出來的東西，就是幫助她們的經濟收入。
image source: www.branchhome.com
Branch這家網路商店對自己的介紹也很有意思，轉載如下。http://www.branchhome.com/index.php?main_page=branch_vision
Why we’re doing this (or, a manifesto of sorts)
Like a lot of folks, we enjoy shopping. As a social activity, shopping gets us out into the various neighborhoods in our city, allowing us to connect with other people along the way. As a cultural excursion, it gives us a chance to discover what’s new and interesting in the world. And, of course, we derive some joy from finding just the right gift for someone, or for ourselves.
At the same time, there’s an element to shopping that we find quite troubling. We buy things that appeal to us – we love a product’s styling, for example – though we may have little idea of where a product comes from. What materials went into its manufacture? Did the wood used to make that chair contribute to deforestation in
These are all some pretty heavy thoughts, and they can really sap the joy from a fun day of shopping. The fact is that many people are at least somewhat aware of the sobering factors of our consumptive lifestyle, but that doesn’t keep them (or us, for that matter) from going shopping. As a culture, we’re practically bred to be shoppers – it’s a habit that runs deep and strong.
So in looking for a solution to the problems mentioned above, we’re taking a different approach. Instead of asking people to stop shopping (which is, of course, pretty darn impractical), what if we changed the paradigm of shopping itself? What if we could shop in a place that had already done the challenging thinking for us? A place where we could buy products that are wholly appealing on every level, but that are also manufactured and brought to market in such a way that we didn’t have to feel guilty about buying – or, eventually, disposing of – them?
This is the basis of the idea for Branch, an online store based in
本文重點當然不是替這家商店打廣告，現在市場上有越來越多強調環保、公平貿易的店家，值得欣慰，而且他們所傳遞給消費者的訊息很重要，我們的消費行為，同時也決定了我們對環境及人權的行為，是傷害或是幫助，端賴我們消費多少以及買什麼樣的商品。
只是，廠商永遠只呈現正面的形象、隱藏大部份的資訊，消費者所知的永遠都不夠我們做最佳的判斷；我們永遠不知道一件商品背後藏著什麼樣的玄機，製造商品的廠商、販賣的店家背後又是什麼樣的嘴臉，只能靠自己多花一些時間詢問Google大神了。
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