Retail

Today I have decided to revert to my alto ego of Mr Grump. Guesty is a fickle character and opinions are always there to be changed! I have espoused many different ones on these pages, read by few but then that is not the point, it keeps me amused and one should always express ones thoughts. So what you ask (did you?) is the focus of my ire today?
Politics, media, the state of Europe, sport, fashion, no I think I have stated my views on those subjects often enough and have no intention of doing so this time.
So today it is going to be retail, yes shopping, the all embracing drug of the masses. We love buying things and the commercial retail world is only too ready to accommodate us in every way they can. Every day is a sale, it is relentless. Deals a plenty, bargains, mega this, super that, Xmas, January sales, Easter, this Bank holiday, any Bank holiday and of course the recent ugly rise of "Black Friday" and it's associated run up and run down! 
Now lets get one thing clear right from the off, it is only done to make money, profit. Well that's blindingly obvious, I hear you say and of course you are correct but it seems sometimes we forget that this is the only aim. A product maybe the best in the world and recognised as such but it sole purpose is to make money for the manufacturer and supplier. I do not begrudge any company from making a fair profit, they have costs and overheads and it would be unrealistic and naive to think they do it for altruistic reasons.
Retailers and particularly the larger ones use then products they sell as the foundation for adding accessories and other add on's, this is where they make their "real" profit. 
I have some experience of retail and am constantly amazed by the non stop need by the public to continue to spend money! I do not claim to be immune to this phenomenon and join the spending spree every so often and it is a spending spree, one of gigantic proportion's which leads one to ask, can the whole edifice come crumbling down or continue to be sustained? 
Some purchases are necessary because a replacement is required or goods are being purchased for the first time and how often does a new purchase lead on to the necessity of further buying in order to get it all to work together?
This year it seems profits are down and the retail park is not as busy as it has been, I suspect this is to do with a bumper end to 2016 and the current uncertainty with the general state of the world and in Britain's case Europe and of course impending elections increase that nervousness.
To my narrow minded sight it seems that the all embracing clutches of shopping has in itself become a kind of religion but instead of attending a church, mosque etc: we worship at the hallowed alter of the shop and store!