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Business records indicate that local mom and pop store Boxer’s Best earns 90 percent of their revenue in sales made entirely out of pity.
“The place was so empty when I went in that it was clear they had no business whatsoever," said customer Max Arnett. "So I bought some birthday card that was by the cash register to make them feel better. I don’t even need it, but it’s good to support small businesses.”
The local store, run by Barbara and Howard Boxer, sells knick-knacks, greeting cards, and jewelry made by Barbara and her artistic younger sister.
“The pity and sense of obligation you feel when you walk in the store is almost paralyzing,” said Sarah Hyde, leaving the store with a sequined necklace she would never wear. “This necklace is just plain terrible, but knowing that they’re doomed to fail in this economic climate, I had to purchase something.”
The records indicate very few instances in which an item was purchased with genuine interest. Reports include a stepfather hurriedly buying an anniversary card and a woman purchasing a silver brooch she figured she could give to her grandmother.
“We’ve been running this store for nearly 30 years,” said Barbara Boxer while writing the daily discounts on a chalkboard, devastatingly unaware of how pitiful her store is. “It just goes to show you that with some elbow grease, and just a little bit of luck, anyone can open up and run a successful store.”
