Every Saturday we have a market in our piazza: Clothing, pots & pans, fabrics, threads & yarns, bathroom supplies – everything you need. You don’t have to drive to a store, or go to your phone or computer and search for what you want on-line. …and give up your personal data to buy anything. I hear the on-line merchants now have Personalized & Convergent pricing capabilities and know how to charge you accordingly. The merchants here simply know what they want for their goods. It’s a good show and a nice experience even for those who are not into shopping. The man who sold me my belt gets his morning coffee from the same barista as do I. The man who sells me my toilet paper came from Pakistan – and is happy to be here. The man who sold me a winter blanket last year owns the building two doors down from where I live. And so on.
Up the hill a few hundred yards, there is another area where fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, spices and more – are sold from outdoor market stands. Get there before 10:00 A.M. or you will have a long line in front of you – which is not so bad because the waiting crowd is pleasant and has all the recent news of the town.
I have been reading a lot, recently, about the threat of AI to human labor. I cannot figure out how AI is going to intrude on this simplest and age old method of marketing. …If you can, do not tell me – I do not want to know.
