On Fri, Mar 21, 2008 at 08:28:30PM +0100, tim (not at home) wrote:

but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train?

For the same reason as they might buy a posh shirt at an airport. Or
indeed buy a posh shirt anywhere else. Because they're over-paid and
under-brained.

It makes sense to sell food, drinks, newspapers, books and magazines at
a station. It don't make sense to sell anything else, as can be seen by
the fairly fast turnover of shops trying to sell anything else.

--
David Cantrell | Enforcer, South London Linguistic Massive

While researching this email, I was forced to carry out some
investigative work which unfortunately involved a bucket of
puppies and a belt sander
-- after JoeB, in the Monastery

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008, David Cantrell wrote:

On Fri, Mar 21, 2008 at 08:28:30PM +0100, tim (not at home) wrote:

but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train?

For the same reason as they might buy a posh shirt at an airport. Or
indeed buy a posh shirt anywhere else. Because they're over-paid and
under-brained.

I like posh shirts!

I'd agree with the comparison to airports (modulo duty-free
considerations), but not 'anywhere else'. Posh shirts are a perfectly
valid consumer good - it's just that transport hubs do seem an odd place
to sell them.

My theory is that they're a business staple (you have to have a posh shirt
to go to a meeting with other people who will be wearing posh shirts,
after all), and that the shops think they'll be able to sell them to
business travellers passing through the station or airport. What i don't
understand is why these travellers wouldn't have a shirt with them. That
would seem remiss. Do they kill time by buying some posh shirts for future
meetings? Do they realise they're a posh shirt short and buy one en route?
Do they save on laundry by treating shirts as disposable? Are the precise
requirements for the posh shirt not known until very soon before the
meeting, thus precluding advance packing?

It makes sense to sell food, drinks, newspapers, books and magazines at
a station. It don't make sense to sell anything else, as can be seen by
the fairly fast turnover of shops trying to sell anything else.

Tie Racks are a fixture at most stations. I even bought a tie at one once,
to go with my posh shirt.

tom

--
Ten years of radio astronomy have taught humanity more about the creation
and organization of the universe than thousands of years of religion
and philosophy. -- P. C. W. Davis

In message , Tom
Anderson writes

What i don't understand is why these travellers wouldn't have a shirt
with them.

Posh shirts only look posh if freshly laundered or new - they get
crumpled when packed.

--
Paul Terry

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008, Paul Terry wrote:

In message , Tom Anderson
writes

What i don't understand is why these travellers wouldn't have a shirt with
them.

Posh shirts only look posh if freshly laundered or new - they get
crumpled when packed.

There's some truth in that. Are our business travellers wearing disposable
shirts rather than packing a travel iron, or seeking out their hotel's
laundry service? I suppose from time to time, it's quite possible.

tom

--
Ten years of radio astronomy have taught humanity more about the creation
and organization of the universe than thousands of years of religion
and philosophy. -- P. C. W. Davis

On Apr 1, 3:21 pm, Tom Anderson wrote:
There's some truth in that. Are our business travellers wearing disposable
shirts rather than packing a travel iron, or seeking out their hotel's
laundry service? I suppose from time to time, it's quite possible.

There's also going to be a certain amount of OMG I forgot to pack
purchases.

--
abi

On Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:22:02 +0100, David Cantrell
wrote:

It makes sense to sell food, drinks, newspapers, books and magazines at
a station. It don't make sense to sell anything else, as can be seen by
the fairly fast turnover of shops trying to sell anything else.

It might also make sense to sell CDs and the kind of products Boots
and the likes sell. Also, with regard to food, it doesn't just need
to be sandwiches - basic provisions to take home are also useful,
hence the presence of the Sainsburys at Manc Picc and now the M&S at
Euston and MKC.

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

On Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:22:02 +0100, David Cantrell
wrote:

On Fri, Mar 21, 2008 at 08:28:30PM +0100, tim (not at home) wrote:

but why would someone buy a posh shirt whilst waiting for a train?

For the same reason as they might buy a posh shirt at an airport. Or
indeed buy a posh shirt anywhere else. Because they're over-paid and
under-brained.

Well, perhaps I was underbrained and overpaid, but a few years ago I got an
emergency call for a training gig in Wales. I packed quite quickly, went to
Paddington, and discovered that I had forgotten to pack my shirts. A quick
visit to the shirt shop, and I was OK.

I don't know whether that kind of custom can keep a shirt shop open, but there
you have it.

It makes sense to sell food, drinks, newspapers, books and magazines at
a station. It don't make sense to sell anything else, as can be seen by
the fairly fast turnover of shops trying to sell anything else.
--
Chris Hansen | chrishansenhome at btinternet dot com

Kevin: "I'm a atheist and I don't want a pervy priest saying any last rites
over me!"
Bob: "Cross-posting top-posters go straight to hell anyway ..."
from alt.obituaries