Retired people like free stuff

With the new RONA store opening at Preston Crossing, an interesting revelation has come to light. Retired people like free stuff. Or maybe it is just my Dad. He has been up every morning to go stand in line at the new store so he can be one of the first 500 people there so he can get free stuff. Wednesday – tape measure (my Dad already has about 16 of these) Thursday – work gloves (again, there are already multiple pairs of these strewn throughout the workspaces in the house) Friday – shopping bag (I really don’t need to comment here do I?) Saturday – he insisted that Mom go with him so they can both get a $5 gift card (ok that one may have been worth while) and today, Sunday – a Rona baseball hat. Now the hat is nice, and well fitted, but I doubt that my dad will ever wear it. When my dad does wear a baseball hat, it is to do work in the yard, and he wears an old UGG hat with the mesh and plastic adjust strap in the back that he does up too small so it sits on top of his head. This new Rona hat will probably sit on the shelf for years, because it is too dressy.

My Dad will drive a fair distance and take up a good chunk of the day in order to get something for free. It is not just him though, he insists that he has seen the same group of people at the store every day. All retired. If the stores that run these promotions think they are building brand loyalty by these giveaways, they are mistaken. If Home Depot were to give away free doughnuts and coffee next week, these same people would all be stopping in there, or at least my Dad would.