When Wordsmith sent out "Retail Therapy" as its A.Word.A.Day, I forwarded it to my wife and three daughters, since the phrase has become part of our family lexicon. My eldest daughter, an industrial engineer with a major "fashion retailer," sent the following reply:
We Nordstrom employees (and stock owners) often pray for a resurgence of this specific type of therapeutic treatment. Yet, some of those same employees often struggle with the internal, personal conflict of supporting such an addiction while simultaneously hoping for a decrease in the overall level of consumerism in today's society--but that internal struggle can usually be muffled with the right pair of 8.5 N tan leather boots with matching jacket. Or the right shade of lipstick.