Its one of those quirky features of British life that no sooner has one collective spending binge finished than another begins. Stores that were heaving right up to Christmas Eve fill up again days later for the January sales. If shopping is the new religion, we are in the middle of holy month. This current phase has its own characteristics: right now the most popular counter is the one marked customer services. Youll see lines of people clutching receipts, anxious to exchange presents that never made the grade. Youll hear arguments about cash refunds, credit notes and straight swaps. The scene is that of a postChristmas hangover, full of retail regret.There was a time when I would have looked warmly on such a display. Surely this was consumer power in action: individuals asserting their rights against the corporations, forcing big business to do their bidding. In this rosy view, every pair of gloves returned for cash was a step on the way towards a new consumer democracy. Capitalism could no longer do what it liked. From now on the consumer the people would be in charge. In some corners of the market, that upbeat thinking still holds good. The simple act of flying Ryanair or easyJet has forced the likes of British Airways to cut their fares. Every consumer who has ever ferreted out cheap CDs or DVDs online can claim credit for obliging highstreet shops to chop their prices to keep up.

Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2004/jan/07/consumeraffairs.jonathanfreedland