Don’t Just Consume, Prosume

Backyard Living & Staycationing Are you a "prosumer?"

A hybrid of the words "producer" and "consumer," prosumers are customers who want a hand in developing the products they buy or in determining how they are made. This can mean designing your own products and selling them online, choosing to buy from merchandisers who support certain policies or charities, or by proactively appealing to established businesses to add special features or customized products.

Be A Prosumer This Holiday Season

Instead of a trip to the mall, consider picking up unique handcrafted items for holiday gifts. Websites such as Etsy.com, link shoppers to artisans who ply baked goods, accessories, purses, furniture, needlework, ceramics, and a host of other items. Shoppers can also plug in the town of their choice to find local shops and artisans.

Thinking green? Consider Biggreenpurse.com, which encourages shoppers to be eco-friendly, provides green-living tips, and links to sites that offer earth-friendly items, such as organic teas, lead-free lipsticks, and fair trade chocolates.

Other sites, such as Personalwine.com allow you to select a fine wine and create a personalized label commemorating a wedding, birth, sales event or other special occasion. Makeyourownjeans.com invites you to plug in their specifications and design their own custom made pre-washed jeans to be delivered to their doorstep. Their slogan? The very definition of prosumerism: "People are not mass produced, why should their jeans be?"

Other Ways to "Prosume"

Of course, you will most likely visit traditional retailers this holiday season, but that is no reason not to carry the spirit of the prosumer with you. Ask store employees about unadvertised coupons or sales starting up that week. Many retailers offer special discounts and coupons through customer loyalty programs.

If a large department store near you is advertising special holiday discounts, consider stopping by after six p.m. the previous evening. A little known secret of the retail world is that sale prices are often loaded into store computer system the evening before!

And, as always, the smart prosumer is always alert when shopping online. Make sure you are dealing with a reputable retailer, and that they have a secure server. Never give out your online password or PIN number, and save all website information, receipts, and tracking information. Remember, a smart consumer is also a prosumer.