When was the last time you read about a trending product in GQ followed by the words available at your local gas station? Probably never—and I wouldn’t hold your breath for its happening anytime soon. As their names imply, the very nature of convenience stores is to provide common access to in-demand staples (which apparently translates primarily to Gatorade, beef jerky, and gummy bears). In addition to their being convenient places to shop for everyday items, the convenience store is also a great indicator of something called commonality.
To be clear, there’s no law that says commonality at all correlates with quality—but there is a very firm law that says it will get you far fewer brownie points than innovation when it comes to buying gifts for your significant other…
The Case for Specialty
I don’t think it’s necessary to explain why we shouldn’t purchase tokens of affection at convenience stories (this also extends to flowers if you’ve not yet read our Men’s Valentine’s Day Flower Guide), but I think we can all benefit by taking this rule a step further and not buying our loved ones any gifts widely available at convenience stores.
This, of course, means venturing outside the world of boxed chocolates. (If you fear change, I suggest you revisit the logic above and ask yourself the following: which is going to make someone feel more special, the same gift all of their coworkers are going to receive—and likely have received every year since grade school—or something a bit more unique? Bingo.)
The Macaron, In Particular
I recently switched from buying truffles to buying macarons (not macaroons), and it seems I’m not the only one. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they’re often gluten-free and lower in calories and fat than typical truffles. (Not that you should suggest anyone needs fewer calories.)
It’s not too late to make the change—and to order online if you can’t find them in your local bakery. RICHART makes something unique called the Chocomac® that’s a hybrid between chocolates and macarons—and they’re offering free two-day shipping on all orders above $50 until February 12 with the coupon code “valentine.”
