Today's bookstore experience.

Today I was in Strand paying for my book when the attendant asked me if I wanted a bag.

The answer is always "Yes".

The reason is because the bag represents much more than a bag, it represents your brand, it's not only free advertisement but it's part of the "Strand" experience. One does not go to a Strand when you could get the same book you could get much cheaper in e-bay for example. You go to Strand because the environment, because the enormous selection and the cool looking bohemian people all over the place, either attendants or just buyers. The strand experience goes far beyond the store and before you even start reading the book. You want people to see you go to the cool bookstore, you want your friends to ask you what the bag is and you tell them how cool of a bookstore Strand is and you want them to go buy books so they can come back and thank you for sending them to such a awesome place. Or if they know it, you want to talk about how cool the store is. In the end everyone likes to be cool, right?