Of course, one of the other staples of any holiday weekend, especially one where millions of hard-working Americans find themselves with an extra day off, are in-store sales. Dozens, even hundreds, of ads proclaim the great deals that can be had from sea to shining sea. I did venture to the local shopping mall at the behest of my daughter, who at four is a verified shop-a-holic, and the sea of people I found there was fairly reminiscent of the sea of people that had been present the day before on the National mall.

I didn’t find too many great deals, but since my mind is never far from direct selling, as I was watching the crowd and sipping on my lite coffee Frappuccino while we took a quick rest, I was reminded that shopping in the home offers respite from several common aspect of the mall that are often better left behind:

• crowded parking lots and stores, especially around the holidays
• salespeople who aren’t familiar with the products
• impersonal shopping experiences that don’t provide a high level of customer service

Instead, direct selling takes place in the comfort of your own home (or the home of a friend, relative or coworker) with a knowledgeable sales representative who cares a lot about her products and works hard to personalize each shopping experience.

Clearly, direct selling will never completely replace retail shopping. I shop at the mall like most others, but it’s nice to know that direct selling can offer a little independence from the traditional shopping experience.