Is It Memorex?

I was browsing Facebook a few days ago and this ad popped up. The shop looked very sweet, and its location (judging by the glimpse of the street out the door) just the same.

Then I noticed that the shop is in Asheville, NC . 

I'm going to be in Asheville at the end of the month. I love shopping in areas that look like this; a pretty street with small, independent, local shops. I've been to Asheville a few times and I have not found what looks like this nice shopping area. 

I searched Google maps to find out where the shop is located. 

Other shops and restaurants popped up that have "sisters" in their names,

but no Smith Shop. 

I really wanted to find this shop. 

I wanted to see this boutique that claims it is built on family values and is family owned. 

I do like to support local shop owners, and perhaps "help two sisters hold on" as suggested 

in the advertisement. 

I found an email address and wrote the shop, asking where they were located,

as I would love to stop in.

And, promptly I received a friendly response.

Here's the first few paragraphs:

Hi Cyndi,

Thank you for reaching out! Since store name operates exclusively online, we do not have a physical location for trying on items. However....

....We are a a legitimate stored dedicated to providing high-quality products and excellent customer service....

....If you have any other questions, fell free to ask. We're here to assist you!

Warm regards,

Mich 

Customer Support Team

 

Did you catch the oddity in the first paragraph?

In the second sentence?

"Since store name operates exclusively...."

Poof! There went my vision of stopping by this area in Asheville to check out the cute shops.

Tthe cute little shop with the two sisters running it isn't exactly real.

The sweet street doesn't seem to exist, well, maybe someplace.

And, maybe Mich, who closed the email 'with warm regards' isn't a real person.

Remember the old ad, "Is it real, or is it Memorex?"

I guess we now have to ask,

Is it real, or is it AI?!

Or, perhaps the nostalgic ad is a smokescreen for a colossal foreign retailer 

having multiple "store fronts" to hawk their goods. 

I don't know - do you?!

I think I'd like to harken back to a simpler, slower, more concrete time.