I’m always surprised by what I see for sale from street vendors.

Santa hats at Christmas and bug zappers during the rainy season make some sense. They’re seasonal purchases.

Tall stacks of candied apples and cotton candy, I understand. They’re like the candy aisle at the grocery store. Aimed at the kids in the back seat. Bought by desperate parents hoping for a little peace on the way to Costco.

But other offerings have me shaking my head.

Bed trays for instance. With the number of bed trays I see passing by my window, you’d think that they’re a staple in every home. Sort of like big screen TVs. 

But even if that’s true, the market is saturated. It’s not like bed trays need to be changed like sheets.   

And windshield wipers. This might seem like a good product heading into rainy season. 

Except that every time I’ve needed to replace windshield wipers, I’ve had to hunt through this little book in the aisle of Walmart to get the right one to fit my car. Even then, I’ve never gotten it right on the first try. 

I suppose it’s possible that someone’s developed a universal wiper by now. If that’s the case, they need to advertise that fact because some of us aren’t always on top of the latest advances. Some of us still carry flip phones.  

It just seems to me that the sellers on the street are missing the mark and would be well advised to do a little market research. 

Because all those people in their cars aren’t heading out to buy windshield wipers or Lucha Libre masks. More likely a dozen eggs, or a little flour, or a triple A battery for the remote control for that big screen TV.

If the sellers aren’t offering any of these practical things, then they need to zero in on the impulse buyers.

This is where I can help. Because, trust me, I know impulse buying. And unless that bed tray or selfie stick has a big “50% off” sign on it, I’m not going to give it a second look.

A box of Double Stuffed Oreos or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream, though?

You’ve made a sale.