According to statistics, shopping is now considered one of the most popular pastimes in the developed world. We spend an average of 15 hours a week on shopping related activities. So what is it about shopping that we enjoy so much? T he answer is that different aspects of the all-round shopping experience appeal to different people. For some it’s the browsing and comparing goods to get a bargain which they enjoy. For others it’s the social experience of actually going into shops with friends or relatives and looking at and trying things together. But whether you like to shop online or in-store, in your local high street or at big shopping malls, be prepared for big changes in the way we buy and sell goods over the next few years. The whole shopping experience has evolved enormously in the last few years, and it’s about to change even more. Undoubtedly, the way we shop has changed considerably over the last two decades. One significant change which has already had far-reaching consequences has been the move away from individual specialist shops on the high street to shopping malls and large supermarkets in the suburbs. These enormous retail centers are designed to help us save time in our busy lives by presenting a whole range of different items for sale in one place. This is convenient as it means shoppers don’t have to make time-consuming trips to different parts of town to find all the things they need. Planners also encourage shoppers to spend as much time in shopping centres as possible by including cafes and restaurants where they can eat and relax, and sometimes even leisure facilities like cinemas. The idea is to transform shopping there into a complete day out, an experience, rather than a simple necessity. And it seems that many people love this new way of shopping. T he success of malls has, however, changed the centres of our towns forever. Small businesses that can’t afford to compete with the chain stores in shopping malls, have had to close and there are now fewer and fewer shops in town centres.
Another important change is the way we shop is seen in the massive increase in the number of people who now shop online. Retailers must have a web site and offer their customers the possibility to order their goods via the Internet, as well as in their stores, if they want to be successful today. The development of shopping websites has meant that people can easily browse, order and pay for goods with their tablet or smartphone while sitting at home in their living rooms. The online phenomenon has also resulted in a massive change in the way we pay for goods – cash is already almost a thing of the past – and a huge increase in the growth of delivery companies
bringing the goods we order direct to our homes. Now it’s no longer a case of the shopper going to the shop, but of the shop coming to the shopper!
So, what will the next big change in shopping habits be? Smart technology is already able to build a profile of our preferences and tastes from our search history online and retailers use this information to send us advertisements for similar goods which it thinks we might like to buy. Other types of technology are also being tested which can send advertising messages to our phones as we pass by different stores to encourage us to go in and buy their goods, information about special offers, discounts and new products. However, retail technology is about to go one big step further. Imagine that you are out window shopping one evening and see something that
you would like to buy but the shop is closed. Soon, smartphone technology will be so advanced that you’ll be able to simply point your phone at the item in the window and … buy it! If you’d like to check the cost before you decide to pay, you’ll be able to check prices for the item in other stores via a link to a price comparison website. If you find the goods cheaper in another store you can send that information back to the store and you’ll receive an automatic discount. All that’s left for you to do is to pay remotely using your credit card details, then wait for your goods to arrive at you home. What could be easier?
Read the article about shopping. Are these statements True (T ), False (F) or is the information Not Mentioned(NM)?
There are now fewer small shops in town centres than there were 20 years ago.
Shops need to have a website if they want to be successful.
Successful retailers today only need a website, not a shop, to sell their goods.
Shoppers want to live near enormous retail centres.
There has been a big increase in the number of delivery companies as a result of online
shopping.
In the future technology will allow us to buy goods we imagine wherever we are.