The Good and Bad of Shopping in Today’s World
Have you ever wondered why we shop the way we do? Since the invention of online shopping, thousands have opted to shop at online retailers, while many still choose the traditional route, the brick and mortar store. What is it that drives us to the internet sites or brick and mortar retailers? Is it the sales, the store hour availability, or the need of social interaction? Although both methods of shopping have striking similarities, they also have significant differences that appeal to and attract consumers.
Brick and mortar and internet shopping seemingly mirror each other. Two features that online and B&M share the types of merchandise for sale, and entities that one can trust who have well established reputations. Online shops offer a multitude of merchandise. Amazon.com for instance has over 3.6 million items to choose from. Sometimes the pages of merchandise can seem endless. Within a physical retail store; the isles and racks of goods can supersede what the eye can see. Many of the giant retailers have different floors of merchandise. Macy’s flag ship store in NYC has 10 floors, including the basement. One can quickly become overwhelmed at the variety and choices offered by both. Online and B&M stores are operated by names that we have come to trust and can easily identify; Walmart is one that comes to mind. Even some smaller entities such as TJ Maxx have a retail store and an online division. While these are great similarities there are some major differences between each modality.
One of the differences between online and B&M shopping is their hours of availability. Online stores are open 24 hours a day. A person who wants to make a shoe purchase at three a.m. can do so. Th...
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...lfills our desire to mingle amongst others. The people around you acknowledge your presence, with a nod of the head, or an associate inquiring as to whether you need assistance. As a whole this meets our societal needs.
Coupon codes and sales are wallet friendly, and every bargain hunters dream, unless one feels sifting through circulars are more appealing. Limited operational availability can be frustrating when one forgot that ever important last minute Christmas gift, which in turn can ordered at midnight and arrives the very next day causing smiles appear instead of tears. The contact we crave with others is fulfilled by outings to stores, unless one desires the company of self. Whether it is the sales, availability, or socialization that drives us to shop online or in a traditional brick store, personal preference is the ultimate reason for in which we shop.
Shopping is not simply a chore; it is also an experience. Shopping for clothing is a particularly personal decision, and various motivating factors can cause one shopper to choose a particular store over another store. Some consumers go to the store to confirm that they belong to a certain social stratum, others because they enjoy the thrill of a bargain. According to Daniel Miller in ‘Making Love in Super Markets’, the behavior of consumers in supermarkets tends to fall into two categories: ‘treat’ shoppers and ‘thrift’ shoppers.
Here I go again preparing to go to the store Stater Bros and checking my shopping list to see what to buy. As I walk through the store to my left, I can see the organic food and wind up at Services Deli while when going to my right. Buying prepared food saves me time cooking at home and the store has exclusive recipes for everyone. “Human begins walk the way they drive, which is to say that Americans tend to keep to the right when they stroll down shopping mall concourses or city sidewalks,” according to Malcolm Gladwell in his article “The Science of Shopping” (1). He explains how consumers’ shopping behaviors are affected by walking from scanning from left to the right and how it is easier for shoppers to do. Charles Duhigg, writer of The Power of Habit, says that “Realization came from a growing awareness of how powerfully habits influence almost every shopping decision. A series of experiments convinced marketers that if they managed to understand a particular shopper’s habits, they could get
Being a multi-billion dollar retailer comes with its perks. JCPenney’s dominance over catalog merchandising has now extended into the cyber world at www.jcpenney.com. This website is multi-functional and easy to navigate, but how would JCPenney’s new e-commerce site stack up against its toughest competitor, Kohl’s, on the web? The answer may surprise you. This is an intriguing look at how varied retail comparisons can be. While JCPenney is struggling with sales on the retail floor, Kohl’s continues to exceed expectations in their stores. Online though, it is a completely different story.
Companies realize what people need and they take it as sources to produce commodities. However, companies which have famous brands try to get people’s attention by developing their products. Because there are several options available of commodities, people might be in a dilemma to choose what product they looking for. In fact, that dilemma is not real, it is just what people want. That is what Steve McKevitt claims in his article “Everything Now”. When people go shopping there are limitless choices of one product made by different companies, all choices of this product basically do the same thing, but what makes them different is the brand’s name. Companies with brands are trying to get their consumers by presenting their commodities in ways which let people feel impressed, and that are some things they need to buy. This is what Anne Norton discussed in her article “The Signs of Shopping”. People are often deceived by some famous brands, which they will buy as useless commodities to feel they are distinctive.
The growing popularity of online retailing is attracting competition from traditional and online multi-retailers such as Wal-Mart and Amazon which are gaining considerable market shares in many of the product segments included in the specialty retail sector.
In a world ran by money, Paco Underhill has discovered a way for stores to generate a larger profit. In “The Science of Shopping”, Malcolm Gladwell reports on retail anthropologists to examine their theories they use. Gladwell does this to inform store managers on how to set up their stores to maximize their profits. Paco Underhill has shopping down to a science. Inside American Eagle, Meijer and Hollister his theories of the decompression zone, invariant right, and zoning can be found.
Who doesn’t like shopping? I can’t name one person. Phyllis rose states many positive qualities in her essay “Shopping and Other Spiritual Adventures in America Today”. One of the positives qualities she mentions about shopping is that it’s a form of therapy. Being that I love to shop. Rather it’s online or going to the stores it’s something I also find very therapeutic. You don't really need, let's say, another sweater. You need the feeling of power that comes with buying or not buying it. You need the feeling that someone wants something you have--even if it's just your money. To get the benefit of shopping, you needn't actually purchase the sweater. After a long stressful work or school day there’s nothing more relaxing than walking around
When comparing two different ways of shopping most people do not even think about the difference, they do both and not even realize it. In today's society people shop while at work, after work and on the weekends, whenever time permits. Stop and think how can I get more time in the day for family or just myself? The best way to figure that out with all the recourses we have is to go into a store and spend time looking through racks and waiting in endless lines to just purchase something. I compared going into a store verses online shopping; to see which one will save you time and money.
When people enter into retail shops, they can sometimes find cameras on the corner of the ceiling. People usually guess that the purpose of the cameras in stores is to monitor and protect criminal activities. In addition to preventing people and shop being stolen, it gives a lot of information to retailers and gives safety environment for customers to shop. But, some people insist that it can be used to manipulate customers and is unethical. However, I disagree with the idea that the surveillance of consumers by retail anthropologists is manipulative and unethical.
Online and in-store shopping differentiates in various ways. However, they both are convenient ways to shop. Recently, online shopping has been most convenient for me, but I enjoy both ways of shopping. I believe that shopping preferences change depending on a person’s situation. I noticed that many people are starting to prefer online shopping more than in-store shopping.
Buyers have fewer restrictions than traditional shopping. Traditional shopping has the stress of long lines, and limited business hours. Whereas, online shopping gives purchasers the capability to compare prices, shop 24/7, and no hassle in waiting in long lines. Online shopping stores offer a variety of items: clothing, food, electronics, tools, 1)and health and beauty items. The online stores also offer free shipping, next day shipping, easy returns, price matching and pre-ordering. Why would anyone want to go back to the hassle of traditional shopping when you have the world of shopping at your
When comparing two different ways of shopping most people do not even think about, they do both and not even realize it. In today?s society people shop while at work, after work and on the weekends, whenever time permits. Did you ever stop and think how can I get more time in the day for family or just myself? The best way to figure out with all the recourses we have; still most of us go into a store and spend time looking through racks and waiting in endless line to just purchase something. I compared going into a store verses online shopping; to see which on will save you time and money.
Customers are quick to fall into the category of “belonging” found in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. They feel as if in order to belong or to feel loved and respected by others they must try to attain what everyone else has or wants. This is especially true during the holiday season when people feel that what they buy reflects how they feel about the people they buy presents for. If you feel that you must purchase a certain present that you know will be out of stock and hard to find, you are better off shopping online or by mail. Shopping online and by mail is becoming the new wave of shopping and it is a smart, convenient, and timesaving process.
In today’s era “INTERNET” is playing a significant role in our daily life. People can walk through the internet to one who is actually living on the different side of the planet, can send mails round the clock, search information & even buy things online. With this invention of internet there is a shift in traditional way of shopping. Now there is no need to open a physical store. One can be active at any time and place and purchase products and services. The number of users of internet is increasing day by day which means that online shopping is increasing. Various characteristics of online shopping is making it more convenient for the customers, as compared to traditional way of shopping such as the ability to view and purchase goods and
Shopping is something that has to be done whether you enjoy it or not to get essentials needed. We all go places where merchandize is being sold for a specific reason. Whether you go to the mall, shopping centers, or your local grocery store, you 'll always encounter many types of shoppers. Shopping isn’t always as fun as it sounds to everyone, but it is something we often do. This is the only way we get products we need, by personally buying them. You have three main shoppers including impulse buyers, list makers, and bargain hunters.