This week in attempt to prepare for a getaway with my husband, I decided to take a trip to the mall. I don’t frequent the mall. I find the selection in Germany, well at least the city I live in, to be a tad too practical.
After being overwhelmed with all the walking and trying on for just under an hour, I decided to grab a few items pay for them and try them on in the comfort of my own home and then return them if I didn’t like them. I can’t believe I am actually saying this, but it felt like the most burdensome thing I have done in a long time.
I didn’t realise how much my attitude towards shopping had changed. Shopping had always been something I enjoyed and looked forward to from a very young age. The 20-year-old me would gladly have spent a day roaming the town. Walking through the arcade on Water Street, on Saturdays in pursuit of a hot top for a bargain price was like treasure hunting. There was an excitement I thought would never leave me. Is this the new me? Or is this a passing feeling as a result of the constant pondering about what 30 has in store for me? It feels like patience for anything that takes up too much of my time is now a big inconvenience.
Perhaps it is the fact that we now have online shopping to compare it with, but the options and hassle-free process of shopping online make visiting brick and mortar stores feel like punishment. This got me thinking. Despite the fact that returning items to online stores might be problematic, especially if you live in Guyana, in my opinion, the benefits of the variety that online shopping offers, outweigh the issues. Then there is the fact that it takes away the physical burden of malls and brick and mortar stores. And with consumers becoming more tech savvy, what will this mean for local boutiques?
In store shopping, if anything, needs to adapt a more experiential focus. It needs to give the consumer both tangible and intangible benefits that can’t be replaced. It should be less about the product and more about the way the shopping experience takes place. I am not saying throw a bed in the store so I can laze and try on garments in my own time. But small changes towards a more hedonistic experience can benefit both the store and the customer. Adaptation of the consumer’s lifestyle isn’t something anyone should be overlooking. Life has become stressful; situations change and so does consumer loyalty. Stores are going to want to be prepared.
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