A mystical part of life

Shopping induces the feeling of achievement, ecstasy, admiration and a sense of solace for individuals. Like floating in paradise or being present on cloud 9. Shopping is an experience, expression of emotions and feelings. Retail therapy as we know it, is a key mantra for individuals as they seek excitement in the products they buy or services they seek. Individuals are gaga over collecting apparels, accessories, footwear, timepieces, gems, jewels, candies, chocolates or whatever gives them happiness. One can envisage happiness from any brand that they are loyal to, be it a mass or luxury brand. When one buys a box of chocolates or let’s say go grocery shopping or just running errands, that too evokes feelings of joy, we spend time at different aisles searching for our favourite ketchup brand, the Oreo cookies we devour during our cheat days, the lil stationary items we’d like to collect like pens, sketch pens, stickie notes and more. At the mall or departmental store one may observe shoppers baffled as they ponder whether they are buying something merely based on their impulse or do they really need it. Sometimes they end up making a rationale or scenarios in their mind that whatever they are buying will not go in vain/ wasted. Some can fight their impulsive behaviour whilst some may give in and purchase items that would be found dumped in their wardrobes for years!!! unused !!! In fact window-shopping, online shopping or merely window online shopping enamours individuals as they are consumed by the aura of the brands. It makes one feel relaxed after a full day of hard work and commuting. In addition they can stay in touch with the latest fashion trends, gourmet trends, gaming trends and so forth.

Shopping is a dreamy experience, however it can become a nightmare if one gets addicted for the purpose of seeking instant gratification (a homogenous trait amongst the younger generation like millennials, Gen Z) . One may possess inherent traits of a shopaholic ending up creating huge debt or bad debt for themselves just like the protagonist in the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic.

Shopping has usually had an inherent feminine connotation. It is certainly true as women have a demanding wardrobe to adorably construct v/s a man. Their wardrobe starts of by jostling apparels (shirts, trousers, skirts, jeans, jackets, coats, dresses, occasion wear, formal wear, causal wear, lounge wear and so forth) in shops swamped up by alike shoppers, followed by identifying matching footwear (sandals, heels, boots, sneakers, trainers...)accessories (lockets, earrings, rings, hair accessories), jewels or gems, handbags, timepieces, sunglasses, make up (duh) how can one miss that. It really is a Herculean task to construct a female wardrobe v/s a man’s wardrobe, no doubt.

Men who are Shopaholics were usually seen under the lens as possessing feminine habits however this is not true in today’s age and time. All individuals have the right to dress up and groom themselves that elevates their self confidence in today’s fast paced changing world. No such stereotype exists today in the modern day consumerism. The notion that shopping was a medium through which social class was exhibited, too seems bleak in the present time. As even luxury brands aim to entice millennials into purchasing their products. Or have introduced a spectrum of products that can meet their budgets and lead to sales for the company. They can’t just rely on a certain set of customers as they did in the olden days. It is evidently true as one is surrounded by individuals carrying LV, Gucci YSL or Prada bags etc, wearing LV shoes, or high end branded jackets, timepieces and so forth everyday.

Shopping is just not about buying the products but something much beyond that. Experiencing the brand and its flagship stores! Getting lost into their existence, the stories behind their creation, living their journey from the past to present day. Admiring the colossal flagship stores with every floor dedicated to different target audience, the architecture, structure, the plush interiors, rich velvet, sparking chandeliers, the fragrance of the brands remarkable perfumes, leather products, the beauty of the puffy fur items, the glittering and gleaming handbags, sparkling footwear like they have just arrived to the shop from the factory, the super generous service, the smiles on the face of customers as they make their purchases and the smiling faces of the staff who live the brand everyday.

In fact, shopping and the creation of departmental stores has played a significant role in history for liberating women, from the general engrained stereotypes of staying at home and performing the role of a wife and mother. Consumerism’s birth was followed by the radical industrial revolution in the early 1900s. Department stores were a symbol of sovereignty for women in those days. The advent of shopping uplifted them as they stepped out to leave their homes and abandoning chores, getting acquainted to the outside world. Women were encouraged to shop for themselves and their family, socialise with friends and familiarise with leisure based activities at small tea rooms (at departmental stores ) : an experience to cherish mindfully. Department stores saw women as the biggest untapped consumers contributing to the success of businesses and the economy.

Advertisements targeted and propagated the idea of a ideal fashionable women, meeting hygiene etiquette, dressing etiquette, make up etiquette, appearance grooming and so forth unravelling their inner beauty, strength and independence. Furthermore departmental stores opened doors of employment for women.

In fact to one’s surprise...the launch of stores such as the illustrious Selfridges led to a rise in cases of kleptomania amongst well to do women as they reportedly shoplifted napkins, handkerchiefs and similar items. This highlights the extent to which consumerism led to an influx of temptations amongst consumers to meet their pleasures and desires. Women claimed that department stores were temples of temptation as they created a desire amongst consumers to purchase their shimmering and glittering products.

Departmental stores were apt locations for Suffragettes to conduct meeting during the suffragette movement and in fact were courageous enough during the movement to, vandalise the same shopping areas they once desired.

However the consumerism of yesterday and today has given rise to the accumulation of waste and e-waste as individuals want to be owners of the latest fashion items and technological products. ‘A new iPhone every year, the new mac product every year, the latest fashion designs every year’. In order to take advantage of this human weakness, brands have been reducing the product life cycles so consumers, would constantly purchase their products. Same can be construed from events like Black Friday sales, Amazon Prime day sales and the alike. Unfortunately this is how the consumer mind has always functioned (seeking instant gratification from their purchases), perhaps also a way to distinguish themselves from others. Influencer marketers too propagate products influencing millions to purchase products from brands that are sponsoring the influencer be it from make up to clothing brands.

Today with the gaming industry booming and metaverse in the making and grapevine, brands are enticing gamers to use their products such as Gucci skin for their online avatars. The only difference is that it won’t cause any pollution at least, it will be the digital world after all. An advantage for brands actually. But the craze for consumerism is still alive within individuals. However being in the metaverse will require huge computing power that will intern use massive amounts of power and ultimately pollute the environment. Like the use of blockchain or quantum computing will gulp humongous amounts of power. We may have carbon free blockchains, NFTs , gaming and quantum computing. The future is uncertain to predict. Unfortunately every invention does have unintended consequences to it as well!

One can bifurcate two types of consumers, ones who are hardcore environmental enthusiasts and activists and will only support environmentally friendly brands and the second are merely brand babies tempted to buy the latest gem of products.

Fast fashion was the norm and trend few years ago, however brands were urged to change their outlook towards business and focus on the environment as well. Sustainable fashion paved a way for itself in the market, as brands compete to remain relevant in the new age dominated by the Gen Z and Alpha who are inherently super enthusiastic environmentalists. Patagonia, Tentree, Toms, Stella McCartney, Everlane, Lacausa, ninety percent and may more are emerging disruptive brands of the future. In fact these brands don’t mass produce as well to avoid waste therefore they seem to not be omnipresent around the world. Same approach has been adopted by electronic companies as they have in place recycling programs to create new products from old ones and trade in policies to return old products for new ones. A circular economy approach and reverse logistics is a need of the hour and all stakeholders together can solve this puzzle for a better and sustainable future.

Like shopping, having an OTT account is also like consuming a service, the concept of binge watching is not apt for an individuals health, but they enjoy it and feel a part of the movement. Fast food brands are grilled for serving their customers unhealthy food or maybe using impure ingredients to save cost or treating their employees in an unfair manner or sourcing their ingredients in an unsustainable manner or unfair treatment of their suppliers or vendors. Many brands have been brought to the lime light for not so positive reasons, however to survive in this era, they need to adopt environmentally friendly and socially friendly practices.

Gamers spend a huge proportion of their day gaming which is again very dangerous for their health. As the metaverse will come into existence people will need to keep a track of their screen time. Going to a salon or restaurant is also an activity which consumers need to be weary of, especially on the matter of what products or ingredients are being used, as business owners focus on saving costs. For instance Starbucks incidents of using less milk in their products, Tesco’s horse meat scandal, replacing beef in an array of their products and several more renowned brands have been under fire. Same is true with car manufacturers, recall the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Such events are giving rise to electronic vehicles around the world. Brands have one option to survive in the environmentalist era, adapt to it, adapt their processes to be sustainable and adapt a new organisational culture. Green washing will get nobody anywhere except, them being remembered as a one hit wonder in history.

Shopping is a feeling that can give one a temporary happiness however its addiction can not only harm an individual but future generations due to increasing pollution and detrimental impacts on the environment. Hence it’s everybody’s responsibility to become a responsible shopper and at the same time enjoy the process.