essay on the pleasure of real shopping

Why We Really Shop

The emotions driving our purchases are at least as important as the items we buy.

Posted June 11, 2014 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

We think of shopping in terms of what we buy. But the reason we spend money goes beyond just acquiring things. Shopping, like almost everything we do, is the pursuit of pleasure. It is part of our daily search for happiness .

Psychologist Daniel Kahneman thinks there is a problem with the word happiness . He believes that the word really has two meanings relative to our well-being, each describing a different source of happiness.

One is momentary pleasure— for example, the happiness someone might experience every time they wear a designer outfit or drive a new car. The other is life satisfaction . If someone has had the goal for a long time to always be on the cutting edge of technology, owning an iPhone 6 or Google Glass will bring satisfaction-driven happiness.

Researchers at two U.S. universities conducted studies about the happiness associated with consumer products. 1 That research framed happiness in terms of "wanting what you have" versus "having what you want." The findings support Kahneman’s belief in these two dimensions:

• Pleasure from “wanting what you have” implies that it is derived from use , creating happiness in the moment . Happiness results from experiencing what they bought. People who want what they have more than others do tend to be happier.
• “Having what you want” implies that a goal preceded the acquisition. Happiness results from the satisfaction derived from accomplishing the goal. People who have more of what they want than others do also tend to be happier.

Thus, happiness does not come specifically from the objects we buy. It is an emotion associated with our motivations for making those purchases.

Think about all the possible motivations you could have for purchasing a car. These motivations exist on multiple levels and contexts. Take, for example, the experience of driving a car with the latest design and engineering features; social comparison —the statement a new car makes about your status; self- identity —the implications it has regarding financial and career success; your ideal self— the contribution it makes to your self perception; and self-actualization— the fact that it is a "better" car than any that your parents had.

For every individual, one or several motivations will likely have greater importance than others. Positive emotions result from the degree to which the purchase satisfies these primary motives and fulfills your expectations.

The same is true of every product category. Studies we have done have shown the importance of a personality match between consumers and snack-brand imagery; the underlying need for control over life among aging consumers, who take over-the-counter medications; the power that personalized treatment and recognition has in perceptions of banks and other financial institutions; and many other motivations which, when satisfied, evoke positive emotions among consumers.

Yet, in spite of overwhelming evidence that consumer behavior is driven toward positive emotions evoked by satisfying motivations, marketers continue to focus advertising and promotion on their products’ features and attributes. They would be more successful if they shifted their perspective and looked at their products through the mind, and emotions, of the consumer.

1Is Happiness Having What You Want, Wanting What You Have, or Both?, Jeff T. Larsen and Amie R. McKibban, Psychological Science , Volume 19, Number 4, 2008

Peter Noel Murray, Ph.D., is principal of a consumer psychology practice in New York City. Dr. Murray's specialty is the psychological drivers of consumer behavior, with emphasis on emotion.

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Essay on Shopping

Students are often asked to write an essay on Shopping in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Shopping

What is shopping.

Shopping is an activity where people buy goods or services. It is done in shops, markets, or online. These places have a variety of items like clothes, food, electronics, and more. People can choose what they need or want.

Types of Shopping

There are two main types of shopping: in-store and online. In-store shopping means going to physical shops. Online shopping is done on the internet, using websites or apps. Both types have their own benefits.

Why We Shop

People shop for many reasons. Some shop for basic needs like food and clothes. Others shop for fun or to buy gifts. Shopping can also help people feel good and enjoy their time.

Shopping and Economy

Shopping is important for the economy. When people buy things, it helps businesses grow. This can lead to more jobs and wealth. So, shopping not only satisfies our needs but also helps the economy.

Smart Shopping

250 words essay on shopping.

Shopping is an activity where people buy goods or services. It can be done in different places like shops, malls, or online. People shop for many things like food, clothes, toys, and books. Shopping can be fun and exciting, especially when you find something you really like or need.

There are two main types of shopping: in-store and online. In-store shopping means going to a physical store to buy things. You can touch and see the items before you buy them. Online shopping is when you buy things on the internet. You can shop from home or anywhere with a computer or phone. It’s easy and convenient, but you can’t touch or see the items before buying.

Why do People Shop?

People shop for many reasons. Some shop because they need things like food or clothes. Others shop for fun, to pass time, or to find new things. Shopping can also be a way to relax and enjoy. Some people even shop as a hobby.

In conclusion, shopping is a common activity that people do for different reasons. Whether it’s in-store or online, shopping can be a fun and exciting experience. It’s a way for people to buy what they need or want, and sometimes, it’s just a way to have fun and relax.

500 Words Essay on Shopping

Shopping is a common activity that we all do. It means buying things we need or want. We can shop for food, clothes, toys, books, and many other things. Shopping can be done in many places like stores, markets, and even online. It is an important part of our daily life.

Places for Shopping

There are many places where we can go shopping. Supermarkets are big stores where we can buy many different things like food, clothes, and household items. Smaller stores or shops sell specific things. For example, a toy store sells toys, a book store sells books, and a clothing store sells clothes.

Another place to shop is at a market. Markets can be indoors or outdoors. They often sell fresh food, handmade items, and second-hand goods. Some markets are only open on certain days of the week.

Why Do We Shop?

We shop for many reasons. We need to buy food to eat and clothes to wear. We also shop to buy gifts for others on special occasions like birthdays or holidays. Sometimes, we shop for fun. It can be exciting to buy new things, especially if they are things we have been saving up for.

Responsible Shopping

Even though shopping can be fun, it’s important to be responsible. This means we should only buy things we need or can afford. We should also think about the environment. For example, we can bring our own bags to the store instead of using plastic bags. We can also choose to buy things that are made in a way that is good for the environment.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Traditional vs. Online Shopping Essay

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Introduction

Shopping constitutes a compulsory function for humans in all walks of life. For a majority of people, shopping is an activity that has transcended from being merely a necessity to one that has become a favorite pastime that brings happiness, recreation, and ‘quality time with friends and members of the family. There are basically 3 kinds of shopping where we buy things we require, things we convince ourselves we require, and things we look at (window shopping) just for pleasure. In the modern world of today, it is possible to indulge in all 3 kinds of shopping by utilizing 2 methods: Traditional shopping and ‘Online’ shopping.

Traditional shopping involves shoppers physically entering a brick-and-mortar store or shopping mall to select items of their choice, pay for them in cash or by credit card, and either take delivery personally or have them delivered to their homes by the retailer. ‘Online shopping is a relatively new method of shopping that involves the shopper sitting in front of a Personal Computer at any location (it could be at home, in the office, in friends’ apartments or in internet cafes), browsing through different categories of products at selected websites either alone or with the assistance of family members and/or friends, choosing items, paying for the purchases by credit card or by electronically transferring money from a bank account (from personal experience, I have noticed there is usually no other payment option).

The selected goods are delivered within a period ranging from a day to a week or even longer. In almost all cases, due to the fact that while selecting an item its availability is also clearly mentioned, the entire selection is delivered; if for some unforeseen reason some items are not delivered, then the value of those items is refunded to the customer by the ‘Online’ seller.

Traditional and ‘Online’ shopping are similar in two ways. Firstly, both forms of shopping follow the general concept of commerce; in both cases, there is a buyer and a seller, both of whom share a specific understanding of how the commercial transaction is expected to unfold, run its course and reach its satisfactory conclusion. Secondly, the prominent method of payment in both forms of shopping is credit card payment; although traditional shoppers can opt for check or cash payment, and although ‘Online’ shoppers can opt for electronic transfer of funds from their bank accounts, credit card purchases are preferred in both cases.

Traditional and ‘Online’ shopping is different in several ways. In one group of differences, Traditional shopping holds ‘absolute’ superiority: Firstly, shoppers experience the physical thrill of shopping. Shopping is commonly seen as a way of unwinding after a hard day’s work, or (especially in the case of housewives), escaping from the monotonous routine of everyday life (cooking, cleaning, and looking after the kids). Then there is festival shopping, which usually involves the entire family shopping for decorations and gifts for such occasions as Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving (personally, I have several fond memories of this).

Secondly, Traditional shoppers are brought face-to-face with an item that they can touch, feel and examine at close proximity – this goes a long way towards making up their mind to buy it. Thirdly, Traditional shoppers are able to talk with the salespersons or merchants of the store or mall upfront, and freely seek clarification or additional information about products that interest them. Fourthly, Traditional shoppers are able to bargain and obtain a better price for their purchases.

Although people in the United States do not usually engage in energetic bargaining, there are people of several other international cultures (such as Italians, Greeks, and Indians), to whom bargaining forms the essence of the shopping experience, and without which they would end up with the uncomfortable feeling of being cheated. Fifthly, Traditional shoppers are able to judge the merchant’s reputation (and by association, the products being sold in that store) by interacting with other customers. Sixthly, Traditional shoppers are able to take home their purchases immediately, or at the most have them delivered to their homes on the same or the next day.

They, therefore, save time as do not have to wait for days or weeks to receive their purchases as is the usual case in ‘Online’ shopping (there is also the distinct possibility of some items not being ultimately delivered due to some reason such as shortages caused due to improper inventory management). Lastly, almost everyone is well aware that today’s world is blemished by an increasing number of cybercrimes.

These have grown at an alarming rate with increasingly ingenious methods being adopted by computer-savvy criminals. A very large number of innocent people have been, and are being fleeced of their hard-earned money over the Internet – their only crime being that they had to give their personal and bank details while shopping online. On the other hand, Traditional shoppers do not need to give their names, address, and (most importantly) bank account information which are all ‘must-do’s in the case of ‘Online’ shopping.

In the second group of differences, ‘Online’ shopping holds the ‘absolute’ superiority. The first difference involves selection. ‘Online shoppers can browse through a wide selection of products from different retailers and place a single order involving products from different retailers, rather than otherwise embark on the tedious exercise of visiting several stores or malls physically to pick up a few items here and a few items there.

Secondly, ‘Online’ shoppers are benefited by a significant reduction in prices as ‘Online’ sellers have vastly reduced overheads to contend with (especially store/mall rent/maintenance and salaries/perks for salespersons) and are able to comfortably pass on a sizeable part of this benefit to customers in the form of reduced prices for the products sold. Lastly, ‘Online’ shoppers have the luxury of doing their shopping at leisure from the comfort of their home, without having to drive to far-away shopping destinations and being traumatized by rash drivers and difficult car parking situations.

In the third group of differences, both types of shopping score nearly equal points. The first difference involves the time element. In Traditional shopping, customers save time as don’t have to wait for days or weeks to receive their purchases. ‘Online’ shoppers choose the time and place to shop, thus saving valuable time and problems associated with traveling to and from the store.

Secondly, while admitting that the ‘sight and touch’ factor is important, ‘Online’ shoppers find it is irrelevant in the case of items like computers, consumer electronic items, cosmetics, perfumes, and jewelry, where ‘Online’ specifications are clear-cut, very detailed and imminently satisfactory. Lastly, while Traditional shoppers can get clarification and further information about a product from the salesperson or merchant, ‘Online’ shoppers have access to clarifying the information in the form of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and ‘Online’ customer service for the products they intend to purchase.

From a fair and impartial judgment of both cases, it is my contention that Traditional shopping is definitely better than ‘Online’ shopping simply because the comparative number and weight of its advantages vis-à-vis ‘Online shopping is much more significant as compared to ‘Online’ shopping own unique advantages. As a result, while agreeing that ‘Online’ shopping continues to grow in the United States, it will not overtake Traditional shopping mainly because of the two greatest ‘arrows in the quiver’ of the latter – Firstly, it involves the formidably unique ‘sight and touches’ advantage that Traditional shoppers enjoy.

And secondly, it gives people an opportunity to mingle with others, interact with acquaintances, friends, and relatives and spend ‘quality time with them – in our increasingly busy and modern world of today comprising people increasingly cocooned in their own lives and problems, this pleasurable human interaction afforded by Traditional shopping is literally priceless.

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IvyPanda. (2021, October 8). Traditional vs. Online Shopping. https://ivypanda.com/essays/traditional-vs-online-shopping/

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IvyPanda . 2021. "Traditional vs. Online Shopping." October 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/traditional-vs-online-shopping/.

1. IvyPanda . "Traditional vs. Online Shopping." October 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/traditional-vs-online-shopping/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Traditional vs. Online Shopping." October 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/traditional-vs-online-shopping/.

Money is a feminist issue — and yet, women are still reluctant to talk about it. According to a recent Bustle survey of more than 1,000 millennial women, more than 50 percent of people said they never discuss personal finances with friends, even though 28 percent reported feeling stressed out about money every single day. That’s why Bustle launched Grown-A$$ Finances, a series that gets real about what millennial women are doing with their money, and why — because managing your money should feel empowering, not intimidating.

The idea of "retail therapy" is pretty embedded into the fabric of our society — even if we don't engage in it ourselves, most of us are quite familiar with the idea of hitting the stores or online shops to blow off steam after a hard day. But why do we find the act of purchasing something — particularly something unnecessary — to be so pleasurable? After all, we're sacrificing some of our limited financial resources for a thing we don't actually need — shouldn't that feel bad?

As any seasoned shopper can tell you, it's not just the act of accumulating things that is pleasurable. Much of the appeal is in the process — the picking up and putting down of products, the wandering through places you couldn't possibly afford, the actual exchanges at the check-out, the social element, and other aspects of the shopping experience.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to why we shop the way we do. It turns out that there are many factors — from the inner workings of contemporary culture to how our own brains function — that make shopping feel fun. Will this info help you curb your needless spending? Perhaps. But if nothing else, it will definitely make you experience your next trip to the grocery store on a whole other level.

The idea of shopping as entertainment or a hobby is a relatively new one — and a lot of the way in which we think about buying products as a pleasurable experience is rooted in the history of retail. For much of human history, buying was decentralized (done by traveling merchants or in many separate shops and markets), and buying beyond necessity wasn't available to everybody, because luxuries were intensely expensive. The Industrial Revolution changed all that, and in the process converted shopping from a necessity to a social occasion and a pastime.

The way people shop changed with the introduction of two new things: cheaper consumer goods that could be afforded by many, and centralized, beautiful department stores and shopping malls that were destinations as much as practical places ( the first department store opened in England in 1796, but we have records of clusters of shops and kiosks dating back to the reign of Elizabeth I). Malls were new spaces for new activities with new products, and the big targets were women. And they became, historians say, a way for women to wander, socialize, experience new things without necessarily being chaperoned, and generally act as free agents in the service of pleasure.

That element still factors in the way we regard shopping today, where entertainment is a large part of the experience . Places that don't serve all our senses or keep us intrigued aren't seen as valuable or pleasurable shopping arenas.

Sure, there are cultural elements that make shopping an entertaining pastime, but neurology may be the real reason that we find it so engaging. And scientists have done some intriguing work regarding precisely what it is about shopping that sets off certain mechanisms in the brain concerned with happiness and contentment.

Neurologically, shopping exists on a spectrum with other experiences and products, from chocolate to sex, that activate the brain's substantial reward pathways, prompting activity that makes us experience pleasure. The neurologist David Linden, in his 2011 book The Compass Of Pleasure , explains that the experience of shopping triggers dopamine circuitry in the brain's mesolimbic pathway, which is a key part of how we experience entertainment and happiness. The part of the brain concerned is the medial forebrain pleasure circuit, and more intimate studies from Stanford reveal a particularly intriguing trade-off within it that highlights how the pleasure principle of shopping works.

Technically, shopping should be painful; we're parting with resources (our money), after all. The Stanford study found that when people were contemplating whether or not they wanted a product (experiencing desire for it), blood flow in a part of the medial forebrain called the nucleus accumbens increased ; but when they contemplated the price, another part of the brain related to decision-making came into play. The pleasure of buying, in other words, is a mediation between the rational and pleasure-seeking parts of the brain. Researchers also found that when people chose not to buy, they saw greater activity in the insula, which deals with feelings of loss.

It's not just all about reacting to the shopping experience, though. Experiments with the brain's dopamine releases in pleasurable situations have found that anticipation also kicks them off; we experience pleasure, in other words, when we're looking forward to a fun event as well as during and after it. A trip to the mall is enjoyable in the abstract, in our diaries for the weekend, and also while we're in the shops themselves.

But in order to really understand why shopping gives us pleasure, we need to think about the ways in which we shop. For instance, various studies have shown that people often shop after a setback, in order to mentally "repair" their damaged experience with something more pleasurable (though it may create a backlash, as having a product that reminds you of your failure may not please you very much in the end).

There's also evidence that consumers shop before a potentially damaging situation to prepare themselves for the ensuing shock to their ego, but that they're very selective about how and what they buy — think of it as shopping as protection.

We also learn and accumulate experiences about shopping as pleasurable that shape our future pleasure-shopping decisions. Researchers have noted, for instance, that impulse buyers rarely, if ever, buy things from categories they haven't previously bought ; they rely instead on past memories of pleasure from soaps or DVDs or shoes rather than branching out and experimenting. (This is why you will probably not impulse buy a speedboat if you don't already have one). Shopping as pleasure therefore isn't a static thing; it refines and shifts as our own tastes and ideas change.

And then there's another kind of shopping behavior that sheds light on shopping's pleasure potential. The "sports shopper," as researchers called it in a study in 2015, is a kind of shopper who pursues the high of "winning" through shopping as a medium. These are the people who are bargain champions, recall every deal in great detail, and gain their greatest pleasure from "battling" stores and recounting their victories to others. Shopping, in that sense, is a competitive activity that can sate our desire to feel superior.

Advertisers are more than aware about how the pleasure we derive from shopping governs our buying. A lot of work over the centuries has been put into inspiring the brain's pleasure centers and kicking off memories or sensations that might induce purchasing; The Economist , in 2008, noted that a company had the scent of coconut put into its travel agencies , because many suntan oils contain the smell and it reminds people of vacations. Memory, action, competition, freedom, health: the aspects in which shopping gives us pleasure are pretty myriad, even if we buy nothing more expensive than a lip balm.

Why Online Shopping Makes You So Happy

O nline shopping is more than a hobby for those who get a thrill out of traversing the biggest mall in the world: the internet. It’s also a sport.

How else to explain Monica Corcoran Harel’s reaction to the news that there’s a flash sale at one of her favorite online stores? “I get very, very excited and incredibly competitive,” she says, hitting refresh over and over to land the best deal. If a family member happens to enter the room while she’s hovered over her computer, “I’m like, ‘flash sale! I have a flash sale!’” In other words: do not disturb.

Corcoran Harel, 53, who lives in the Los Angeles area and runs Pretty Ripe, a lifestyle newsletter for women over 40, has been shopping online for years. She relishes the ability to visit dozens of shops at once, comparing prices before clicking “buy now,” and the promise of quick delivery, all without stepping out of her house. Online shopping is “beyond intoxicating,” she says. “I’m probably partially responsible for the downfall of brick-and-mortar stores.”

More from TIME

But what exactly makes these orders feel so good? Experts explain the psychology behind online shopping—along with tips on how to show restraint if your virtual cart is overflowing.

Online shopping increased during the pandemic

Online shopping transformed from novelty to normality years ago: Amazon launched nearly three decades ago, in 1995, as an online bookseller, and now reports that customers buy around 7,400 products per minute from its U.S. sellers. But the pandemic shifted consumer habits in a way that favored buying even basic necessities like toilet paper online. According to the Annual Retail Trade Survey , e-commerce sales increased by $244 billion—or 43%—in 2020, jumping from $571 billion in 2019 to $815 billion in 2020.

That surge was at least partially driven by a desire to avoid indoor venues. But experts say it could also have to do with self-soothing behaviors. Research has long suggested that retail therapy can actually be therapeutic. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in 2014 , for example, indicates that making purchases helps people feel instantly happier—and also fights lingering sadness. One reason, the study authors speculate, is that making purchase decisions confers a sense of personal control and autonomy.

Another study, published in Psychology & Marketing in 2011 , found that going shopping leads to “lasting positive impacts on mood,” and is not associated with feelings of regret or guilt about spontaneous purchases.

Shopping is, in many ways, motivated by emotion, says Jorge Barraza, program director and assistant professor in the online master of science in applied psychology program at the University of Southern California. “When we’re sad, when we’re stressed, we’re more likely to engage in this kind of behavior,” he says. In some cases, he notes, the spark of joy a fancy new dress or gadget triggers might not last, especially if the buyer knows they’re mismanaging their money. “That boost in mood might be transitory, if you’re spending more than you can afford, but at least temporarily it does appear to restore a sense of control, and reduce any residual sadness that people might be experiencing.”

Why online shopping makes people so happy

In many ways, online shopping catapults the pleasure of in-person shopping to a different, almost overwhelming stratosphere. “It’s psychologically so powerful,” says Joshua Klapow , a psychologist and adjunct associate professor of public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. (He’s also the new owner of three inflatable pool floats, a collapsible whisk, two jars of almond butter, and 50 pounds of bird seed, all of which he ordered online.)

Compared to shopping in person, “it’s a much more gratifying experience overall, because there’s less friction, less barriers, less behavioral cost, more specificity, and more choice,” he says. Plus, “the shopping is totally tailored to us. We can shop quickly or slowly.”

Part of the reason why online shopping is so appealing is convenience. When we go shopping in-person, Klapow points out, we have to walk or drive or figure out some other way of getting there, and then we have to stride through aisle after aisle to locate what we’re looking for. Even at stores that offer contactless pay, there’s some effort required to make a transaction: swiping a credit card or Apple Pay on your phone, for example. Then, a shopper needs to travel back home. “For a lot of people, these incredibly minor inconveniences just start picking away at the overall perceived value of the purchase,” he says.

In addition to being easier, online shopping delivers the satisfaction of accuracy. If Klapow heads to a big-box store, he might not find the shirt he’s looking for in the right size or color. If he’s shopping online, he’s more likely to snag exactly what he wants with far less hassle.

Doing so is a form of immediate gratification , which we’re all wired to crave, says Joseph Kable, a cognitive neuroscience researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. “This is a tendency that’s universal among people and is shared across much of the animal world,” he says. “People and other animals tend to discount outcomes in the future, relative to outcomes that are immediate. This means we prefer to have good things as soon as possible, and to postpone bad things as far as possible in the future.”

Interestingly, online shopping is also associated with another, more delayed type of gratification: anticipation for the order’s arrival. Awaiting something exciting is “like Christmas every day,” Klapow says, likening the ability to track a package to monitoring Santa’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve.

That resonates with Corcoran Harel, who works from home and enjoys looking out the window to see if a package has arrived. “I’m vigilant about getting my packages,” she says. “I’m so excited to rip it open and try something on—and the knowledge that you can return something easily just makes it better.”

What to do if you think you have a problem

Researchers define compulsive buying as “a preoccupation with buying and shopping, frequent buying episodes, or overpowering urges to buy that are experienced as irresistible and senseless.” There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether your online shopping habit is problematic, Barraza says, but it’s generally a good idea to ask yourself if your purchases are interfering with your quality of life.

Compulsive buying disorder (or any other type of shopping addiction) is not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). However, it’s been recognized for more than a century: the German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin is credited with first describing the disorder in 1915, calling it “oniomania”—the Greek word “onios” means “for sale,” and “mania” was interpreted as “insanity.” As the authors of a 2012 article in Advances in Psychiatric Treatmen t point out, experts continue to debate whether shopping addiction is “a valid mental illness or a leisure activity that individuals use to manage their emotions or express their self-identity.”

In a study published in 2014 in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions , researchers presented several factors that might predispose someone to developing an online shopping addiction, including having low self-esteem, low self-control, a negative emotional state, a penchant for anonymity , and an internet diet that includes exposure to lots of graphics and pop-up messages.

Another research article , published in 2017 in Frontiers in Psychology , focused on developing a scale that could measure online shopping addiction. According to the authors, six elements are required to meet the definition of addictive behaviors, including salience (which means online shopping would be the most important activity in the person’s life); mood modification, like feeling a buzz after placing an order; conflict, perhaps with family members; and relapse, or resuming the behavior after trying to stop. In those cases, a person addicted to online shopping might benefit from working with a professional and undergoing cognitive behavioral therapy , Klapow says.

Concerns about shopping addiction and over-spending are especially relevant now, as inflation hits its highest peak in the U.S. in four decades . Klapow recommends focusing on making intentional decisions about what to buy. “There’s nothing wrong with saying, ‘I want this, so I’m going to get it,’ but we do need to be careful that we’re not calling all our wants ‘needs,’” he says.

Here are a few tips if you’re concerned about over-spending online:

Before checking out, review each item in your online cart and ask yourself: “Do I want this, or do I need it?” Klapow instructs his clients to do this cognitive exercise, and it can be helpful, he says. “It forces you to kind of look in the mirror, and you’d be amazed at how many items you end up putting back or saving for later.”

Attach a helpful Post-it note to your computer screen. This is one of Klapow’s favorite ways of modifying the environment to resist the siren call of e-commerce. Write your monthly budget in big letters on the sticky note, or a message directing yourself to check the total cost before clicking “buy now.” The visual reminder can help ground you when you’re caught up in the excitement of a new find.

Don’t store your credit card information online. Lots of people store information for multiple credit cards online, expediting the ability to make a purchase. Ideally, you wouldn’t store even a single card, Klapow says—”not from a safety standpoint, but from an impulse standpoint.” Having to manually input your payment details requires an extra minute to breathe and perhaps reevaluate the purchase.

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• DOI: 10.5860/choice.37-5892
• Corpus ID: 143770156

Shopping for Pleasure: Women in the Making of London's West End.

• Erika D. Rappaport
• Published 1 October 2001
• History, Sociology

146 Citations

''the life of a bachelor girl in the big city'': selling the single lifestyle to readers of woman and the young woman in the 1890s, a history of shopping: the missing link between retail and consumer revolutions, henry james and the culture of consumption, cathedrals of consumption provincial department stores in england, c.1880–1930, tea in toronto and the liberal order, 1880–1914, fashioning mobility: navigating space in victorian fiction, shopping for the real: gender and consumption in the critical reception of delillo's white noise, disciplining girls: understanding the origins of the classic orphan girl story, consuming subjects: women and the market in elizabeth gaskell's north and south, an all-consuming subject women and consumption in late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century western india, related papers.

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Shopping for Pleasure

Women in the making of london's west end.

• Erika Rappaport
• X / Twitter

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Copyright year: 1999
• Audience: College/higher education;Professional and scholarly;
• Main content: 344
• Illustrations: 2
• Other: 20 halftones, 2 maps
• Keywords: Department store ; Advertising ; Shopping ; Retail ; Shopkeeper ; Regent Street ; Femininity ; Newspaper ; Commodity ; Drapers ; Politics ; Consumerism ; Mrs. ; Selfridges ; Customer ; Modernity ; Feminism ; University of California Press ; Restaurant ; Public space ; Middle class ; Westbourne Grove ; Shopping mall ; Urbanization ; Institution ; Criticism ; Suffrage ; Tourism ; Feminist movement ; Amy Levy ; Routledge ; Oxford Street ; Frances Power Cobbe ; Bourgeoisie ; Feminism (international relations) ; Household ; Gazette ; Prostitution ; Public sphere ; Literature ; Streets (ice cream) ; Narrative ; Popular culture ; Cambridge University Press ; Capitalism ; Bond Street ; Finery (company) ; Ideology ; R. ; Meal ; Melodrama ; Separate spheres ; Leonore Davidoff ; Dining room ; Business ethics ; Mass production ; club movement ; Competition ; Interior design ; Tottenham Court Road ; Public transport ; Debt ; Harrods ; Wealth ; Publicity ; New Woman ; Pioneer Club (women's club) ; Housewife ; Journalism ; Social status
• Published: June 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781400843534

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Narrative Essay on Whether You Enjoy Shopping

Essay about shopping.

Everybody has their own way of relaxing and escaping from gloomy and mundane everyday life. As for myself, whenever I feel blue, disappointed with anything or just bored, I go shopping.

Undoubtedly, every person has to buy things from time to time. In fact, for some people, it is only a part of a daily activity that needs to be done to supply their family with necessities. Such people would hardly write an essay on shopping and its influence on their life. At the same time, others get a lot of pleasure wandering around stores, very often without any purpose. And that’s what my shopping essay is about.

Although you can’t call me a shopaholic, I have to admit, that sometimes my desire to buy new shoes or an outfit makes me leave all my current plans behind and go to the nearest shop searching for something that would make me happier. It may sound corny, but for most girls, a clothing store feels like a sanctuary, where they are free to express themselves among fancy dresses and shoes. After all, I am one of them, and every time I have some money, energy and desire to bring something new into my life, I cannot but assume that the easiest way to do so would be by going shopping. Clearly, a store is a place where I can relax and forget about all the troubles I had to deal with during the day and just let my personality shine. Besides, shopping is a perfect way for me to avoid stress, as it distracts me and calms me down.

All things considered, I cannot but wonder:…

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Essay on Online Shopping

Online shopping in simple words: The form of shopping in which people can easily purchase goods and services by using the internet is called online shopping. Online shopping gives us an idea of the availability of everything online at a cost of our data. Online shopping is a growing and trending aspect. It provides customers with buying various products and services, and sellers to carry on their business and transactions in an online mode. It is time saving and convenient way of shopping. It can be said that it is the development of traditional shopping ways to make shopping more accessible, relaxing, and flexible.

Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping

Short and Long Online Shopping Essays in English

Find here number of essays on online shopping vs offline shopping under various words limit for the ease of students of different classes. These essays justify all the aspects of online shopping vs offline shopping, so, you can better understand the topic in all perspectives:

Online Shopping Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) Shopping by making use of the internet is called online shopping.

2) Online shopping allows us to shop for anything from our phones.

3) With online shopping, the days are gone to go to physical markets to buy things.

4) People, who don’t know how to use smartphones, cannot do online shopping.

5) Through online shopping, you can order your favorite things at your doorstep.

6) In online shopping, you can compare the prices of products and can buy the cheaper ones.

7) Alibaba, Amazon, Flipkart, eBay, etc are some famous sites for online shopping.

8) While doing online shopping, you can only see the products virtually.

9) Online shopping does not provide you with the product instantly.

10) Online shopping is a modern and flexible way of buying goods.

Essay 1 (100 words – 150 words) – Challenges of Online Shopping

Introduction

Online shopping is the better way of buying several items of your own choice at one place and get it delivered wherever you do live itself. Therefore we can define online shopping as one of the convenient and interesting ways of shopping. It reduces market crowd and saves our money and time.

Challenges of Online Shopping

Instead of providing best ways to make choices without getting out of our comfort zone, online shopping has many negative aspects too.

• It requires a good knowledge of using smart technologies as well as net surfing.
• There are many sections of society that do not have easy access to the same and thus are dependent on traditional ways of shopping.
• Old people need to specify the products after touching thus they prefer traditional shopping and have not much confidence in online shopping.

Online shopping has turned out to be an essential need of the time. Because, nowadays in the so competitive world, people are busy in their offices and do not have time to shop. And this technology is making their life easier and fast.

Essay 2 (200 – 250 Words) – Essay on Online Shopping is a Boon for or Against

With the emergence of the internet, people can now shop online using their mobile phones or other related electronic devices. Online shops are virtual stores from where people can order the stuff of their choice.

Online Shopping is a Boon : For many people, online shopping is a boon as it offers many advantages. It not only saves your time but also helps to save your money and energy. Instead of spending a whole day in the market, you can buy things by sitting at your home. The prices of products in online shops are comparatively lower than those available offline. One reason behind this is that there is no need of maintaining any physical stores. It also offers different methods of payment. During festive times, online shopping offers discounts on various products. Online shopping is a convenient way of shopping these days.

Online Shopping is a Bane : Everything has a dark side and so is online shopping. The major drawback of shopping online is to compromise with quality. Sometimes you may receive the wrong product and returning can be a headache. You can only check the quality when you receive the product. Even on ordering your product you can get it delivered after some days. No instant service is available in online shopping methods. When doing online shopping, you will miss out on the joy of shopping with your friends or family. Precautions are a must in Online paying, as it involves several risks.

So, we can say that Online Shopping is both, boon and bane, we have to choose and use them as per our interest and skill.

Essay 3 (300 Words) – Essay on Online Shopping vs Offline Shopping or Traditional Shopping

Today, customers have the option to shop either online or offline. Both the methods have some advantages, and they do show some disadvantages. Online shopping is a method of purchasing goods via the internet. Offline shopping is the traditional means of going to the market physically to buy goods. Before the advent of the internet, people only had the option to buy things offline.

Online Shopping

The biggest advantage of Online shopping is time saving. People need not physically go to various shops to purchase items. You can select items of your choice from your phone. Shopping online is a good way to save your energy and money. You need not burn fuel to go to the markets. Another advantage we can enjoy in online purchasing is availability. You can go for online shopping at any time that best suits you, irrespective of your location. The online stores are open 24 hours a day. You need not take a holiday to go shopping.

Offline Shopping or Traditional Shopping

There are many reasons for which people go for offline shopping or traditional shopping instead of shopping online. The major advantage of going to physical stores is that the quality of the product can be checked on the spot. You can even try the clothes for perfect fitting. This feature is lacking in the online market. In traditional shopping, you get the product directly in your hands. No waiting for long days to receive the product. For purchasing items of daily use, traditional stores are far better than online stores. In offline shopping, you can bargain for prices, while in online shopping prices are fixed. Offline shopping gives you the facility of easy return.

So, we can say, both modes of shopping have their own advantages and disadvantages; we have to use them as per our choice and safety.

Essay 4 (400 Words) – Online Shopping: A Positive Approach to Digitalization

Online shopping is an emerging e-commerce technology. What can be more soothing and easier than facing the rush and crowd of the markets offering a limited range of products at a time? Yes, it is online shopping, making the way to shop easier and more convenient. The sellers are making the product details online which can be easily seen while browsing the website. There are many websites that have easy access.

Pleasure of Online Shopping

We are well aware of this fact that most of the people find shopping as an interesting aspect. Generally, women and girls are addicted to shopping. Now, since technology is advancing day by day and letting newer ways to develop, we have been benefitted by a way of shopping by sitting at our places and browsing over the internet. We are able to get various range of products in a single place. Also, we can search for the product related to men, women, and kids by entering the categories in the spaces meant for the same. We search, select, and order for the products and services and get it delivered to our places.

This is helping the people in remote areas too. We could search and order for the latest apparel through online mode. Generally, the shops are taking the time to bring and present the same.

The most preferred online shopping sites are Snapdeal, Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra, Ajio, etc.

Online shopping – a Positive Approach to Digitalization

Online shopping involves transactions or business over the internet. The buyer purchases the products and services required, by means of choosing the same over the internet. Therefore the technology is leading towards the digitalization concept. The normal shopping has been given a new face by the addition of technological aids. Offline or traditional ways have been advanced by making it online. It is a successful change in the business strategy. The new ideas and methods have been implemented to make it flourish, and provide greater revenue or economical benefits.

Online shopping is the result of a change in business strategy therefore helping in competing. It is proving it to be an easier, convenient, and better option and therefore is the best example of the concept of digitalization.

We can say that online shopping is a trending business. We can search for our choices over the internet by sitting in one place. We can get our desired products and can also gift the same to our close ones. Online shopping successfully reduced the pressure on traditional shopping methods and is time-saving too.

Long Essay 5 (500 Words) – Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping

Technological advancements are changing our standards and lifestyle. One of the fascinating aspects of technology has favored is Online shopping that is the best way to business and safe transactions over the internet. It provides us broader way to search, choose and delivered the desired products and services at our specified addresses.

People these days are tugged up with several work pressures. They are spending much of their time intervals in offices or other important works. Traditional ways of shopping require a larger time to be consumed by visiting different stores for different products. Therefore online shopping provides a way to tackle the same by saving time and effort.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping

Everything in this world is connected with both positive and negative aspects. The same is with online shopping too. On one hand, it is benefitting, and on the other hand, it has disadvantages too.

Advantages of Online Shopping:

• It provides us with a convenient way of shopping.
• We can see different products and services just by one click. Different variants are available in the required size and shapes.
• It saves us from the rush and crowd of the markets. Also, saves our time wasted in roaming from one shop to another and standing in queues for hours for billing purposes.
• We get products in our price ranges and also at a lower price.
• We can order dresses according to our choice and occasion requirements. As most of the time, we are unable to get the dress we want, in offline shopping.

Disadvantages of Online Shopping:

• The products we buy, generally when delivered, do not match with one we have ordered.
• If we require the product immediately, then we cannot have that option or we will have to pay extra charges.
• Offline shopping has a benefit to buy the product and use it immediately, but when we opt for online shopping the same benefit is not granted.
• Many of the times we save our card details for the transaction purpose, hackers use the same card details for the cybercrime.
• The returning of any product may be chargeable and time taking too.
• Most of the time, damaged goods are received.

Online Shopping – Best Option during Pandemic (Covid-19)

The outbreak of COVID-19, throughout the world was most devastating for us. During those times, moving outside was banned and different countries were under lockdown for several months. People, all over the world, preferred online mediums to get their products and services ordered and delivered.

Therefore it can be stated that online shopping has been the best choice or alternative. People have been provided with the option of getting delivered every product at their doorstep.

Online shopping is the love of youngsters of today’s generation. It is an interesting way of exploring several products with variety and different prices at the same portal or place. Online shopping has blessed us with emerging ideas to give surprises to our closed ones on their special days. But on other accounts, it has some of the impacts too.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Ans . Online shopping was invented by an entrepreneur Michael Aldrich in 1979.

Ans . The concept of online shopping begins in India in 1995.

Ans . The first online shopping site launched in India was Amazon.

Ans . The website through which customers can easily purchase goods and services is called an online store.

Ans . The world’s largest online shopping retailer is Amazon.

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The pleasure of real shopping essay ​

kindly refer those attachments

hope it helps yo..

Explanation:

first answer was correct

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Britain’s Violent Riots: What We Know

Officials had braced for more unrest on Wednesday, but the night’s anti-immigration protests were smaller, with counterprotesters dominating the streets instead.

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By Lynsey Chutel

After days of violent rioting set off by disinformation around a deadly stabbing rampage, the authorities in Britain had been bracing for more unrest on Wednesday. But by nightfall, large-scale anti-immigration demonstrations had not materialized, and only a few arrests had been made nationwide.

Instead, streets in cities across the country were filled with thousands of antiracism protesters, including in Liverpool, where by late evening, the counterdemonstration had taken on an almost celebratory tone.

Over the weekend, the anti-immigration protests, organized by far-right groups, had devolved into violence in more than a dozen towns and cities. And with messages on social media calling for wider protests and counterprotests on Wednesday, the British authorities were on high alert.

With tensions running high, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet held emergency meetings to discuss what has become the first crisis of his recently elected government. Some 6,000 specialist public-order police officers were mobilized nationwide to respond to any disorder, and the authorities in several cities and towns stepped up patrols.

Wednesday was not trouble-free, however.

In Bristol, the police said there was one arrest after a brick was thrown at a police vehicle and a bottle was thrown. In the southern city of Portsmouth, police officers dispersed a small group of anti-immigration protesters who had blocked a roadway. And in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where there have been at least four nights of unrest, disorder continued, and the police service said it would bring in additional officers.

But overall, many expressed relief that the fears of wide-scale violence had not been realized.

Here’s what we know about the turmoil in Britain.

Where arrests have been reported

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My wife isn't 'just' a stepmom to my son. He sees her as his other mom.

• My wife has been in my son's life since he was 6 years old.
• She has taken on a parental role, stepping in whenever I need extra help.
• Even though she's his stepmom, my son considers her his other mom.

After Vice President Kamala Harris announced she was running for president, one criticism lobbed against her was that she is not a parent because she has never given birth to children. But she is the stepmother to her husband Doug Emhoff's two children.

Like Harris, my wife is a stepmother to my son.

I am no longer in a relationship with his father and have been in a new relationship for four years. My wife came into my son's life when he was 6 years old and quickly stepped into a parental role. It was a role she enthusiastically took on.

Although she didn't give birth to my son, my wife is absolutely his second mother.

My son and wife's relationship started friendly

My wife didn't immediately take an authoritative role or force him to treat her like a parent. At first, she was more like a grown-up friend — someone he knew he needed to respect, but someone who would take him on drives to get ice cream or let him pretend to drive her car while I was inside the grocery store.

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I was worried about parenting with another person all the time. As the primary parent, I wasn't used to dividing parenting duties . My wife was aware of that and always deferred to me as the primary parent.

But the bond between my son and my wife was instant. He had never met someone I was dating before, but he liked her immediately.

My wife has taken on more responsibility as a stepmom

Over the last four years, she's taken on more parental responsibility but never tried to act like she was more of a parent than myself or my son's father. She is a bonus mom, someone there to kiss him goodnight , help him with his homework, and love him unconditionally.

During the pandemic, my wife volunteered to take the lead in helping my son with virtual school so I could focus on work. She created a schedule for him, made him lunch, and ensured he kept up with assignments. When the playgrounds opened, she would take him to play, armed with a backpack full of whatever was needed.

I have gone on several overnight trips , leaving the two of them alone together. My son doesn't even call or text me when I'm gone because he's having so much fun hanging out with my wife. I never have to worry about him; I know my wife will make sure he takes a bath and goes to bed on time.

There are days when I will ask her to tag in and do the bedtime routine because I'm working or want a break, and she does it without question. My son knows that if he needs something, he doesn't have to come to me all the time.

Seeing my wife willingly step into a parental role with my son has strengthened our relationship. I knew I loved her almost immediately after we met, but seeing how my son responded to her made me more secure in my decision.

Sometimes, she still refers to him as mine, and I always remind her that she's his mom, too. We do everything as a team: school meetings, performances, birthday parties . Everyone knows us as his two moms, and there's no one else I could imagine doing this with.

My son now sees my wife as the missing piece to our family puzzle. He proudly claims her as his other mom.

"You're my mom too," my son will say when my wife calls herself his stepmom. He made that decision. My wife never wanted to force a close relationship on him, but he pushed for it.

Media has warped the perception of stepmoms

Popular media depictions of stepmoms are largely negative. The common trope is that they're evil.

For example, you have characters like Meredith Blake in the Lindsay Lohan version of "The Parent Trap," the Baroness von Schraeder in " The Sound of Music ," and, of course, the prototype: Cinderella's Evil Stepmother.

These women are always seen as temptresses who come in and seduce the father into marrying them before revealing they intend to get rid of his daughter so that she will be the only woman in his life.

Maybe there are stepmoms out there who fit this description, but by and large, stepmoms are there to be whoever their step kids want them to be.

I know that's exactly the role my wife plays, and my son and I are all the more lucky for it.

Watch: Why one mother fled Texas to keep her child safe

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