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
