We’re fools for new, shiny things. The endless chase is a mere reflection of humans as creatures who want more, newer, better. This chase also happens to be our driving force at most times – a new car, the latest smartphone, and the A line dress that you just can’t get over. Shopaholics have managed to endure throughout history, and taken advantage of whatever resources at their disposal so long it means emerging with a handful of shopping bags in hand and the dazzling feeling of anticipation before pursuing the new best thing! Even those who call it a superficial pursuit are shopaholics in some matters.
Since this happens to be the motivational aspect for most of us, it is something we must work hard for. With the little vaults in possession we know as debit and credit cards, we breeze in and out of shops on our free time. This practice may actually be therapeutic for some of us, like many others that make us feel in control, and happen to be stress relieving and de-stressing activities.
Keeping up with the blasting advancements in the technological and digital world, that particular chase we have always fancied is reduced to zilch, owing to the availability of brands, variety of products and the e-commerce websites available 24/7, a mere click away. In addition to the ones that deal in multiple brands such as Amazon and ASOS, most brands have now come up with their own comprehensive websites which happen to be more pragmatic than that brick and mortar stores. More often than not, you end up putting in your digits and ta-da! The shipment arrives your doorstep. While this may just be the best thing that’s ever happened to the lazy ones out there, and perhaps the ones who’re always consumed by one thing or another, we feel that it defeats the purpose.
“It’s all about the chase” – and perhaps it really is. Let’s take a moment to really look into ourselves and understand the enigma that is human psyche. Is it really true that the accomplishment is only worthwhile by the effort we’re made to put in it? Probably. The more the effort it takes, the sweeter the reward. With the new trend of everything being just a click away, the reward gets a tad bit more tedious every time a shopaholic clicks on “checkout.”
Most of us are hanging to our basics, our roots – taking pleasure in the intricacies, the small things that matter. Perhaps it takes a little bit of everything to make the experience of shopping pleasurable and therapeutic for us, snacking, walking around, driving from one place to another, sneaking a scoop of your favorite ice cream while we’re at it, and returning home with the sweet ache in our heels and the feeling of having accomplished something. As opposed to being glued to your smartphone and finally making purchase, perhaps even forgetting about it for the next few days till the shipment arrives.
Digitization has done humankind a world of good, but it has nonetheless, extracted the pure pleasure out of a lot of normalcies – if you will – this being one of them. As shopaholics, we remain true to the original idea of our motivating factors: buying shiny new things. And the whole idea of online shopping remains presumably lesser sound, fickle and somewhat un-rewarding.
For those of us who offered a sigh of relief when the concept of online shopping was first introduced are those who take little pleasure in the act of walking from shop to shop, or are unusually swamped to make the time. Reasons may be many, but the solution remains one – and quite adequate – online shopping. The growing towards digitization is making it standard for people to shop online, and the market is growing accordingly! However, the disputed opinions will remain to occur for what drives one, may tire the other.
