My shopping experience: 2030

Indiblogger has provided many creative writing opportunities in the recent past and this topic on “The Future of Shopping” with ebay is a perfect addition to that elite list.

Shopping is something many of us just love to and for others it may be only a necessity. Whatever the situation, one has to shop to survive. We generally associate women as shopping lovers, but I personally know many men with equal if not more love for shopping. Shopping may be a craze or passion for someone, but as I already mentioned, every one of us have to shop, whether we like it or not.

The Shopaholics (may not always women)

Shopping and me

Now, I must admit here that I am no way a Shopaholic. Shopping never comes to me naturally and I do not enjoy shopping a lot, though I have to do it. So the general trend of me is to postpone the idea till the date and time beyond which it cannot be stretched. This is the situation with me going for shopping from my childhood days. But I must admit that the things have changed and now I really love shopping!!! Wondering how? Let us give some more thought into it and look deeper.

My past shopping experiences

The Past

When I think hard about my past shopping experiences I found that the thing which I hate most are not the shopping itself, but other irritations associated with traditional shopping. The chaotic atmosphere, jam-packed shops, roads with traffic jams, transport problems, weather calamities, missing quality time at home, may be even missing my favourite programme on television and so on. This may be true for most of shopping haters. For a true Shopaholic, the pure passion for shopping is enough to overcome the above mentioned hurdles, but for others they are truly big hurdles to cross. So shopping often gave me some forgettable memories in the past.

The present

The shopping scenario recently has changed a lot after the incorporation of the shopping mall concept and online shopping. Though both these concepts materialized in 1990s, but they gained real popularity in India in the new millennium only. Shopping malls have solved many of the earlier hustles (may not be a hassle for Shopaholics) associated with shopping, but still one has to move out and physically do the shopping chores. For people like me that still is a big enough hurdle, still better than the previous experiences though. Moreover I often find that most of the malls are way more expensive than traditional shops.

On the other hand, the online shopping option is a real boon for people like me and also for a truly passionate shopper. There are already plenty of stores with almost every product available at a very good rate (mostly cheaper than traditional markets). These are really hassle free shopping experience which will turn any uninterested shopper a Shopaholic. Initially there may be some apprehension (quality of products, delivery issues, damaged products, replacement policy, online payment) as we were not used to these kind of shopping experience. We were used to buy products after checking and rechecking several times with our own hands. But eventually all fear gone and now I really enjoy online shopping. I can shop at my leisure while having a cup of tea with my wife/ watching my favourite sports/ even at midnight.

Shopping in 2030

The future: 2030

The future of shopping is definitely online. Other shopping modes will be very minimal in the future. The malls will stay as the main purpose of most of the mall visitors are not to shop, but to enjoy the pastime, have some food, do some window shopping, watch a movie and at last may do some bits of shopping if something really catches our eyes.

I imagine the shopping experience in 2030 as a heavenly pleasure. Compared to my past and even current experience of shopping it will be like shifting to a limousine after disembarking from a roller coaster ride.

In 2030 all I have to do is to think of the product and dream about it (for customizing it according to my wish). By 2030 we will have our computer built on a sunglass (desktop equivalent) or in a contact lens (laptop/tablet equivalent) and they will be able to interact with our mind and will follow our command from our mind i.e. whatever we wish we just have to think and tell in our mind only and the display will be in front of our eyes. So I will order and perform my shopping in 2030 by just thinking about it. No more searching, typing and of course no going out for shopping.

Every product will be customizable and according to buyer’s choice only. No more designer products and the question of choosing the right one for me. Instead the product will be made for me according to my choice at the time of order. Whatever the product (fashion wares, accessories, gadgets, electronics, optics, anything), it will be designed and made after the order and the product will be flown (yes! In 2030 I think we will only fly to everywhere, even we will fly to visit our neighbours) to me within a short span of time (how much time it may take? Hah!!!). So mere thinking of shopping will do the shopping in 2030!!! Wow!!! I am keeping my fingers crossed.

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This post is for "The future of shopping" contest by ebay.in in association with Indiblogger.