Otázka: Shopping today
Jazyk: Angličtina
Přidal(a): Oldřich Pekárek
Most of the people do the shopping, because they have to. They have to buy food, clothes. Or they just want to have something new. (Today shopping is often connected with fulfilling the basic needs) Some people, especially women and girls, love shopping. But this love can transform into the shopping obsession. They are convinced that it’s necessary for them to go through the shop and looking for rebates. It’s a form of relaxation, which costs them a lot of time and money. Sometimes not only women buy stupid things just to have them, useless clothes etc. (good to know:-D)
Shopping spree
Traditionally it comes before and after Christmas (or other holidays),when the shops have larger sortiment of goods. Usually there are discounts on the wares that haven’t sold well and on things at the end of a season, like summer clothes in the autumn. (I think, the prices are raising up before christmas).
In Czech families it is usual to go on a big purchase once a week, to buy everything needed for a whole week and repeat the process on the beginning of the next week.
I know this situation (this situation seems familiar for me), because every Friday it is the same in our family. (My family behaves exactly the same) We need to buy indispensable things to next week. I found it kind of boring, fortunately I don’t participate it very often.
Personally, I don’t shop very often, because I hate shopping. I don´t like the choosing (deciding) of what to buy, where is better bargain and offer. Also I don´t like the crowds of hurried people and waiting in queues.
I must admit, as every girl or woman I am pleased to have a lot of new clothes, but it doesn’t change the fact that I hate shopping, because it exhausts me. And I go shopping, when it is absolutely inevitable.
Window shopping
Now, let me tell you little bit more about window shopping. It is an activity, which is typical for going though shops and just trying out stuff without actual buying anything. It has got a lot of advantages:
- you don‘t need money;
- you can see a lot of interesting things, you don‘t have to wait in queues;
- You can have a good survey about prices or new kinds or trends.
I do window shopping only then I have nothing to do, when I wait for a bus or for friends. But generally for me shopping is wasting of time, especially window shopping. (Don’t repeat it much, agree the fact, that you chose this question)
Types of shopping
Internet shopping
I.S. becoming more and more popular nowadays. You have a choice of lots of goods and shops from all over the world and you can order goods in comfort of your own house through your PC. You don’t have to fight with crowds or wait in long queues.
On the other hand, the drawback is that you can´t actually see the product, you’re buying.
(In the other words, you can’t affect the quality of the product, and in many cases you are not able to estimate it from the picture. Especially when the picture is spruced)
Shopping in department stores vs. normal shops
Department stores
It seems to me, department stores are more comfortable (then what?), you can buy everything there, you have all the stuff in one building, you don‘t have to travel through whole town. There is a lot of space, but sometimes it is not enough for the hordes of people, who are shopping there every day.
Different kinds of shops
Stalls
- standing in the streets and squares stations (many of their keepers are Vietnamese);
- You can buy watches, jeans or shoes cheaper than anywhere else, but these goods often have terrible quality. (The quality of their goods is terrible in many cases.)
Self-service shops or supermarkets
- Bigger, you can buy also goods from chemist or washing machine here.(Against what?) These shops are larger, with wider range of selling goods.
Department stores
- usually huge buildings, where you can buy almost everything from food to furniture;
- a department store is a large shop, usually with several floors (multi-storey), with “departments”, which sell different kinds of goods – food, clothing, furniture, sports equipment, toys, dishes, CDs, books and electronics;
Shopping mall
- A shopping mall (shopping centre in the UK) is a very large building, usually one or more floors with many smaller shops inside, but each under different owner;
- many shopping malls sell mainly one comodity– clothes.
TV shopping
- adverts on TV, you can phone and they will post you the goods;
- There are a lot of disadvantages, is is similar to the internet. (unreliability of TV presenters)
Normal shops, boutiques
- there isn’t everything in one shop, you have to visit more shops, you have to wait in queue in every shop;
- smaller amount of things you can buy;
- It isn’t open whole day or on weekends. (not everytime)
Payment by a card vs. in cash: It is truth, I have a card, but I prefer pay in cash because I must know exactly, how much I can spend.
People: A cashier works at the cash desk and takes money, gives change, and puts goods into a bag for you. A customer is a person who buys goods. A shop assistant is someone who works in the shop and helps customers find things and try on clothing or answers questions. A shopkeeper is the owner of a small shop. In large shops, like hypermarkets, the owner is a corporation, so there is just a manager in each shop.
How can you complain if you’ve bought some a faulty product?
You have to take it back to the shop where you bought it.You have to have the receipt. Some shops will take back any product within 7 or 14 days, but some will only take back a product with a problem.
