Imagine your average Saturday: heading to stores to pick up a few specific items, perhaps wondering what might tempt you as you walk around and window-shop your favorite stores. And then, of course, there’s the fun of trying things on for size and falling in love with an item.
Except that there are fundamental flaws in some aspects of our buying habits. Recent media reports show that the UK’s high streets are changing, as are scientific reports from university researchers (1,2).
fundamental problems
One of the first problems is that many of the products we want to discover and ‘try’ in stores do not have to go through an adjustment process. Even if we put aside the attempts by ASOS and others to help us fit into clothing online, and assume we can’t fit into clothing without seeing it in stores, this still leaves a lot of non-clothing items. which we don’t really need to test at all. And then there’s the fact that online products can ‘get your attention’ just as well as those on the high street; you could even argue that they do it in a more informative and efficient way and will make sure you find the deals you want because of online ad targeting.
Then all that is left is the social phenomenon that keeps us at it; the feeling that we are discovering what is popular by being in a social place. The rise of high street coffee shops, as described in the article linked above, is a testament to the social nature of shopping experiences and a sign that we might have predicted the changes. But in fact, the feeling of being aware of what is popular and what is not is the first of several myths created by retailers to ensure their survival:
Myth 1 – You have an idea of what is popular in a real life store
Take baby products, for example; Several big brands predominate. They are popular for good reason; They have grown over time and consistently make safe and cheap products that meet UK safety standards. You know you’re getting safe products that other parents want and need for their little one. You don’t need a crowded store to reaffirm this.
Myth 2: You must see and feel before you buy
As described above, the big brands are popular because of their consistency and security; if they lacked any of these attributes, they would not be successful. In the age of plentiful online reviews of every product imaginable, a 5-second Google search yields more information from real users of a product about its quality and longevity than shoving and shaking a product in its sturdy plastic packaging on the shelf of a store.
Myth 3 – You can’t buy with others, only individually
Sure, if you’re shopping with friends, you can queue together and pay together, but asking for a group discount? The cashier is likely to laugh in your face. Retailers rely on our separation as consumers for their (often extremely high) margins. However, in this time of high interconnectivity, we continue to flock to the high streets for high-rent window spaces for people trying to pay their high rental costs to sell items. And we do it as individuals when we could easily band together to demand more for less.
The first two myths outlined above have been made more or less obsolete by Amazon along with groups of traditional retailers moving into the online space. But the final area is the one that will change in the coming times. In 2045 we will wonder why people in 2015 took to the streets to buy items that they could find online, but also why people did not gather to buy these items using the power of the Internet. If enough people did this, or if statistical power were built into such a buying system, the performance would easily be as fast as the “individualistic” retailers that already exist. Which means shipping and delivery would be the same, and prices would be lower. What’s not to like?
References
1) www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2784658/The-Changing-face-British-High-Street-Tattoo-parlors-convenience-stores-video-rental-shops-travel-agents-down.html
2) www.thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk