The Virtual Shopping Mall People buy things, items, for different reasons. They buy the products because they need them or just because they want them. People go shopping: they look around at different stores to find good deals. They "comparison-shop " In other words, they look at the same product in several stores or from several manufacturers. Then they choose to purchase the best products for themselves—their favorite ones or the ones with the lowest prices. However, many people shop because they enjoy shopping. They like to walk through stores looking at products. They think about the products, and sometimes they buy them. Today shoppers have many ways that they can go shopping. People used to go to the local market to do their shopping. They went from store to store to find the products that they wanted or needed. At the meat market, customers bought meat, and at the bakery, they purchased bread. At the department store, consumers looked at the attractive’’ displays in the windows and on the racks. They bought television sets and VCRs at the appliance store. Shoppers went from store to store comparing the products and the prices. Then they made their decisions, and they bought items. They shopped for other products in other stores, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores, or flower shops. The owners of the stores advertised their products to compete for business. In small towns, shoppers may still shop this way. Now, however, shoppers have several choices when they want to purchase products. They may go to the shopping mall, where there are many stores in the same place under the same roof. They can park their cars in the large parking lot and do all their shopping in one stop. Also, they probably study newspaper advertisements in the morning before they go to the mall. The ads inform them about special sales, or bargains. In the newspaper, sometimes these shoppers find discount coupons for special sales. They are ready to make rational decisions about their purchases. The shopping mall is very convenient for many people. On the other hand, other consumers shop by mail. They get catalogs and advertising flyers from manufacturers in their mailboxes. At home, they look at the displays of items on the pages in the catalogs. The catalogs show colorful pictures of the products. There are also written descriptions of the items. These descriptions tell the buyer about the materials in the product, the sizes, the colors, and the prices. The consumers analyze the products and make decisions. Then they mail their orders to the manufacturer, or they use the telephone to place their orders. Shopping by catalog is another convenient way for the consumer to go shopping. Modern technology has added other ways for people to shop. Shoppers can now shop for products and services from their homes. On their television sets, viewers can choose a shopping channel. These channels are like catalogs on TV. For example, shoppers see models wearing the clothes or jewelry. They can watch a salesperson demonstrate a video camera. Or they can see a salesperson cook a meal on a special kind of kitchen appliance. The products seem to come alive and be real, not just pictures on a page in a catalog. It is easy to purchase the items. The buyers order the items by calling a number on the telephone and giving their credit card numbers. Sometimes the buyer can pay for the item in several installments. The business sends the product to the consumer through the mail. Many buyers are vulnerable because it is so easy to shop this way. They use their credit cards quickly, and soon they have large bills to pay. Another way shoppers use technology is on their computers. They use e-commerce. Using a computer, they shop for products and services across the country and around the world. People use computers to help them keep track of their money. For example, they do their banking and keep track of their investments. They can analyze their own financial, or money, situations. Other people pay their bills in this way. They do not write checks and mail them. Another example of e-commerce is making travel arrangements. When travelers want to go on a trip, they make their airplane and hotel reservations by using the Internet. They search the Internet for the best prices and the most convenient times for their travel. After they have analyzed the prices and times, they make their decisions. By computer, they make the reservations for their flights. The traveler can also make hotel reservations and reserve rental cars in a distant cit-y. It is obvious that traveling is much more convenient now because of the computer. Shoppers also use the Internet to find products that they want to buy. For example, a shopper who wants a new car can shop with his computer. He sees displays of many kinds of cars. He sees the colors and the equipment of the cars. He can compare the styles of the cars. Furthermore, he can learn about the prices from different car dealers. The car dealers want his business. They are in competition with one another. Therefore, they offer good prices. The buyer analyzes the information and makes his choice. Using his computer, he makes a bid, the amount of money he wants to pay for the car. Then the seller can accept his price, the bid. Or the dealer can refuse it. If the dealer refuses his bid, the shopper can search for a bargain somewhere else without leaving his home. Other purchasers are readers. They buy books on – line. They can find the titles of books that are difficult to find in the bookstores in their own city. They compare prices from several sellers. Then they make an order, they pay the cost by using their credit cards, and then bookseller sends the books to them by mail. Other people who want special products search the Internet to find those objects. Buyers can find anything on the Internet. Not only big companies and manufacturers sell products on the Internet. Anybody who has things to sell can advertise the items on the Internet. People may sell old things, antiques. People who collect antiques search the Internet. They sometimes find bargains. Art collectors buy paintings and other artwork. Other people who make things like baskets or quilts or other crafts advertise and sell their products on-line. The Internet is a huge shopping mall for anybody to buy and sell. However, there are problems with buying on-line. One of those problems is that the buyer has to pay the shipping cost for the item. Sometimes this cost is high. If the buyer is not satisfied with the product, he has to pay the cost of mailing it back to the seller. Another problem is using credit cards. Usually buyers pay with their credit cards. They charge the cost on their credit card accounts. When they put their credit card numbers on the Internet to pay for the item, sometimes their numbers might be stolen. Then the thief uses the numbers to buy items. The bill for the stolen items comes to the credit card owner. Many people feel vulnerable when they put credit card numbers on the Internet. Privacy for the credit card numbers of the buyers is a problem. But manufacturers and computer experts are working to solve it. Another problem is that sometimes sellers are not honest. The items they advertise are not as good as the items on display, and their advertisements make false promises. When the buyer buys a bad product, he cannot find the dishonest seller to return the faulty item. He has lost his money. Nevertheless, although there are some problems with buying on-line, the Internet has become an important part of the international shopping mall.
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