I read an article earlier today about an Australian shop that has decided to charge its customers $5 for “just looking” at their goods. The explanation given is that too many people are using the store as a ‘reference’ before going to buy the products elsewhere (http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/27/store-charging-patrons-5-for-just-looking-to-offset-losses-from-internet-shoppers/). I must admit that I am guilty of this and am sympathetic to the shop owner’s concern. The root of the problem? Technology. Not only does technology enable one to instantly compare prices between different high street retailers, it also means that the consumer can take a note or a photo of a product on their phone, scurry off home, and purchase it at a reduced price online – that is, of course, if they don’t use the internet on their phones to buy the cheaper product online whilst trying on the garment in the store changing room!
Coincidentally, last night, during one of my entrepreneurial pub sessions, in which myself and a friend talk long into the night over what new ideas might make us rich, we discussed the future of the high street shop. My friend came up with an idea that rather than going into shops to try on clothes before purchasing, we could upload a photo online of our own bodies and drag different items of clothing onto the model of ourselves to see whether they look good. I was initially excited by this thought; I’d never have to leave my house again! But as my mind ran on, I imagined a future in which this was the case, and I began to view the idea with contempt. I saw a world where high street retailers had disappeared altogether as customers received all their purchases via a courier service to their front door. After all, how can shop owners’ compete when the consumer is able to purchase the same product but at a similar or cheaper price from the comfort of their own living rooms? As a consequence, the necessity for shop employees will become obsolete as the self-service machines take over; we will be less familiar with human interaction and more accustomed to the phrase “please collect your items from the bagging area”!
This ties in with the increasing desire for efficiency, made possible by developments in technology. In the western world, the majority view technology as a revolutionary way of establishing a more efficient society. I would agree with this and I embrace technology with open arms. I am aware of the copious opportunities one can explore through technology, and would never wish it away. However, efficiency can often be confused with a necessity to get things done faster. As British poet Matthew Arnold put it, the “strange disease of modern life (is) its sick hurry”. Our time is apparently too precious to wait in shop queues because we must rush to get as much as we can done each day!
I do not agree with the $5 charge for “just looking” at a store’s goods. However, I very much admire the sentiment and feel that high street shops must adopt radical ways to maintain customer loyalty, before we are all swallowed by the necessity of an ultra-efficient society and high street retailers disappear.
Student Observation 