Is shopping still popular?

Is shopping still popular? The truth is that shopping has never been popular with some people. There have always been people who just hate to go round crowded shops, struggling to find what they want and queuing to pay for it. They probably hate even more queuing for an available fitting room to see if the garment they have selected is the right size for them. Then they hate having to make their way through busy streets, lugging large bags, to get on a crowded bus.

It is often suggested that liking or not liking shopping depends on your gender. The claim is that men are much less keen on shopping than women. It is probably true that shopping is generally more popular with women than with men, although that may be changing. Many young, modern, fashion-conscious men often like to go shopping just as much as their female counterparts.

Shopping is popular with many people, particularly women, because it makes them feel good. They say that there is nothing quite like retail therapy, as they call it, to make you feel better if you are feeling rather depressed. Many women make a social event of shopping and go shopping with their friends, perhaps also stopping to have a meal with them.

Some people like shopping so much that they become shopaholics. They just cannot resist going shopping. Nor can they resist spending money. Window-shopping is not enough for them. By this means, many shopaholics get into debt.

Leaving aside the shopaholics, is shopping still as popular as it was? The answer is probably no, if we regard shopping as an activity that involves going round the shops. However, if we take a more modern interpretation of the word and regard shopping as looking for and purchasing items, then the answer is yes. Indeed, shopping is more popular than ever.

The reason is that more and more people are turning to Internet shopping. They are no longer physically going round shops so much. Instead, they select and purchase what they need online.

Of course, not everyone wants to shop online. There are many people who do not wish to give up what they regard as the delights of going round shops. They certainly do not wish to give up the social side of shopping.

Then there are people who want to see what they are buying rather than just see a picture of it. If they are buying clothes or shoes, they want to try them on. Wrong purchases made online have to be sent back, which is time-consuming.

Finally, there are people who distrust Internet shopping. They may not like going round shops, but they fear that paying by credit card online may well result in some kind of fraud.

Despite these concerns, statistics show us that more and more people are staying away from shopping centres and shopping online. This has inevitably affected the popularity of shopping as we used to know it.