Still looking for deals on Shopping ?
Find our amazing Shopping offers at our top source site today where we have compared Shopping for you.
ask.com

---

About Shopping

For the song by Bran Van 3000, see [Shopping (song)].

Shopping is the examining of [goods] or [service]s from [retailer]s with intent to [Trade]. Shopping is the activity of [selection] and/or [purchase]. In some contexts it is considered a [leisure] activity as well as an [economic] one.

Shopping in ancient societies Shopping can be traced back to many civilizations in history. In [ancient Rome], there was [Trajan's Market] with [taberna]s that served as retailing units. [Shopping list] are known to be used by Romans as one was discovered by [Hadrian's wall] dated back [75]-[125] [AD] written for a soldier.

Participants The shopper To many it is considered a recreational activity in which one visits a variety of stores in search of a suitable [product] to purchase. Window shopping is an activity that shoppers engage in by browsing though glass windows of a shop for entertainment. Sometimes they like what they see and might try on the item(s) or imagine purchasing these items without actually purchasing, possibly just to pass the time between other activities, or planning a purchase.

To some, shopping is a task of inconvenience and vexation. Shoppers sometimes go though great lengths to wait in long lines to buy popular products as typically observed with [early adopters] shoppers and holiday shoppers. Sometimes buyers feel [ripoff]-ed because they did not get what they paid for often asking for a [refund]. Sometimes shoppers get caught up in a [scam].

More recently compulsive shopping has been recognized as an [addiction]. Commonly referred as compulsive shopping, shopping addiction, shopoholic or formally [oniomania], these shoppers have an impulsive uncontrollable need to go shopping to get a rush or high.

The merchant Sellers of products come by various names. They may be called [vendors], [merchants], [salesman].

Shopping venues Shopping hubs A larger commercial [zoning] can be found in city [downtown] or [Arab] city [souk]. Shopping hubs, or [shopping center]s, are collection of stores that is a grouping of several [business]es. Typical examples include [shopping mall]s, [town square]s, [flea markets], and [bazaars].

Stores Shops are divided into multiple categories of stores which sell a selected set of [goods] or [services]. Usually they are tiered by target demographic based on the amount [disposable income] of the shopper. They can be tiered from cheap to pricey.

Some shops sell second-hand goods. Often the public can also sell goods to such shops. In other cases, especially in the case of a [nonprofit] shop, the public donates goods to the shop to be sold though [thrift store]s in the USA, [charity shop]s in the UK. In [give-away shop]s goods can be taken for free. In antique shops, the public can find goods that are older and harder to find. Sometimes people are [broke] and borrow money from a [pawn shop] using an item of value as [collateral]. College students are known to resell books back though college textbook [bookstore]s. Old used items are often distributed though [surplus store]s.

Many shops are part of a shopping chain that carry the same [trademark] (company name) and [logo] using the same [branding], same presentation, and sell the same products but in different locations. The shops may be owned by one company, or there may be a [franchising] company that has franchising agreements with the shop owners often found in relation to [restaurant chain]s.

Various types of retail stores that specialize in the selling of goods related to a theme include [bookstore]s, [candy shop]s, [liquor store]s, [gift shop]s, [hardware store]s, [hobby store]s, [pet store]s, [pharmacy]s, [sex shop]s, [supermarket]s.

Other stores such as [big-box store]s, [hypermarket]s, [convenience store]s, [department store]s, [general store]s, [dollar store]s sell a wider variety of products not [horizontal market] related to each other.

[Travel agency] is example of a store that sells services.

Home shopping With modern technology such as television and telephone and the Internet, users could be described as [home shopping] though online retail stores. [Electronic commerce] and [business-to-consumer electronic commerce] systems in combination of home [mail delivery] systems make this possible. Typically a consumer could make purchases though [online shopping], [shopping channels], [mail order], etc. Sometimes [peddler]s and [ice cream truck]s pass though the neighborhoods offering services and goods. Also, neighborhood shopping takes place though various [garage sale]s found in [United States].

Shopping time shopping time is anytime, when the stores are closed, go online. watch tv go on your cell phone and look at magazines. make sure to always look at the shipping time and price, because thats when shopping outside of the stores starts to get expensive. make sure to always spend moeny wisely. see money. some countries and stores don't open on a certain day for religous politcal or economical reasons. see reasons. Regulation Some business have [shopping hours] are open 24 hours 7 days-a-week. Some nations regulate the operation of businesses for religious reasons and do not allow shopping on particular days or dates.

Shopping seasons Shopping seasons are periods where a burst of spending occurs typically near holidays in the [United States], where [Christmas shopping] is the biggest shopping spending season. Some famous target dates are [Black Friday (shopping)] and [Cyber Monday].

Some religions regard such spending seasons against their religion and dismiss the practice. Many question the over-commercialization and the response by stores who downplay the shopping season often cited in the Christmas controversy or [War on Christmas].

Pricing and negotiation The [pricing] technique used by most retailers is [cost-plus pricing]. This involves adding a [markup (business)] amount (or percentage) to the retailers cost. Another common technique is [MSRP] pricing. This simply involves charging the amount suggested by the manufacturer and usually printed on the [product (business)] by the manufacturer.

In Western countries, retail [price]s are often so-called [psychological price]s or odd prices: a little less than a round number, e.g. $ 6.95. In Chinese societies, prices are generally either a round number or sometimes some lucky number. This creates [price points].

Often prices are fixed and displayed on signs or labels. Alternatively, there can be [price discrimination] for a variety of reasons. The retailer charges higher prices to some customers and lower prices to others. For example, a customer may have to pay more if the seller determines that he or she is willing to. The retailer may conclude this due to the customer's wealth, carelessness, lack of knowledge, or eagerness to buy.

Price discrimination can lead to a [bargaining] situation often called haggling, a [negotiation] about the price. Economists see this as determining how the transaction's total surplus will be divided into [consumer and producer surplus]. Neither party has a clear advantage, because the threat of no sale exists, whence the surplus vanishes for both.

In popular culture There was a television shopping game show called [Shop 'Til You Drop].

The [Pet Shop Boys] wrote a song called "Shopping" for their 1987 album [Actually (album)]. It takes the totally [consumerist] approach many shoppers have, and turns it into a satire on the [privatisation] culture of Britain in the [1980s].

In the [Gilmore Girls] fourth season episode "Scene in a Mall," a significant part of the episode is devoted to window shopping, which is Lorelai and Rory's main plan for the day.

In the famous shopping quote by [Bo Derek], "whoever said money can't by happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping."

Internet shopping bargain aggregation sites such as have become a favorite shopping channel for busy people. Hundreds of merchant sites are reviewed for favorable pricing. Coupons for reduced pricing or free shipping are presented with the item which help deliver additional value to the shoppers.

References

Information Reference: Wikipedia.org

Some content elements on this page provided by Yahoo