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Shopping in 2030 A.D.
Pic Source - Indiblogger
Shopping for products has come a long way since the dawn of civilization. Earlier, a person had to go from shop to shop to buy the products of his choice. Then came the concept of departmental stores and after it the concept of malls. Each of these concepts have been popular during their own times. Then came ebay which revolutionized the way we shopped. No one 20 years back would have believed that we the customers could have bought stuff while sitting at our homes but it did happen.
The way we shopped has change a lot over the last 15 years thanks to ebay and i am sure that in the coming 15 years or so it is going to see a world of change as compared to now as well. Shopping is no longer a hectic chore it used to be some years ago. Who can forget the days when we went to the nearest mall on a Sunday with a shopping list in our hand, carrying all the packages around the mall and then head back home ? I can't ! Thanks to ebay i can easily sit on the internet and shop or auction for anything I want to, pay online and have all the packages delivered at home.
Pic Source - Indiblogger
The basics of shopping have always been the same. They were the same 15 years ago, they are the same today and will remain the same in the future as well ! The basics, as per me, being - Getting the best deal in the market, buying products which are relevant to us, buying products which catch the attention of our social circle and buying products which are the latest in technology.
I feel that shopping in the year 2030 would cover the basic expectations of shoppers (which I mentioned above) in a much better manner, be more personalized and up to the point. For the ones who would be looking at it - it would be a more satisfying social experience than before.
This is how shopping would be in they year 2030 (as per me) -
1. People would use their thumb impression or retina display to log in - It would do away with the irritating problem of having to remember our passwords to log in to the site
2. Surfing for products would be done by Voice - Commands - By 2030, with the help of technological advances and a much advanced application, on smartphone or a laptop, shopping on the internet would be more voice-based and hence take us closer to over-the-counter experience than ever before !!
3. People could feed, into the ebay database, their weekly/monthly requirements for groceries/provisions and ebay would remind them of it every month - Putting it in simpler terms , in the future, the system would give reminder to customers that their product (they had ordered) has arrived or the time for them to buy their monthly provisions has come thus acting like their personal shopping assistant.
4. No payment would be done in cash. Electronic mediums like Paypal, Credit cards would be used, whose details would be kept in cloud storage - The time of paying through cash would be over in most parts of the world (which are connected with internet). Wallets would be phased out and shoppers would prefer to pay through the electronic medium.
5. For shopping of clothes there would be a measurement taker with which customers would feed into the computer what their current measurements are, what brands they like and what colours they prefer and shop for those clothes - Shoppers would keep with themselves measurement takers/ scanners which would take their measures from all angles (such an equipment does exist!). They would simply upload the measurements on ebay and the website would offer them garments which would fit them. ebay would also provide expert's opinions (to the shoppers) over which clothes to buy based on their measurements, skin colour, preferences e.t.c. All this from the comfort of their own homes !
6. People would talk to their friends online and talk to them about the clothes or products they are going to buy online - Girls prefer to shop with their friends. This kind of shopping experience would be replicated online with girls/guys discussing, on chat forums of ebay, the product they are going to buy and what options they have at hand.
7. There would be a 360 degree view and larger than life pictures of products (so great looking that you would want to lick them) and a simulated sample (of a mobile for example) which the shopper could try out before buying it - With time their would be cameras which would be able to provide better and clearer images, along with a 360 degree view, and create the interest in a prospective shopper's mind to buy the product. There would also be a simulated model which a shopper would use to get a feel of the product. This would eliminate the need for the shopper to go to a showroom to check out the product themselves
8. The shopping experience would be more personalized, would suggest new products to the people in an intuitive way - In the future the experience of shopping would become more easier than now. The product suggestions would be more personalized (and in sync with the shoppers personal likes/dislikes and requirements) and more intuitive in nature.
9. Shopping would be possible in all the major languages of the world
10. People would actually be able to try out outfits by ordering them at their place (if they end up buying something there would be no extra trial charge)
10. There will be a far better and prompt Grievance Redressal System
11. Everyone looks for discounts, they will continue to do so in the future as well. so regular customers would be given preferable discounts or credit points which they can accumulate for the future
13. There would be product hubs which would ensure speedy delivery and replacement of goods
14. People would be able to book for their products (for example a new smartphone, movie tickets) months in advance.
By the year 2030 people would be shopping from their offices and saving all the time of going to malls to scour for their required product. The scenario of shopping in 2030 would be completely different from what it is now, just like the current scenario of shopping is completely different from what it was 15 years ago !
