"Shopping and buying" in the viewpoint of the layman "Purchasing" in the marketing language is the term used to describe giving money to get something. In brief, it's trading. Barter was one system those days to exchange goods with items where there was no currency and no calculations were made. For instance, a kilogram of rice was exchanged to a kilo of wheat, and so on shops for sale in Islamabad on installments. It's gone. Nowadays, all you need is money. People began thinking about big things when they began earning an increasing amount. The situation is like people buy things because they have come to this status, and sometimes because it's owned by their neighbours. The ownership of something is valued more than worth of the money. The dictionary defines market as "A place where buyers and sellers meet and exchange their products and services". It has evolved into an opportunity to earn money. People have become so much obsessed with shopping and exploring products. However, it is the individual's choice how they look at it. Some people buy things because they like it, some do shopping for fun, pleasure or even make it a point for them to shop. There is no end to the possibilities.

A person's desire to shop depends on the mental attitude as well as the buying behavior of a person. Goods' quality as well as the satisfaction of customers and the attitude of the seller play an important role in dragging customers to their stores. Generally discounts; good shopping environment, customer relationship management, value added services etc are some of the strategies/activities they perform to keep loyal customers. Well, product availability and services, the variety of brands, selection of items, store ambience etc are considered crucial.

We shop for every one of us almost daily. We all have reasons to purchase something. Pens, pencils, groceries and so on. List is never ending. I've seen people note down their list of things to buy but when they get into the shop they are taken with the gorgeous displays, advertisements and, sometimes, even the wrapper and buy things that aren't in their list. When they get home, they say, "Oh my god, I have got this one. I forgot what I wanted. It is my mistake" and that's just the beginning. In marketing parlance this is known as impulse purchasing.

Well, shopping is always enjoyable. There are those who plan to go shopping. To others, it just happens. There's a phrase "window shopping". Defining it would be great. It's always the cheapest method of getting satisfaction. It is the one shopping that people can do with lots of joy and happiness since no cash is taken out of their pockets. Window shopping can be even appealing if the store is air-conditioned and well-scented with an appealing scent, and the atmosphere of the store is lively. Wow. I'm sure everyone will have experienced this.

The festival's first step is to shop. This is the one and only custom followed all over the world. What can we buy at festivals? Sweets, chocolatesand gifts clothing, stationery and fruits, flowers, dress materials, junk foods etc. The list is surely endless. "Hey, come let us see what we find there, will this shop be okay for us?, where do we get branded clothes? ", are some of the concerns we'll notice. The specialty stores earn quite a bit in this time. When I think of special stores, the word brand loyalty is what comes to my mind. This is when a customer is loyal to one brand. They will not allow other brands to compete. "Somehow I want it" is their attitude. In that case men have many brands to stick on to whereas women don't.

I really enjoy shopping. I buy anything that is decent and worthy of my money. I am often asked "Why did you take Retail management as an elective paper in your marketing" and I will tell them "I love shopping and moreover retailing sector is coming up". There's always a issue that constantly pops up in my head. Why do people buy? The very true answer is due to the appearance (packaging) and the substantial cost. Packing plays a very important part in the selling of the product. The best example would be FMCG (Fast shifting consumer goods) products. Shampoos, biscuits teeth pastes, cosmetics and many fall under the category. I feel impulse purchase is influenced by the packing.

I think that targeting kids would make any company profitable. Kids have a huge impact on the lives of the families. From food to clothes parents give them the choice. At one time, the approach to shopping for a child would be "I have bought this for you". Today, it's completely different. It has now become "see if this will suit you, if you don't like it you choose". Cartoons and animated wrapper does not matter. The color of the design and the good colors are essential.

As I stated earlier I love to shop. I believe that everyone should master the ability to observe everything that happens around them when they shop. Well, it is very interesting to look at the product assortment, salesman's way of reacting, the display inside and outside of the shop, promotion strategies followed in order to draw customers, lights over the products, maintenance , and other things. The joy of watching people taking pleasure in shopping and purchasing what they want cannot be expressed in a single sentence. Shopping itself is a vast issue. My perspective on shopping isn't like others. It need not be also.

I am of the opinion that salespeople can generate a number of customers to his store. Promotion, advertising branding, and even place of business are important outside but inside the shop, how the customer is handled is crucial. In a retail store, a section should not have overly many salespersons. If the number of customers is too big then it can be helpful. If there is a shortage of customers which is irritating to customers. The clutter of repeated requests and rescheduling the display of products, or a lack of attention to one customer generally happen. I've seen customers decide whether they should go back to the same shop or stay at the cash register itself. If they're satisfied they will say, "This is the shop I was looking for, awesome service, great shopping experience and so on". If they aren't happy with the experience, even though everything is great, they say "I have never had such a bad experience, they don't have anything with them other than their salesmen and so on". This reminds me of one saying "One satisfied customer can bring 'n' number of customers". This is a "Word of mouth strategy".