Recently MasterCard held a conference in New York for investors called “The Future of Shopping.” Their vision, soon to be tried out, is of a shopping paradise where everything is instantly available, straight from an appealing magazine or television advertisement to your home.
See something, tap on the shopping-cart icon on the page or on the screen, and almost-instant gratification is yours.
Paydiant is creating a program for scanning a code from a television screen which redeems a coupon so you may instantly buy something seen in a commercial or perhaps even featured on the television show, itself. Peapod, the online grocery service which then delivers groceries to your door (available in this area through Stop & Shop) has a new feature on its mobile app so that customers can restock their shelves by scanning bar codes with their smart phones at home.
As you are munching on the next-to-last cookie in the box, just take out your phone, scan the bar code and the order goes straight to the store. No need for shopping lists; you will never run out of anything. I wonder, however, isn’t there a line between convenience and instant gratification that is crossed when it becomes so easy to spend money without having to pause to consider or reflect, even for a moment? And doesn’t the increased use of icons and apps mean we become increasingly dependent on the ever-changing latest technology?
MasterCard is making this click-through shopping technique available in several areas, including television, video and movies. Gary Lyons, an executive with MasterCard, feels consumers will want to buy what they want from within the content without having to leave the content, meaning if you are watching a television show and the actress is wearing an attractive dress, you can order it on the spot, or if you are at the movies and see the perfect shirt for your husband, you can pull out a device and order it then and there.
At the Future of Shopping Conference, attendees could test out a virtual 3-D fitting room app that takes a photo of a shopper and then, given her measurements, creates an avatar to “try on” clothes so that the mobile shopper can see how they might actually look. Or using Goggle Glass (the latest craze at the designer fashion shows) which are eyeglasses that are mini-computers, the wearer can find, order and pay for, a variety of items with a simple tap on the frame of the glass.
Lyons, who feels the potential of these types of new devices is endless, says, “We’re not trying to force people to buy things to drive them into debt, but to make people’s life easier.” Why do I wonder if that is a sincere statement?
Lyons even foresaw the day when refrigerators could be programmed to send a store an order when milk or eggs are almost gone or washing machines could order detergent. While all of this “immediate-gratification shopping” is relatively new, it will certainly change the relationship between advertisers, consumers and merchants.
When I made a major move recently, I found that many of the home furnishings which I wanted to purchase, were only available online. This may have allowed the store to carry a larger selection while paying for less floor space as well as smaller inventories, but it meant that I could not actually see, touch and feel before buying and often had to assemble the purchase, as well.
The question we, as consumers, have to resolve and then make our opinions heard, is, are super convenience and instant gratification worth the price and the hidden, unforeseen disadvantages? As for me, I have some serious doubts.
Contact Jean Cherni, certified senior adviser for Senior Living Solutions and Pearce Plus, a helpful, full-service program for seniors contemplating a move, at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 49 Rose St., Apt. 510, Branford, 06405.
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