▶ Your Answer : The survey conducted by Princeton University research team shows that one of the most innovative change about shopping culture is 'Wal-mart.' It is a big change from centre-town small store to suburban big one. As it is usually located in the suburban area, people have to drive a car so as to get goods. It makes some people complain, as they should spend more time to buy products. However, I firmly believe that these out-of-town big stores beget lots of advantages, and my opinion can be greatly substantiated by the reasons below.
First of all, people can get same goods with cheaper price. Moreover, as products provided by big stores are much cheaper than centre-small stores, this opportunity usually offsets losses caused by driving a car. It is because out-of-town big stores achieve 'economy of scales.' This term means that the more they offer products to customers, the more average selling costs decrease. Because stores located in outside of town are big enough to accommodate lots of products and provide them to many customers, the chance of making profits is higher than small-medium sized stores. In my case, I sometimes need to buy a T-shirt. When I visit the Wal-mart, I can compare a wide range of T-shirts displayed at the floor and get with cheaper price, which is not possible in centre-town stores, since they just show small number of products with high price. From the customers' point of view, it is a desirable change.
Second, people can experience new services and convenience when they go to a out-of-town big store. Many huge marts offer various services, from big parking lots and shuttle bus to rest areas and children playing field. Going shopping is not just buying a product, but experiencing a new culture. Consequently, one sociologist refer to this phenomenon as the new shopping of modern generation. According to a survey by a London School of Economics faculty, more than 89% interviewed answered that they enjoy going to malls with family member, as there are lots of cultural experiences and chances for socializing with neighbors. From this result, we have a reasonable evidence to support suburban shopping centers.
All in all, I advocate the idea that replacing centre-town stores with out-of-town ones has more beneficial aspects. Of course, people have a tendency to like older, and familiar things, avoiding transition at first. However, it can be smoothly changed by our sincere efforts and complementing drawbacks. |