The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media
platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting,
digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading
multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and
international interest.
Customers shopping electronics at Naivas Supermarket at Kiambu Mall in Kiambu town. [Wilberforce Okwiri,Standard]
In most Nairobi’s high-end malls, there is always a pedestrian gate.
The walking masses and car owners meet in well-designed malls with walkways and displays of merchandise and services like banks and entertainment, from movie theatres to skating paths.
It would be interesting to estimate what percentage of shoppers actually shop, not window shop. I have a hunch it must be a huge percentage.
And I bet the percentage has gone up in the last two years. Inflation has been going down because we have no money to buy goods and services.
Malls are designed to be one-stop shops - you can get all services and goods under the same roof. You even find garages and government services like post offices.
In a country with no parks, malls are the new parks, where we gather to pass time and possibly relax.
Window shopping is one of the pastime activities, a form of entertainment. Soon, real shopping will become part of our entertainment when our level of income goes up.
The mall displays with big windows, colours, and wide walkways make window shopping easy. You can even eat and recharge your window shopping. How is food window shopping? It must be difficult!
The entrepreneurs or business owners hope some window shopping can be converted into real shopping.
Pricing displays indicating huge discounts are another attraction. Soft music and well-dressed attendants try to increase shopping rates.
Malls wow you into shopping. It’s also a status issue; I bought this dress at the mall, in a branded outlet, which is different from reporting that you bought it in a shop or boutique.
In Kenya, paying a high price for anything is prestigious. No wonder Kenya is so attractive to entrepreneurs; we help people make money with our pride. Even bargaining is considered a lack of sophistication.
Someone could ask: Why not go online and “window shop” from your house? The experience is different.
There is something sentimental about seeing items on sale live. Is online dating the same as having coffee together?
Students still want face-to-face classes despite online lectures. We still want to talk to real doctors despite online advice.
It’s the presence of other people that makes us human. That is unlikely to end despite all the technology around us. Will artificial intelligence (AI) make window shopping easier?
Some window shoppers eventually shop after price comparison, either in the same mall, elsewhere, or online. This price discovery makes window shopping economically sensible.
Next time you go window shopping, do not feel guilty. It makes you human and aspirational. How often do you go window shopping?
The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media
platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting,
digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading
multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and
international interest.
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