Shopping is a key part of life. From getting day-to-day things to fetching premium luxury items, one cannot simply do without shopping.

 Moreover, even window shopping or looking at the displayed goods is the ultimate soothing experience. Studies say that it is therapeutic- a mindblowing stress buster.

The look, feel and freshness of new things stimulate the human mind. 

Earlier, people used to visit shopping malls each time they needed something branded. However, the preferences of buyers have significantly changed in the post-pandemic era. 

COVID-19 lockdowns were sudden. Nonetheless, they were an eye-opener. The government decided to keep the brick-and-mortar stores closed for an infinite period to stop contamination. The abruptness was shocking. None was prepared to face the uncertainty.

COVID-19 influenced people’s lives in a lot of ways. Moulding retail behaviour is one of them.

If you are an avid shopper and excited to know about the shopping trends after the pandemic, then this article is for you. Walk through this comparative study dosing on various shopping channels.

Table Of Contents

• How Did COVID-19 Change the Shopping Pattern of People?

• Visiting A Shopping Centre

• 2.1: The Benefits Of Visiting The Nearest Mall
• 2.2: The Limitations Of Shopping Malls

• The Hype Around Street Shopping

• 3.1: Why Should You Go For Street Hauls
• 3.2: The Cons Of Street Product And Cloth Shops

• Online Shopping- The Next Big Thing

• 4.1: The Pros Of Using Online Shopping Sites In India
• 4.2: The Shortcomings Of E-Commerce Shopping
• The Verdict

How Did COVID-19 Change the Shopping Pattern of People?

Visiting a shopping mall during the peak stage of the pandemic was impossible. This forced people to look for alternatives.

Not only did the pandemic change shopping habits, but it also boosted e-commerce marketplaces.

People searched for convenience in every aspect. They wanted:

• Faster delivery than the shopping centres
• Updated inventory of the products of daily need
• All essential items under one roof
• Assured delivery within the committed time frame
• Competitive pricing when the offline retailers sold items at abnormally higher rates

Visiting A Shopping Centre

There are many recognised shopping malls in India. The first shopping mall on the Paris Arcades was built in the 19th century. The concept caught the eyes of the shoppers instantly. Initially, shopping centres were only a place for the elite people. Nevertheless, the current scenario is not the same now.

The Benefits Of Visiting The Nearest Mall

People consider visiting home goods stores at shopping malls because:

• Wide Variety: Reputed shopping malls house luxurious national and international brands. For instance, if you want to buy apparel from a world-famous store, your nearest shopping mall is the go-to place. 
• Discounts: In shopping malls, you will find multiple brands, selling similar products. Hence, brands offer lucrative discounts in order to sustain the cut-throat competition.
• Parking Facility: ‘Where to park my car’ is a common concern among people visiting brick-and-mortar shops. In shopping malls, this is not even a trivial issue.
• Entertainment Zones: Most shopping malls have food courts. Therefore, if you are famished while shopping for upcoming festivals, you will get a plethora of food options for yourself.

In addition to it, you can also find a gaming centre or movie theatre in a shopping mall.

The Limitations Of Shopping Malls

Shopping malls have some limitations:

• Congested Environment: Footfall in a shopping mall can be humongous before any festival. Hence, the place becomes crowded, congested and noisy. By the same token, it becomes unsuitable for people with claustrophobia or agoraphobia.
• Inconsistency: A cloth shop or a grocery outlet within a shopping mall suffers inconsistency. They have to keep their businesses closed when the place shuts down for maintenance.

The Hype Around Street Shopping

Street shops, otherwise known as brick-and-mortar stores, are the traditional shopping platform. It existed before shopping malls came into existence. 

Why Should You Go For Street Hauls?

• Price Negotiation: None can ever imagine buying clothes, shoes or jewellery without haggling over the price. Nevertheless, this is the best thing about street shopping.
• Inexpensive ‘Dupes’: There is nothing to be sad about if you could not buy a high-end dress from a celebrity fashion designer. You will get plenty of first and second copies in the street cloth shops.
•  Window Shopping At Its Best: Sometimes you do not have anything to buy. Nonetheless, it might be only retail therapy that you are looking for, in such instances. A shopping mall is not a good place for window shopping.

The Cons Of Street Product And Cloth Shops

• Less Credibility: You can be the winner of street shopping only if you grab a worthwhile deal. The street shops are less credible. Hence, if it is not your place if you are concerned about quality.
• Time-Intensive: Buyers have to spend a lot of time to come across the best home goods store.
• Altering Stocks:  Street shops do not have a definite catalogue. Their stocks keep altering. Therefore, if an item goes out of hand, it is gone forever.

Online Shopping- The Next Big Thing

The e-commerce sites were never as popular as now, before the pandemic. Big players like Amazon and Flipkart were in the market. Nevertheless, after the Coronavirus pandemic, people are talking about emerging marketplaces like TooFav.

The Pros Of Using Online Shopping Sites In India

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, online shopping has been a trailblazing trend.

Are you wondering why?

• Everything At Your Fingertips: Online shops have a limitless capacity when it comes to showcasing a miscellany of brands. Buyers get everything right at their fingertips.
• Convenience: You have to visit the physical stores in-person to buy a thing. There is no alternative. However, you do not need to go anywhere when you are shopping from e-commerce stores.
• Amazing Discounts: Almost no street shop or shopping mall store offered discounts during the pandemic phase. On the contrary, many sellers increased the prices of high-demand items. Whereas, it rained terrific deals on online shopping sites in India.
• Fast Shipping: Physical stores exhausted their stocks during the pandemic. As a result, they could not promise a timely delivery. Reputed online stores in India stayed true to their commitments to make fast delivery.
• No Fixed Business Hours: The online stores are open 24/7. It means that even if you are picking gifts for your beloved at the last minute, you do not need to rush to reach the shopping malls within their business hours.

The Shortcomings Of E-Commerce Shopping

Every good thing has some sort of shortcomings. Online shopping is no exception too. Though, the numbers are lesser than shopping malls and street shops.

• Problem In Communication: Some users complain of not being able to establish proper communication with online sellers. On the contrary, reliable online sellers promise seamless customer support.

The Verdict

Online shopping is definitely going to be the next big thing in the future. This trend is here to stay. It solves every problem that people have faced during the pandemic. 

• E-commerce stores arrange seasonal sales and massive discounts before special events. Thus, you can bag profitable deals by shopping online.
• Most e-commerce shopping sites enable you to shop through their apps.
• You can get quality products at least prices and in the quickest time frame.
• There is no need to go to a shopping mall or physical store.

The Bottomline

The behaviour of people changes with time. Likewise, their shopping habits also shift. The scenario before the pandemic was utterly different from the post-pandemic phase. There are more online shoppers nowadays. Online shopping has filled the gaps in a mall and street shopping.

If you shop online, look for reputed e-commerce platforms to save yourself from fraud. Sometimes, you may get misguided by even the e-commerce giants. Nonetheless, TooFav, the most promising online marketplace, has a seamless reputation for showcasing.

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic was an eye-opener to both the public and businesses. Accordingly, people have changed their shopping habits. Why so? Shopping malls, street shops or online stores- who will rule the future? This article contains answers to all your questions. Read to get the comparative details.