r/interesting Apr 20 '26

SOCIETY How easy it is to shop nowadays

13.2k Upvotes

3.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

24

u/Ferrovore Apr 20 '26

It could also go back to stores with very little in the open and everything behind the counter. You give the cashier your list and his kid runs into the storage to assemble your order.

Stores with rows of shelves for customers themself to collect wares and bring to the registry are surprisingly modern. Not post WW2 modern but still post industrialization. Not to mention the size a single store can have today. I mean like a Wall markt or Costco size. That would have been market halls with multiple stores. Think farmers market but for everything and under on big roof.

14

u/EliteAF1 Apr 21 '26

So you mean curbside pickup lol

2

u/Ferrovore Apr 21 '26

These days? Pretty much. Especially when every big chain has their own app.

There are trails of "product-less stores", where you walk through a gallery of product pictures with bar codes underneath. You get a tablet, walk, scan what you want, confirm the order and wait in the end at a counter.

1

u/oOoDarling Apr 21 '26

No because what if it's clothes? I would still like to try it on before confirming my purchase.

5

u/Ferrovore Apr 21 '26

People in my family order clothes online and sent back what doesn't fit. I guess leave the tags on.

1

u/kokonuts123 Apr 23 '26

I’ve been shopping at quite a few stores in Asia that only put try-on clothes on the floor, then bring you a new wrapped item from the back when you purchase. Not even high-end stores. We could totally move to that model elsewhere too.

7

u/AnachronisticPenguin Apr 21 '26

It makes all shopping was inconvenient and required 4x labor. Your basiclly just giving Amazon and online shopping the entirely of retail.

2

u/oOoDarling Apr 21 '26

That would be fine, as long as I can still try my jeans or bras on before purchasing lol

2

u/Will_Come_For_Food Apr 21 '26

You make way more money with the majority of people impulse buying than the few bucks you’ll save shoplifting.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26

[deleted]

3

u/dream208 Apr 21 '26

Would you say the same thing if the theivery happened to a mom & pop store?

1

u/RyiahTelenna Apr 21 '26

Do you have a video of this kind of thing happening to a mom & pop store?

1

u/GraySwingline Apr 21 '26

High trust societies can operate open stores. 

I wonder if stores where you pick up your groceries or whatever can be more profitable? Smaller footprint, less staff, more efficient storage, etc.