Online shopping, virtual happiness and a Chanel bag

I truly love fashion. I consider myself a very stylish person and, being young, single and on my own, I like to spend my money on trendy, fabulous, brandname outfits and accessories whenever I can. I actually have been wanting to buy myself a new Chanel bag since I saw model/actor/director Kristen Stewart carrying an awesome looking one at the Spring 2019 Haute Couture show in Paris a couple of weeks ago. Then, just yesterday, when a colleague of mine nonchalantly came into the office with the same bag attached to her very own hand, I nearly freaked out. “Oh, it is just a little something I got from my partner on my birthday. Isn’t it swell? I love it!” — she said, glowing with pride as she showed it to all of us who cared to watch. I was afraid someone would look at me and notice —maybe— a slight green tinge to my complexion, because I was indeed boiling inside with insidious envy! There is a certain superiority boost we feel when we own things that other people don’t, and because of the fact that I consider myself a hard working individual, I hate to deny myself some luxuries that I believe I am entitled to and make me happy. As a result of this, I love to shop! The thing is, I live in Toronto (Canada) and there are 10 inches of snow on the ground right now, the temperature is a brutally cold -10 degrees celsius outside, and I cannot bear the fact that I need to spend my day off driving to the mall under these conditions just to satisfy my entitlement needs. So, what is there to do? I quickly put my hair up in a pony tail, grab a tea, my glasses, sit on the couch and, as my heart starts raising with anticipation, I go online, of course!

Who doesn’t enjoy having a successful, stress-free shopping experience sitting in the comfort of their own home? I don’t have to get out of my comfy pyjamas and slippers or fight the crowds —or the inclement weather— to score a great deal for myself. All I need to do is switch on my computer or portable electronic device and voilà, minutes later my chosen product will be on its way to meet me at the front door. This simple and successful transaction done with a few clicks of a mouse —or finger swipes — fills me with automatic excitement, and this is because there is something innate in human psychology that makes us fantasize about what we desire and don’t physically have. Be it a piece of clothing or a decorative item for our home, for example, when we look at its

image on the screen, we automatically start daydreaming about what it would be like to have it with us, to wear it, to feel it in our hands, against our skin... And we feel ecstatic just by anticipating the experience. And that’s ‘virtual happiness’ at its best. It is undeniable that shopping affects people’s mood, and most of us feel a sense of accomplishment when we finally get our hands on something that appeals to our senses and/or we have been longing to possess for a long time. So, due to the fact that retailers these days have made the process of purchasing online so readily available and easily accomplished, a high percentage of potential buyers who research purchases online end up actually buying the item and receiving it at home.

What makes online shopping so successful is precisely the instant boost of excitement —or virtual happiness— that anticipation generates. In the brain of the potential buyer, the expectation of possessing the desired object automatically triggers dopamine, endorphins and serotonin, the hormones of happiness. And because our limitless imagination is always going to surpass reality, we can truly say that online shopping has the perfect recipe for success, and retailers know it.

Retail Ecommerce is rapidly increasing all around the world, having already reached explosive dimensions in some markets. In 2017 it reached around $2.3 trillion globally and is expected to hit $4.5 trillion in 2021 —according to a Statista Report—. Retailers of all sizes have realized that if they want to continue making high profits they have to offer online shopping, as the retail game is rapidly and constantly changing and they need to adjust to the times. But it does not suffice to create virtual stores and just give the customer the option of making purchases online 24/7. As competition is getting fierce, they have to become more creative in their approach by highly increasing the quantity of online products offered, adding alternatives like in-store pickup, guaranteed free shipping, and all sorts of ‘online only’ benefits and flash-sales, in order to grab customers attention all around the world.

In spite of how easy and ‘stress-free’ the process seems to be nowadays, there are still many important —and basic— features and key elements that customers are seeking when shopping online and which need to be fully met by the retailer in order to create a satisfied customer. The ABC’s of online shopping are a smooth check-out experience, a rich variety of brands and products offered, variety of payment methods, ‘free’ shipping,

effective return and exchange policies, option to purchase from a tablet and a mobile phone application, and the ability to contact a live customer service agent via phone or chat —in case something goes wrong—.

I have barely spent a whole ten minutes online and I am already finished doing the price comparison for the best deal on the luxury bag I want —there is actually an awesome app that does precisely that, just for me, so I don’t even need to navigate through different websites or virtual stores, wasting the precious little time I have to vegetate at home on my day off—. Now I am just one touch away from fulfilling my needs and, by making this purchase, reach the desired feelings of happiness —virtual or real, what’s the difference?— that seem to be evading me these days. I feel a rush of adrenaline as I already envision myself arriving to attend the next Paris Fashion Week at the Grand Palais, my Chanel bag in hand, as the crowd quickly turns to watch me get out of my cab. Right away I start fantasizing about all the beautiful places I will get to show off my beautiful Chanel during my future outings and vacations, and just as my finger touches on the ‘Accept’ button on the screen, I receive an incoming call. It’s my boss asking me if I would be so kind as to coming in a bit earlier “tomorrow morning” because the work is piling up at the office and our department is falling behind. Even though I hate her guts for doing this, I tell her I don’t mind and, as I put the phone down, I quickly grab it again and get on my amazing price comparison app to try to find a great deal on a stylish pair of Manolo Blahniks and maybe some awesome looking Gucci sunglasses for my Paris trip, whenever I get to go. If I am going to have to work longer and harder at the office, I might just as well give myself a little reward to compensate, right? Therefore, for the rest of my day off I stay in the warmth of my apartment watching the snow heavily falling outside, dreading the fact I have to work earlier the following day, and trying to enjoy myself by browsing between Netflix, Pinterest, Instagram and my useful price comparison app. Happy online shopping everyone!

J. Sanchez-Velo, co-writer Fredson Silva Agudá