Window Shopping

1. Yonge & Dundas Square

This is where people are shopping when they say they have gone Downtown Toronto. This shopping neighbourhood stretches a few blocks along Yonge between just south of Queen and just north of Dundas. It is home to the famous Toronto Eaton Center but has plenty of street level stores as well such as Urban Outfitters, Homesense, Levis and Forever 21. If you are looking for fashion forward boutiques you should shop elsewhere in Toronto because this tourist favourite neighbourhood is all about mall stores and national chains.

2. Queen West

Once the place to find independent boutiques and new trends before they were trendy, Queen West has gone commercial in recent years. While most of the independent boutiques and local designers have moved further west and east or just somewhere with cheaper rents, Queen West is still a hot spot for Toronto shopping. Look for Mendocino, Aritzia, Rudsak as well as more commercial favourites like the Gap, Roots and Zara.

3. Bloor St

This is where the fashion flagship locations can be found in Toronto as well as all the designer labels you can imagine. From Chanel to Prada, Louis Vuitton and Guerlain your designer dreams can come true. Do not shy away however if you are strapped for cash, Bloor Street is quite diverse offering many price points. You can find the Club Monaco and Gap Canadian Flagship stores as well as H&M and Winners. Don’t forget to pop into Holt Renfrew even if you are just window shopping or taking in a free make up application, this upscale department store is a must visit.

4. Yorkville

If you prefer boutiques to the big designer flagship stores along Bloor, just mosey back into Yorkville. Still focused on designer shopping you can find Hugo Boss and Betsy Johnson amongst the independent boutiques and Canadian designer darlings (Andy The Ahn). One of the citys best known jean boutiques (Over the Rainbow) just got some competition with the opening of the Diesel flagship recently. Even if you can not afford to shop Yorkville it is worth it to wander through the tree lined streets, perhaps spotting a celeb or two while they are in town.

5. Shops at Don Mills

A new addition to Toronto’s shopping malls, the Shops at Don Mills are also a new concept for mall shopping in Ontario. The stores are set up more like a planned community and are all outside instead of inside a big mall building. The other draw is all the one of a kind shopping. Canada’s first Anthropologie is here along with McNally Robinson Booksellers, McEwan and coming soon Murale. Look for the Shops at Don Mills at Don Mills and Lawrence.

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We’ve all gotta shop, but how we shop, and why we shop, varies. So what kind of shopper are you? And how can you translate your traditional habits into online options?

The Browser. Ahh, window shopping! Sometimes the fun is in the process. You don’t shop to buy — you just enjoy the experience. You like to see what’s out there, so when you do buy, it’s just right.

Online Tip: With online shopping you can browse to your heart’s content, bookmark your favorite sites and revisit them whenever you want!

The Power Shopper. Type A shopping all the way. You’ve made a list and checked it twice. You don’t come home until the job is done. You know what you want and where to find it. Everyone else should just get out of your way.

Online Tip: Take advantage of great sites that offer lots of options in multiple product areas, so you can meet all your shopping needs at once. Now that’s a powerful prospect!

The Good-Buy Gal. You had me at “On Sale”. You’re a bargain hunter. A deal finder. An owner of a $20 cashmere sweater. Sometimes you buy just because it’s such a great bargain… even if you don’t need it. But hey, sometimes the sale’s the thing, right?

Online Tip: Online shopping lets you shop by price! You can go a-hunting for the best prices on the Net!

The Creative Shopper. So many great stores. So many interesting items just waiting to be discovered. You’ll know when you’ve found just the right gift. That smile will brighten up your face. Success.

Online Tip: Gift idea sites showcase unique and creative gifts from all corners of the Net! Just point, click and smile.

The Tentative Shopper. This one. No, wait, that one. Wait, stop — this one. Yeah, this one. Or that one. Maybe that one.

Online Tip: We’re afraid you are on your own for this one. You will likely be just as indecisive when you shop online as you are in a store. Good luck. Maybe see if you can befriend a Power Shopper!

The Anxious Shopper. The mall. The crush of people all around. Panic begins to set in. How will you accomplish anything? Three deep breaths and start with your left foot. You can do it.

Online Tip: Why suffer? All the shops are as close as your laptop. Relax, take your time and shop with ease from your favorite quiet corner!

The Shopaholic. Shopping is more than a necessity, it’s a way of life. You shop for fun; you shop for therapy. You shop. Period.

Online Tip: You can assess all your options online. Browse by price, type, designer… you name it. Indulge every whim on the spot – and don’t waste time on boring things like parking!

The Grumbler. It’s crowded; lines are long; people are rude. The fact is — you’d rather go to the dentist.

Online Tip: Here’s our tip. Go online! Problem solved!

Happy Shopping to all … online or off!

Shopping is something we do all the time but what do we really do when we go “shopping”? Knowing why and how women shop can make a great difference for a retail business so they can meet our needs but how many shops really think carefully about this?

To me doing errands like getting the groceries and taking orders to the post office is the regular run of the mill shopping. It is part of running a household and a business but it isn’t recreational fun.

For most of us “shopping” means an enjoyable outing to the shops, to the shopping mall, online shopping, catalog shopping, street strip shopping, it is recreational and about leisure.

Shopping doesn’t actually have to mean spending up big or even spending anything, it can be window shopping where we just go and see what’s at the shops, what’s happening, check out the new designs, see what’s on sale, keeping an eye on that new DVD that’s out to see when it is dropping down for bargain shopping, getting gift ideas for upcoming birthdays and events.

Shopping can even be catching up with a girlfriend for coffee and then a wonder round the shops. While shopping can be about buying things it is usually also about being social, exploring, seeking pleasure and being independent.

“Retail therapy” doesn’t have to involve spending money either, it can be just as simple as having an evening strolling round the shops and seeing what’s happening.

Shops both online and at the mall need to be setup to consider the different ways women shop – whether they’re out to buy something or for any other reasons. Knowing why women shop makes this much easier.

Shopping is a community based leisure activity, even if you’re wondering about the shops alone, you’re still being with others while getting a chance to be yourself in relative peace (compared to how home and work can be). Having a safe, clean, reliable and interesting place to go to get out of the house or escape after work makes for an ideal social place.

We shop because we can, it is very simple. But the reasons we go to the shops are as varied and complex as we are as individuals. Being social at home means doing work beforehand to get it presentable, work is for work so being out at the shops and being social means women don’t have to worry or prepare – the café does all of that!

As shopping is a form of escape, even if it isn’t always about buying things, looking after the different groups who need to escape makes for smart business. Parents with young children need to get out and about and shops and malls that cater for the little ones will benefit for their efforts.

So women shop for all manner of reasons; social, leisure, pleasure, research, fun and escape. When it’s made easy for them they keep going back to the same places.

I love to look in the store fronts in the mall, especially outside malls. I love to wander and see the lights, the clothes, the bags, and jewelery. I don’t need to buy anything, I just need to wander, especially in the winter time when everything is so grey and drab outside.

I have to be careful to stay out of the clothing stores. Once I go in I instantly feel that my whole wardrobe is out dated and frumpy, but if I just glance in the windows and see the funky things mannequins are wearing, they never appeal to me except for entertainment, things are good.

Shopping in New Jersey is great, there are boutiques, speciality stores, all the major chains that I love, one of a kind stores and fantastic furniture stores in New Jersey. Second to malls, I love to browse through furniture stores, mostly just for ideas. I love to see what is paired with what and what color accents are being used with what accessories.

Window shopping, furniture browsing, a little fresh air, a nice walk and my day is looking bright and cheery. Cheaper than therapy for lifting the spirit, bring along a friend, throw in lunch and it becomes a perfect afternoon.

I don’t know why it is that a little window shopping tends to brighten my day. I don’t even need to buy anything, in fact it is better if I don’t, then I don’t have buyers remorse later, it just feels good to get out of the house and look at pretty things.

The term ‘window shopping’ was coined due to the huge spur in shopping malls and the notion that it is made up of expensive stores. With the concept of ‘one stop shop’ coupled with entertainment options and comfortable shopping experience hoteliers, retailers and brands grabbed this opportunity with both hands. Even individual retailers found shopping malls a beneficiary prospect.

These individual retail outlets started speaking the consumer language and thus altered prices and designs for the popular crowd. Selection of clothes and pricing was related to the location of the mall. An up-market area had a different line of styling and pricing compared to its own chain in not-so lavish vicinity. Thus people living in these mediocre areas were not able to get the same style and fashion found in the posh areas. Though reaching to the mall has been made comfortable with good enough travel options and parking space, but the crowd on weekends is unavoidable.

People are exposed to the variety and know the umpteen options available in the market. Now every time traveling to the mall is not necessary because home shopping had evolved. People could see the options available and know the whole market without compromising on anything. The virtual world has served the purpose of home shopping satisfactorily. One can see the product display, their features, utility and can even compare products on popular compare sites like naaptol.com

The growing BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) culture comprising of a huge potential crowd, work in night shifts and at odd hours. Shopping malls in India aren’t open 24*7 and they aren’t truly tapping this potential lot and serving their purpose. Thus home shopping becomes logical as the buyer has the flexibility of time and place at his convenience to make the right purchase without compromising on anything. Unlike the mall there is product categorization and the buyer has the option of choosing his seller on the basis of his requirements. Even local stores could be chosen for buying if a product requires heavy after sales service.

Thus home shopping is a step ahead in shopping malls as it provides more comfort and easy accessibility without much effort. As they say, ‘It’s just a click away.’

With Italy renowned worldwide for its style it is a must-do destination for any serious shopper and Turin, in Piedmont in the north of Italy is no exception.

You’re bound to find some shop or other that you absolutely adore, simply by walking the streets. From bargains to top-of-the range designer stores, displays in Italian shops are often nothing short of spectacular, irrespective of price.

And even if you just like window-shopping then you’ll find yourself staring into the window of the kitchenware shops, with sparkling chrome espresso makers, ice cream scoops and other kitchen paraphernalia.

Via Roma and Via Po are two elegant streets sheltered by arcades, making them great for shopping in sun or rain, while reminding you of a different age. With modestly priced shops such as Zara and Mango towards Porta Nuova end of Via Roma, you can also find designer boutiques at the end closest to Piazza San Carlo, and Via Po has the attractive feature of its collection of boutiques, patisseries and cafés displaying all manner of wares windows located in the supporting columns.

Both streets also have traditional Italian delicatessens with olives, multi-coloured, wines and freshly prepared dishes, while you can capture a great deal of old-world charm from the multitude of antique shops too. While on the subject, you should paya visit to look at the Galleria dell’Industria Subalpina, a traditional 19th century shopping arcade.

One of the top streets in Turin for shopping though is Via Garibaldi, which you can get to from fom Piazza Castello. Popular with locals, the street is easy to navigate as traffic has been banned from it. It has all manner of shops, including a good selection of shoe shops, including the simply outstanding Michi (Via Garibaldi, 31), which gives five star service. And if you can’t afford the shoes in Michi, you’ll be pleased to learn that it has an outlet store a little further up Via Garibaldi.

From Via Garibaldi you can also get to Balon market in Piazza della Repubblica by turning right at Via Bellezzia. Around here on a Saturday morning you’ll find colourful fruit and vegetable stalls and the strong scent of fresh basil, as well as clothes, antiques and a flea market. Watch your pockets and handbags though as pickpockets operate in this area don’t wander from the main streets, particularly at night.

Finally, don’t forget the supermarkets. A tin of Illy coffee is around EUR6.50 and the selection of pasta can be overwhelming. Although you can get pasta at home, Italian pasta really does taste better, and what about some Gorgonzola cheese, fresh Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes or olive paste?

Shopping can be defined as the examining of goods or services by the shoppers with the intention of purchasing the goods or services from retailers. Usually, the shoppers select the product they want after analyzing the other options. Some people consider shopping as a leisure activity and also an economic one. However others view it as a tedious task.

What are the various types of shoppers?

o The shoppers are of different types. There are people who are known as window shoppers. They indulge in window-shopping. Window-shopping is the activity in which shoppers look through various products or give them a trial without actually buying them. They do it as a leisure activity just to pass time.
o Oniomania is the term used to denote shopping addiction or shopaholic. Some people are addicted to shopping. They have a compulsive desire to do shopping. They derive satisfaction while purchasing something.
o Some people consider shopping as a tedious task. They feel uncomfortable to stand in queues for buying the product they want. Some people do not have the patience to analyze various products and buy the suitable one. They often buy the first product they see or they pick randomly.
o There are shoppers who go in groups (friends or relations) for buying products. They ask suggestions from all of them and then buy a product.

What are the different types of shops?

o The shops may be of different types. There are shops that sell goods, which have the same theme. These include bookstores, gift stores, hardware stores, medical stores, pet stores etc.
o Some shops sell second hand goods. A second hand bookstore is an example of such a store. Super markets, departmental stores are examples of stores that sell a wide range of products.
o In cities there are shopping centers like shopping malls, bazaars, Town Square etc. where people can do one stop shopping.
o There are shops, which sell services such as in the case of the travel agencies etc.
What are freebies, free goods, free samples etc?

Freebies are any goods or services that you can acquire without spending a penny. People are always attracted to such freebies. This is because no one will say no for a product that comes to you free of cost.

Some products will be given free for purchasing a certain product. Though it is often a promotional activity, shoppers feel more satisfied when they get something extra for the amount they pay.

Free samples are certain quantity of a product that is given away free of cost. This is a promotional technique to make people to try the product for increasing the sales. Such free samples make shoppers feel happy. These freebies, free goods, free samples etc make shopping even more exciting for shoppers.

What is bargaining?

When we think about shopping the next thing that comes to our mind is bargaining. Most people like to bargain while shopping. Some shoppers are very efficient in bargaining.

Some shoppers might consider bargaining as a prestige issue and will not bargain. Usually bargaining is not encouraged in comfortable and air-conditioned shops with posted prices.

Bargaining is often not possible in a chain store. Bargaining can be done in shops situated in bazaars and market places. In North America and Europe bargaining is limited to expensive items such as automobiles, real estate and jewelry. But the situation is not the same in the rest of the world where bargaining can be done on essential products also.

What do you mean by shopping seasons?

Shopping seasons are the particular time of the year when people spend more. Shopping seasons differ from one country to another country depending on their customs, religion etc. usually the biggest spending seasons are during the festive time. In United States, the greatest spending season is around the Christmas time.

What is online shopping?

We are living in the computer era. Number of people using the computer and internet is increasing. Nowadays internet is used as a means of communication, a great source of information and as an entertainment tool etc. Apart from these uses internet has also become the tool for performing business. Nowadays many online business ventures are being undertaken. With the rapid development of technology the concept of online shopping has been made possible. Online shopping is a process in which people do shopping over the internet. You can buy products or services online. You can also pay for the goods online through credit cards and other modes of payments. Online shopping is a gift because you can sit at home and buy what you want.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping?

The advantages of online shopping include:

o It is more convenient as shoppers can search for the products they want and buy them just by sitting at home. They can also save a lot of time.
o Shoppers need not buy products due to compulsion from the sellers. They are not pressurized in online shopping.
o Shoppers can analyze a variety of products and select the suitable product leisurely.
o It is easy to compare prices of the products and buy.

The disadvantages of online shopping include:

o You lose the enjoyment of retail shopping.
o Issues regarding privacy and security.
o You must have an access to internet.
o There is lack of feel and touch.
oYou might find it hard to trust the unknown vendor.

Known worldwide for its savvy trends and head-turning designs, Paris is the place to visit if you want to update your wardrobe in style. However, if you don’t know where to look, your trip may turn out to be more exhausting than you would think. Do some research beforehand to get an idea of what you are looking for before you plunge into the sheik capital, where you may be easily overwhelmed.

1) Fashion Avenues – Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Avenue Montaign and Les Halles

If you are looking for major designers that have dramatically changed the fashion world, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore and Avenue Montaigne are the places to look. You can find the famous French shops of Emmanual Ungaro, Celiene, Chloe, Nina Ricci, Chanel, Bon Pointe and Christian Dior on Avenue Montaign, as well as Italian and American designers such as Valentino, Versace, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and D&G. On Rue du Fauborug, look out for Hermes, Gucci, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Lavin femme, Yves Saint-Laurent and Gianni Versace. For younger fashionistas in Paris, Les Halles may be closer to paradise. Featuring Anges B and Claudie Pierlot, you can’t go wrong when looking for an outfit for a night on the town, or even unique daily wear.

2) Department Stores – Boulevard Haussmann

If you are looking some of the most sheik fashion in Paris in some of the world’s most extravagant malls, Paris department stores are the place to look. Two of the most famous are Printemps and Galleries Lafayette, which are both located on Boulevard Haussmann. Thousands of chic goods are spread out over five floors of merchandise. Between glorified window-shopping, enjoy gourmet food on breath-taking terraces and occasional free fashion shows. Find bargains during one of the two Parisian sales seasons, either from the end of January to the beginning of March or the latter half of June.

3) Flea Markets

Sprinkled around Paris are flea markets, which offer a delightful variety of gently used merchandise and art. A few of the city’s many markets are listed below.

- Antica Market – A tiny market with only about a dozen stalls, Antica offers a gallery with high-end tapestries ornaments and other household objects.
- Biron Market – Selling the highest quality antiques, Biron is known as the most upscale market in Paris.
- Dauphine Market – Probably the largest antique market in the city, Dauphine market occupies a large space and sells everything from rare books to genuine Victorian dressers.

4) Open Air Markets

Open Air Markets have been popular in Paris since the 5th century and are an integral part of Parisian Culture. Currently there are 69 open-air and 13 closed-air markets. The schedules of the open-air markets varies, but rest assured that there is at least one open in each district, each day of the week.

If you are scared to do it on your own, don’t fret, there is a solution at hand. Companies such as Chic Shopping Paris (phone 06.77.65.08.01) can help you maneuver through the foreign streets to uncover real gems in the rough.