Future of Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Future of Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Future of Fashion" concerns the fashion's future. The visual physical contact will determine to a large extent whether the costumer will like the product or not. The place therefore is very essential because it is where the actual sale occurs. The place of the retailing activity – the Store – has its evolution: from the retailer’s house, to a small stall without a roof on a busy street; to a structure with a roof in an open plaza or space, to a big store in a big building, to a shop inside a building with other smaller shops, and to a group of many big stores all housed under a large structure or venue. A store’s size may be small, medium or big. It may only have a table where the goods are placed for sale or it may have many merchandising elements like shelves, racks, booths, kiosks, counters, cashiers, aisles, promotional materials and sales people. The shop may be a simple room or an architectural building with interior design to make it attr active for customers to come inside the store. The store therefore performs many functions other than just the place of sale; it also serves as a promotional, advertising and marketing tool. It must attract people to come inside, look at the products and make a purchase. It must give customers a good feeling and pleasant experience for them to visit again and buy. With the hectic changes and very fast-paced improvement of technology however, the significance and effectiveness of the store is slowly being threatened to the point. where it may be relegated to performing a minor or useless role. That single technology challenging the role of the store as the forefront of the retailing business is the Computer-Internet tandem. With changes in technology come also changes in the psychological and mental attitudes of people. Human beings when exposed to the capabilities of gadgets and instruments become attracted to the benefits and amenities that technology brings and they soon begin to have a lifestyle revolving around such technology. These modern tools have brought them up close to and face to face with goods and services through the internet without having to enter a store. According to Campus Market Research, 91% of US college students are online everyday and 74% prefer to buy textbooks online (Sanchez 6). Products can be seen before the monitor of a computer with colors approximating their real value; the specifications of the product may be downloaded and known; and prices from different stores may be viewed and compared. The products can be ordered and paid with credit cards through the internet itself or executed with the support of electronic peripherals like a telephone, cell-phone or fax machine. Lastly, the buyer has the luxury and comfort of having the bought items delivered to his or her doorstep without ever having to step inside a single store! One may be led to think that the Internet may cause the complete obliteration or obsolescence of the stor e. As mentioned earlier, Traditional or Conventional Retailing is done through the Store (store-retailing). It is a real place where real goods are physically located. It is a place where consumers can go to look at the goods they need and possibly buy if they want them. They can see, smell and touch the actual product; they can make real time appreciation and evaluation of the product