Shopping Storytelling

Whatsoever may be said about social networking and e-commerce, customers converged on the shopping malls "en masse" this Black Friday. As usual. Notwithstanding the Internet, people are social creatures and shopping, in person, is an intensely social activity. Now it is augmented by cell phones, Twitter and mobile web. We keep connected as we shop.

Yes, Cyber-Monday (the Internet Black Friday) will be busy too. I am sure that the merchants on all sides and in all channels want even more customers and more sales; as much as the customers want more sales and discounts. Even in a recession (okay, a recession that has officially ended) one can only gaze in wonderment as people buy more stuff. And, as they fill more self-storage units with the stuff they don't use anymore.

We live in a world of social shopping. No, not everyone, but many, many people enjoy the process of acquisition, using it as jumping off point for storytelling.

Before...

• "What are you going to get?"
• "Where are you going to get it?"
• "When are you going to get it?"
• "Why are you getting that?"
  
• "How are you going to get it home?"
  
• "Who are you going with?"

And After...

• "What did you get?"
• "Where did you get it?"
• "When did you get it?"
• "Why did you get that?"
  
• "How did you get it home?"
  
• "Who did you go with?"

This is the equivalent of farmers discussing the weather. Most people spend their day at ordinary jobs doing work that is either fairly repetitive or not very interesting to others. "Buying stuff" is the great leveler. It is a point of commonality, a process that everyone understands.

In planning the expedition, going and returning, there are many points of contact with others. The friction of these contacts (good and bad) create the energy that builds new stories.

In that context, what is actually bought has a rather small role, doesn't it?

An interesting observation for the designer and engineer.
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