Discussion Topic - Shopping
- Details
- Written by IELTS Mentor
Discussion Topic - Shopping.
Part 1: Introduction & Interview
Q. 1. Do you enjoy going shopping in a large shopping complex? [Why/why not?]
Answer: Yes, I do enjoy going shopping in a large shopping complex primarily because I can check and see many different kinds of necessary items at just one place without moving around too much and getting tired in the process. I can also buy all kinds of items from one place without spending too much time in shopping. Besides, they offer a better shopping experience and accept any type of payment method including digital payments.
Q. 2. How much time do you spend shopping every month?
Answer: Well, it depends on the needs. For example, one particular month I may need more things and hence spend more time in shopping for them while another month, it could be a totally different story. However, I like to shop only once a week unless I have a very valid reason to shop more.
Q. 3. What is your favourite shopping mall and why do you like it?
Answer: There is a shopping mall in the heart of my hometown which I love visiting mainly because it is not very far away from me, and it has big a big parking space where I can park my car. Besides, there is a big food court in that shopping mall where I can enjoy some really good foods after shopping.
Q. 4. What types of products do you like to buy more often? [Why?]
Answer: I like to buy different kinds of food products more often than other products mainly food is something we need to eat every day. Then, of course, I also buy household and laundry cleaning products often in order to maintain a hygienic atmosphere in the house. I also like to buy books, stationery items, perfumes and gift items for others from time to time.
Part 3: Details Discussion
Q. 1. Is shopping a popular activity in your country? Why? / Why not?
Answer: Yes, shopping is a popular activity in my country, and it is even more so during the weekends and holidays. So, why it is such a popular activity? Well, the answer is, it allows people to have some fun and relieve their stress of daily life while also buying or looking at things, with which they can uniquely identify themselves. To many people, shopping is a popular activity also because it the most convenient way to assuage most of their basic materialistic needs in this modern world.
Q. 2. Online shopping is becoming popular especially among young people. Why is it so?
Answer: Online shopping has seen a massive boom in this 21st century, especially, among the young people for several reasons. First reason, of course, is that young people have received the greatest exposure to modern technology as well as the internet, and they want to take advantage of this exposure to the fullest. Secondly, young people like to have many, many options, and online shopping does just that for them. Thirdly, online shopping is done in such a way that it actually sets a new trend, and young people just love to follow new trends and explore products that traditional shops scarcely offer.
Q. 3. What are the main concerns when buying something online? Why?
Answer: There are some major concerns when buying something online. The number one concern is probably the uncertainty about the quality of the products. After all, we can’t really check the quality of the products through touching it or feeling it online, as opposed to buying them from a physical store and therefore can’t really be sure about their qualities. Another major concern is that most online shopping stores have a rather poor logistic and delivery system. In fact, most of the deliveries don’t arrive on time, probably because the customer order tracking information is not accurately listed by the e-commerce stores. Finally, if the product is not purchased from a famous brand, after-sale service could be another concern.
Q. 4. What are the differences between shopping malls in the past and now in your country?
Answer: There definitely are some differences between today’s shopping malls and the malls that I used to visit in the past in my country. The most visible difference probably manifested in the way the shopping malls are decorated and built these days. In fact, most shopping malls in my country today look so beautiful, both from outside and inside, that they very much look like some “picture”, drawn by some famous artist. Another difference is that in today’s mall, I can see a collection of way more varieties of products than in the shopping malls of the past. Most of these shopping malls are larger in size and accept digital payments unlike in the past.
Q. 5. Why do you think some people purchase things that they do not need?
Answer: Human mind and psychology is a rather complex thing, and therefore, we would probably never exactly know why some people purchase things that they don’t need. However, the common perception among the “psychology experts” is that people do so mainly for two reasons: the first reason is that they are always under some kind of pressure to look “cool”, “unique” or different from the rest of the crowds around them. The second reason could be that they are very easily manipulated by fancy advertisements on different kinds of electronic and print media.
Q. 6. Do you think shopping habits are likely to change in the future?
Answer: Yes, I think that shopping habits are likely to change in the future as it will become more technology-driven with the option of “personalized” shopping. For example, more and more people will probably browse on the internet to find their preferred products from the websites but actually will make the purchase from a physical store. The vice versa could also hold true. Besides, with the help of smartphone and internet, customers will receive “personalized” offers from the companies so that they can just visit a store nearby and pick up their products from there.
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