THE FREE SPREE

Its high time the definition of shopping is revised from 'the process of procuring goods of absolute necessity for existence' to 'a luxurious form of entertainment where people end up buying most things for the heck of possessing them than utilizing them'. How often have you found yourself filling your shopping cart mostly with least wanted stuff and finally stared aghast at your bill wishing Mr Sense had been somewhere in your vicinity just a few minutes ago? Today shopping has become a ritual to be followed at least twice a week. Its often an uphill task to stay away from a shopping store even at the remote sight of one at mid-nights.
Advertisement agencies these days do extreme justice to their professions. A successful ad is meant to create such a void in one's life that the next thing we do is go on a man-hunt for the product. A single product with a lot of varieties under a number of captivating names and different flavors is bound to give tantrums .For instance, in the hair care section you would find something which says ' meant for dry hair and oily scalp' and another which says ' anti- dandruff shampoo for men'.Enough damage has been done. You would be confused about the kind of hair you have .You would probably walk out with the product a fellow customer picks up.
Todays shopping complexes and constructed with great pomp and splendor .Attractive lights which would make the rotten of vegetables seem ever-green. Air-fresheners and aerosols being circulated by air-conditioners generate a strange odor. A hell lot of labels for each department like under 'personal care'- hand care, hair care, body care etc that you are muddled up about what 'care' is it that you require. Needless to say we walk out with one product from each 'care'.

The word 'Special offer' can work out magic in us. 'Buy four get one free' is the mantra. Though our consumption for ages together would be something less than one, we find ourselves stuffing our carts like a person apparently deprived of food for months .
The last and the most painful part of it all 'THE BILLING' the process where the entire world comes to know the brands and products you supposedly use. Its not a queue but a human chain which could extend upto several light years. This is garnished with busy credit card lines, wrongly billed entries and lest to say tones of weight back-home.

Submitted by
Vijayalakshmi V