Sop in shopping 2030

Trends in shopping have evolved over time, keeping pace with changes in tastes and technology.
The advent of electronic media paved way to smart shopping trends such as online shopping and home deliveries. What next is the question that beseech marketers. Here are a few probabilities that could take shape in the future of shopping some seventeen years down the lane.

• Vending machines: The usage of vending machines in India has been primarily limited to CVMs  ie. Coffee Vending Machines, Condom Vending Machines or Cash vending Automated Teller Machines. Though vending machines are available for various products across the world such as the bicycle tubes vending machine in Germany or the book vending machine in the United Kingdom, it has not been very successful everywhere. If CVMs are possible, then there could be AVMs, BVMs, extending upto ZVMs, right? An improvisation would be Brand Vending Machines.

Rice Vending Machine in Japan

         Suppose every brand, like the banks, maintain accounts of customers pertaining to their purchases. If I am in urgent need of product X of brand Y, I could use the brand's vending machines located in different places and purchase using the brand card. Adding to it, the proposed technology by experts in the field such as Cisco where virtual product trial is possible could make it more attractive.Installation of Artificial Intelligence systems to track down the products used by celebrities of your choice and those that could suit your personality could be an added advantage.

• Customised entertainment: We live in an entertainment era, seeking fun and frolic in all our activities. Play schools, office outings, video games, 4d theaters are all a result of this need. Product and service customization are common today. Moving one step forward, entertainment could equally be customized. I could experiment with listening to Justin Bieber singing 'why this kolaveri' or Madonna shaking to 'Jalebi bai' with the help of technology. Also, one could gift entertainment vouchers where celebrities would exclusively perform to personal favorites. For instance, the famous magician Dynamo might perform exclusively on a virtual platform to YOU (of course at a cost)!

Why this Kolaveri?!!

Portable homes: The boom in realty sector coupled with the availability of amenities inside the gated communities made people feel the need to buy flats. Builders marketed their houses as situated in the heart of the city or with advanced amenities such as shopping malls, swimming pools, sports clubs inside the community. Still, we wanted more options. Now, instead of making all the facilities fixed inside your house, how would you like being transported along with your home to the place of your choice?

                                           Home Home Go Away, Come Again Another Day!

The concept of portable homes is not new. The oldest mobile home dates back to the 1950s. Because of non-durability and other factors, it was not an option considered by many. But today, our busy lives and the craving for variety in every aspect of lifestyle choices could make it a hit.
Imagine it is the end of the financial year and you are forced to stay in office for days. The better option could be shifting your house near to you place of work. The long annual holidays leave you and your kid feel bored. Why not shift the house adjacent to the best park in the city? And when it is shopping season raining discounts everywhere, wouldn't the women love to shift themselves closer to the shopping centers? However, this involves consideration of many aspects such as space allocation based on demand and pricing,on seasonal basis.


These are only a few possibilities that could bring about a radical change in the way we shop in 2030. Inventions and constant innovations in technology may provide more opportunities to cater to the shopping needs of the people. One thing is for sure, the need for more will never fade thereby welcoming all positive paradigm shifts in shopping trends.

Image courtesy : wikipedia

This post is written for 'The future of shopping' contest by Indiblogger, in association with ebay.in.

Redolence of nostalgia

Among the different senses that a human possesses, the sense of smell is unique.  It is associated with a vital body part, the nose, without which existence is ruled out. While a person could be visually/hearing impaired or handicapped or mentally retarded, it is not possible  to be completely devoid of olfactory perception.

There are various smells that remind me of  different stages in my life. I have attempted to classify them under different categories below.

I. FOOD: The first thing that strikes me is the aroma of hot piping rasam in my house. The combination of tomato, jeera, tamarind, asafoetida and coriander leaves makes me ask for more, by the mere smell of it. I cannot forget the street hawker who sold fried groundnuts with a tic-titictic rhythm in his frying, everytime I eat groundnuts. One could sense it miles before he arrives by its whiff in the air. Not forgetting to mention, the aroma of freshly brewed filter coffee. Yes, they make the breakfast complete. These aromas take me to the days where I had to sit back and relax while I got all I wanted without having to get up from the chair!

Image courtesy: rasam.co.in, coffee.wikia.com

 





II. PEOPLE: It is scientifically proven that human beings have unique odors just like fingerprints. And I can differentiate the smell of three intimate people in my life, mother, grandmother and husband. Mommy had a scent which was a mix of the fragrance of jasmine flower worn in her head, sweat and her perfume. Grandma on the other hand possessed a blend of strong sweat(she perspires a lot) smell and kitchen masala. I am planning to gift her a good body spray. Hubby has an oily skin and I could smell it along with his deodorant. When I encounter people using the same brand of perfumes and deos, I am reminded of them. Not being a perfume-person, I had always wondered how I smelled to others?!

Image courtesy : webmd.com

III. SEASON: Each smell reminds me of the season associated with it. The moist smell during winter, smell of fireworks during festivals, new books at the time of school re-opening, incense of agarbathis  during poojas, cosmetics while going to parties, milk powder and baby wipes after child birth, the list goes on.

Image courtesy:zigwheels.com

After we bought a car, I somehow didn't like to travel in it. Every time I sat inside the car, I would wait impatiently to get out of it at the earliest. Then I discovered that it was the odor of closed space that caused that nauseating feel. We settled with an ambi pur car air freshener with the suggestion of friends. Today, I wait impatiently for a ride in the car. Also ambi pur room fresheners come handy during get-togethers in the house. Now, I happily associate a pleasure ride and fun filled party with ambi pur.

How do you associate the different smells and fragrances with your life?

This is a post written for smelly to smiley contest by Ambi pur India.

As beautiful as your work

She sees a three-year-old waving good-bye to her parents with tear-filled eyes. Instantly, she picks up the little girl and takes her inside the classroom. Finding a boy punished for hitting his friend, she enquires the class teacher in a serious tone about the incident. Meanwhile, the attender hands her a cup of tea. " Dandapani annae, innoru glass kondu vaanga" (Brother Dandapani, get another glass of tea) she tells. Dandapani nods.

 Out of the 3000 odd students, 50 odd teachers and support staffs, she not only remembers most of their names but also their backgrounds. No wonder, she is the winner of the best teacher award for several years in the state apart from the women achiever award et al  . SHE is Mrs.Premalatha Panneerselvam, Principal of my school.

Beloved Madam Principal Premalatha Panneerselvam

Image courtesy:hindu.com

Draped in a cotton saree, sporting a red bindi in her forehead, Premalatha madam was a motherly figure to us. Every morning, there used to be a story read or incident shared to teach us about values."The true purpose of education is to refine oneself" was one of her favorite quotes. Her school provides 'wholesome education' according to her. It has helped thousands of students like me to go beyond the text books.

She never fails to warn her students of their safety by saying a big no to riding bikes prior to the recommended age. She also goes to the height of taking the naughty ones to her home so as to ensure that they learn to behave well and concentrate on academics.

Her kindness did pass over to the other teachers as well. Melinda mam who held preschoolers in her hip and fed food, Lakshmi mam who shared her lunch to the ones who had forgotten to carry theirs, Saro mam who helps solve problems of the adolescents, Rosy man who wishes her old students even before they recognize her, the list goes endless.

Dear mam, your beautiful smile, that stern look when things go wrong and the warm hug to console the disturbed minds, you are as beautiful as your work!!!

This post is written as an entry for Tanishq Mia As Beautiful As Your Work contest hosted by women's web.

Abroad

" How many times do I tell you to beware of your spellings? Though you seem to have understood the concept, you are not able to express it in proper English". Jenny mam sounded serious this time.

"Cool down mam, I will manage it in the public exam. You not worry." Arun was all smiles without the slightest feel of remorse or fear.

We girls were giggling at his words. "Hey, dont laugh. This is abroad english. you not understand."
This time, Arun was serious and Jenny mam had to try hard controlling herself from smiling.

Abroad Arun, as we fondly call him, was my classmate  in 12th standard (PUC). He joined our school after his SSLC from a government school. This cool guy never got tensed. And he knew the knack of handling anybody at any point of time. I was a fan of his sense of humor and timely wit.

On the last day of school, we were exchanging slam books. Arun returned mine and I found the 'ambition in life' column left empty. I pointed it to him. In a hushed tone, he said, "you know what, dont share future plan with others. It wont happen. Because you are one of my best friends, I tell you. My ambition is to go abroad." He smiled.  Amateur kid, I pitied.

Seven years later, I was busy with my marriage preparations. To all those not so close, I had sent the invite through orkut, the social networking site that was popular, then. On the eve of my wedding, I got a call from an unknown number.

"Congrats Vaishnavi! I reached India yesterday. I will be coming there in a few minutes". The voice sounded familiar. But I could not remember. "Hey, dont remember still? This is abroad Arun", came the response. I was surprised. Being in the midst of the photo session, his words did not sink into my head.

After a few hours, my school friends came and along came Arun with a big gift and a broader smile.
He told he was working in a pizza outlet in London. Still the same naughty fellow, I thought. Nasira interrupted me. He was right. I was perplexed. How did he go to London? He could not speak a sentence in English correctly. His father, a simple cloth bag manufacturer could not have afforded it either.

Nasira explained it to me. During his college days, he had worked part-time, involving himself in a range of activities such as delivering newspapers, selling insurance policies, typing assignments and even going for election rallies. He had saved the money earned, attended spoken English class and had gone to London, his life ambition.

He might not have studied hard and earned a great job. He might not have purchased properties in his name. But for a person like Arun, going abroad in itself was a dream and he had realized it.

Today, his facebook status was updated.

 'Promoted as a branch manager. Am very happy".
His profile picture was changed. Arun was standing near the Big Ben with his wife and one-year-old daughter, and yes, with a big broad smile as usual. I smiled.

I wish to get my story published in Chicken Soup for the Indian Entrepreneurs Soul in association with BlogAdda.com

What Next ?

I had began frying the masala when my daughter woke up from bed and came straight to the kitchen, questioning in a sleepy voice, " Are you cooking chicken amba? ". I was startled to hear this as we don't eat non - veg during the Tamil month of Purattasi. My husband gave a pleading look on behalf of my daughter as if to say why disappoint the two year old. I gave a fierce look and he disappeared with the little one to the nearby shop to pacify her with a lollipop.

" Sathvikhaaa", my neighbor yelled from the balcony. I rushed to see it had started drizzling and my dry clothes had to be removed. I smiled thankfully and returned to the kitchen. Oops! Sathvikha had not taken her rain coat. We had planned to buy a new one during the Pooja holidays as her old coat don't fit her anymore. Also, there was loads to purchase for the family function next month.

The door bell rang and my maid entered with a grin. "Went to get school application form for my sister's son akka",she replied, with a broader grin. "Are forms issued so early for next academic year?", I asked, not satisfied by her excuse. She smiled as if sympathizing with me for my ignorance and started explaining the usual practice followed by so-called reputed schools. I was surprised. Meanwhile my husband and daughter had returned, thankfully the drizzle had stopped without a heavy downpour. My husband asked for a towel.

Picture courtesy : http://vector-images.com/clipart/clp90838/

"Where is my towel?", he asked again,louder. When I opened my eyes, he pointed to the clock which showed 7 in the morning. "You can save your morning sleep for tomorrow as it is a holiday for Gandhi Jayanthi. Also, Sathvikha's school will be closed for Dussera in two weeks. Would you wake up now to send her to school?" he said with a stern voice. I smiled. What a nice way to woo a sleeping person.

Finally, WAKING UP, NOW THAT SEPTEMBER HAS ENDED, way to go for the month ahead!

Wishing you an awesome October!

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda