Designer Online Shopping

I think every good store, and especially ever boutique, should have an e-commerce terminal.

Here's what I mean. Imagine for a moment you're walking in to your favourite store - maybe the fabulous Dean & Deluca. With a seemingly unending inventory of savory spices, delicious delicacies, and tempting tasty treats, it is easy to see that one becomes seriously overwhelmed with all of the food options. But, imagine that, after spending a few moments shopping and browsing in the store, even after purchasing a few goodies, the associate walks over to the "e-commerce terminal" with you. She gives you a brief introduction, explaining to you that the store's entire inventory is available online. She helps you register as a user, even guiding you to the registration page, where you sit and type your contact information. Then, she points and clicks your way through the entire site - seeing the various online departments, the e-shopping cart, and explaining any shipping and returning policies and procedures.

I love this idea. Stores instantly seem more "technologically advanced" because they're showing their clients a beautiful computer terminal. Additional inventories and product options may be available online, which allows stores to expand their offerings virtually without having to invest in numerous model stock items, inventory, and physical space to hose these other products. And best of all, stores provide an additional service to their clients when they actually take a few moments to walk the client through their virtual stores! It allows for seamless reordering of the clients favourite products, and instantly creates unending hours of operation - clients can shop from the privacy of their own home, office, or even mobilephones on their own time, whenever, and where ever they desire.

Remember the old days of being in a department store or other chain boutique where they had the "catalogue phones" and a house copy of each catalogue? The "e-terminal" is the new "catalogue phone". For all of your shopping needs, just call, click, or stop by.