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Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one. 
A market in Jerusalem
In ancient Rome, there was Trajan’s Market with tabernae that served as retailing units. Shopping lists are known to be used by Romans as one was discovered by Hadrian’s wall dated back to 75–125 AD and written for a soldier. 
Shopping venues Shopping hubs A larger commercial zone can be found in many cities, called downtown or in Arab cities, souks. Shopping hubs, or shopping centers, are collections of stores; that is a grouping of several businesses. 
In 2006, Americans spend over $17 billion on their children, according to a NRF survey.
Pricing and negotiation The pricing technique used by most retailers is cost-plus pricing. This involves adding a markup amount (or percentage) to the retailers cost. Another common technique is manufacturers suggested list pricing. This simply involves charging the amount suggested by the manufacturer and usually printed on the product by the manufacturer. In Western countries, retail prices are often called psychological prices or odd prices: a little less than a round number, e.g. $6.95. In Chinese societies, prices are generally either a round number or sometimes some lucky number. This creates price points. Often, prices are fixed and price discrimination can lead to a bargaining situation often called haggling, a negotiation about the price. Economists see this as determining how the transaction’s total economic surplus will be divided between consumers and producers. Neither party has a clear advantage because the threat of no sale exists, in which case the surplus would vanish for both.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia : Shops specializing in the do-it-yourself articles |
