Shopping and services – maturitná téma

Shopping and services

Consumer is someone who uses a product.

A consumer society is a society in which material goods are very important.

People today have more possession and more comfort than they have ever had. They have washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners etc. to help with jobs that were once done by hand, and they have stereos, televisions, videos and computer games to help them enjoy their free time. These products have become very important to people, too. Many people work very hard for long weeks in order to have enough money, not just to buy the food and clothes needed by their family and to pay the bills, but to be able to afford other “luxury” goods to make their life easier or more enjoyable.

Shop is a place where we can buy things /where things are sold/.

DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOPS:

- the baker’s – pekáreň: bread, rolls, buns, cakes
- the butcher’s – mäsiarstvo: pork, beef, lamb, poultry
- the greengrocer’s – ovocie a zelenina: fruit and vegetables
- the chemist’s– drogéria: cosmetics, toiletry-shampoo, soap, razors
- the florist’s– kvetinárstvo: flowers, plants, decorations
- the jeweler ’s– klenotníctvo: silver, gold, necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, watches
- the ironmonger’s/DIY shop– železiarstvo: nails, hammer, material, tools
- the newsagent’s – novinový stánok: magazines, newspapers, postcards, comics, sweets
- a boutique– butik: fashion wear, leather goods-bags, gloves, belts
- a clothes shop – obchod s oblečením: dresses, skirts, shirts, trousers, jeans, pullovers
- a toy shop– obchod s hračkami: cars, dolls, puzzles, balls, Lego bricks, kites
- a bookshop– kníhkupectvo: books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, calendars
- a shoe shop– obuv : shoes, boots, sandals, slippers, flip-flops, socks, tights
- a groceries– potraviny: meat, cereals, dairy products, drinks, sweets,
- a pharmacy – lekáreň: medicine, painkillers, nose-drops, eye-drops, sprays, creams
- a pet shop – obchod s domácimi zvieratami, pets, pet food, accessories
- a furniture shop – obchod s nábytkom: sofas, tables, chairs, beds, wardrobes, cupboards
- household goods– domáce potreby: household appliances, dishes, cuttlery
- stationery –papiernictvo: writing paper, wrapping paper, pens, pencils, scissors, envelopes,

-glass and china shop – sklo porcelain: glasses, cups, vases, plates 

SHOPPING FACILITIES IN SLOVAKIA:

- Shopping centers/Shopping malls – for example Aupark, Eurovea, Avion, Polus city center in Bratislava, they are large building with many smaller shops in it. Shopping centers offer many additional services – there are banks, post offices, travel agencies, swimming pool, cafés, restaurants and cinemas and so on.
- Department stores – for example Tesco. Department stores ares large store divided into several big sections – each section sells different types of things – for example clothes, furniture, household appliances and so on. They have a car park and they are situated in bigger cities and towns. Some of them are opened non-stop. Shopping in a department store has many advantages:

- you can buy everything under one roof
- they usually offer lower prices 
- they often offer sales and bargains
- you can use a big shopping trolley to take your shopping to your car

- Supermarkets – they are situated in cities and towns. People go to the supermarket to buy mostly food and drinks. It is smaller than a department store and usually offers fewer goods. It has longer opening hours than small shops.

-  Specialized shops - they usually have shorter opening hours than supermarkets, department stores and shopping centers. They sell one sort of goods, but the quality of the products is higher. They have a big choice of products.

- Market – many people prefer to buy the fruit and vegetables or other things at a market. Markets are popular because of their special atmosphere – they are noisy, overcrowded but people can walk from stall to stall, they can touch and taste products and talk to the salesmen. They can try to bargain and get a cheaper price. 

PEOPLE in SHOPS: 

- shop assistant:person who works in a shop, serves customers, sell things

- customers:people who go to the shop to buy some goods

- store detectives:who watch customers to stop them from shoplifting

- manager:who is the boss of the shop

Business in shopping:

-lots of money is spent on advertising, shops try to persuade customers that their product is better than the competitor’s. They put adverts into newspapers, magazines, TV, buses, trams, trails

-large chain shops (Tesco, Baumax, Jednota, Kaufland, Lidl, Billa, Kik, Hornbach, Ikea) use special strategies – double packing, special offers, bargains to increase their profit.

Payment:

- in cash

- credit card,

- voucher (catering)

-on bill (faktúra),

- hire purchase (na splátky)

SERVICES: are provided by people to people: delivery,plumber, decorator, electrician, hairdresser, barber, post office, banks, travel agents, insurance, restaurants, hotels, dry cleaners, launderette, as well as transport, estate agency, baby-sitting, shoe repairs, photocopying, employment agencies, opticians, petrol pumps, dentist, doctor, beauty salon, DVD hire, library, swimming pools, cinemas, undertakers, tailors

Buying on the net:booking tickets, accommodation, air tickets, and goods

PROS: comfortable from home

CONS: don’t see the product, possibility of misusing the card by hacker