Shopping and Services

CONSUMER SOCIERY: society in which material goods are very important and in which the consumers themselves are very important and have a lot of power,
 
SHOPPING FACILITIES: kiosk, newsagent, butchers (meat – pork, beef, fish, poultry), greengrocers (vegetable, fruits), bakers /bread, rolls, buns, cakes), corner shops (food, alcohol, magazines), chemists (medicine), bookshop, clothes shop or boutique, furniture shop, florists (flowers), jeweller’s (jewellery), toy shops, markets (preferred to buy fresh vegetables and fruits, some have special atmosphere, often noisy and overcrowded, sellers in stalls - stánky), gift shop, stationery (papiernictvo), grocery (potraviny), china shop (glass, porcelain), garden shop, huberdasher (galantéria), pet shop (chovateľské potreby), fabrics (metrový textile), ironmonger (železiarstvo), confectionary (cukrárstvo), watch shop, DIY – do it yourself
 
SHOPPING CENTRES: nowadays we prefer shopping in large department stores or at shopping centres. Department store is a large shop divided into several sections which sells one type of thing – clothes, furniture, household appliances. Advantages: big car park. ADVANTAGES: everything under one roof for customers, save time to run from one small shop to another, large assortment, using a shopping trolley, bring directly to car, usually lower prices, special sales and bargains, longer opening hours.
DISADVANTAGES: if U want only a little things to buy it takes even so much time, U usually buy also things U do not need, many people, waiting long time to get to cash desk. Some shopping centres even include additional services like post office, banks, exchange, insurance, tourist agencies, restaurants, cafés, cinemas…

RETAIL SHOPS: maloobchod, in villages, narrower assortment and higher prices
SHOPS: shopping assistant: person who works in shop, serves customers, sell things and rings up U purchase, customers: people who go to the shop to buy some goods, sometimes also store detectives: who watch customers to stop them from shoplifting, managers: who are in charge (sú zodpovední).
BUSINESS IN SHOPPING: merchandisers spend lots of money on advertising, trying to persuade customers that their product is better than the competitor’s. They put adverts into newspapers, magazines, TV, buses, trams, trails… Successful are mostly big shopping centres – strategies – double packing, special offers, bargains, so that they increase their profit.
AUCTION: one of ways how to buy something, many people meet together, there is one man who gives some low starting auction price and than he comments higher offers of potential owners. Who offers the most, he gets the goods.

SECOND HAND SHOPS: popular in UK, U can buy here cheap clothes which were already worn by other people, they are often in great quality, something similar are also antiquaries where U can buy old books or antiquities shop with typical old furniture.  
CUSTOMER RIGHTS: when goods we bought are damaged, defected or don’t work properly, we can reclaim (complaint) them – we need original cover, block (? Blok) and if our complaint will be successful, our good will be repaired, changed, we can choose anything different in that sum, or we get our money back – money refund.
PAYMENT POSSIBILITIES: in cash (some shops also in other currency – SVK euro), credit card, cheque, voucher (catering), on bill (faktúra), hire purchase (na splátky – sum is divided into some smaller amounts paid f. ex. Monthly instalments), cash dispenser (bankomat)
 
SERVICES: providing by people to people: Delivery, Plumber (inštalatér), Decorator, electrician, hairdresser, barber, post office, banks, travel agents, insurance, restaurants, hotels, dry cleaners, launderette (samoobslužná práčovňa), as well as TRANSPORT, estate agency (RK), baby-sitting (take care of children for a time), shoe repairs, photocopying, employment agencies, opticians, petrol pumps, dentist, doctor, beauty salon, DVD hire, library, swimming pools, cinemas, undertakers (pohrebníctvo), tailors,
OPENING HOURS: depends from kind of shop, place, some people spend all Sunday at supermarkets, other think shops should be closed at this time, controversial are opening hours in shops during holidays (Xmas)…
KINDS OF SHOPS: part of a chain or a group and those that are individually owned. Because of shopping centres many small shops are in dept and decide to stop their business because they are not able to compete against big chains.

ADVERTS – SALES PROMOTION: influence of customers to sell more products and have higher profit, using by introduction of new products, special offers…, adverts everywhere in each way (comparison of products, funny adverts), competitions…
BRANDS: Adidas, Nike, Abercrombie Fritch, Gap, Northfinder, Kenvelo, Kappa, Reserved, C&A, Diesel, Reebok…
CHAIN: Tesco, Baumax, Jednota, Kaufland, Lidl, Marks&Spencer, Billa, Kik, Hornbach, Ikea…
BUYING BY NET: booking of tickets, accommodation, air tickets, and goods – ebbay… PROS: comfortable – at home CONS: don’t see product, possibility of misusing of card by hackers…
SPECIAL: Oriflame, Avon – order by Avon ladies who comes to U and brings U what U decide, U just pay