Over the years, the world has continued to change and new ways to do things are regularly being introduced. For instance, transportation at some point was limited to the use of camels and on feet. Today, there are many different vehicles including planes that can move us across countries with distances that would have taken us years on camel, horses, or donkeys in a few hours. The same applies to shopping for products. Women have mostly been designated as home keepers and thus, are expected to get items that are needed for the house and mostly utilize them. However, all of those have changed significantly today as women are now actively involved in every sector of the economy and the Internet coupled with online shopping has also contributed to that. This article will trace the evolution of shopping for women.
Trade by Barter
Before the invention of currencies, trade by barter was the major form of trade. People acquired skills and produce several items, more than they would normally need. Since they couldn’t learn all the skills that they would need to create everything that will need, they devised a simple solution. They would take some of the items that they have made and use them to exchange for what they need from someone else who is skilled in doing that. The implication is that the other trader who has what they need would also need what they have for the transaction to be smooth. This created some problems as those who need an item could be exploited when the other trader does not need what they have. Women were also at the forefront of a trade by barter just as men. While hunters could exchange meat for farm products or other items, the women could exchange clothes for baskets, buckets, and other household items available during those times and vice versa.
Introduction of money
The problems that came with trade by barter was solved by the introduction of money. With money, every item could be valued based on the effort and raw materials that went into producing them. People could now pay the exact value of a product to get it as they do not have to go around with their products to find who would need it and at the same time have what they need. This made shopping easier. Shops started to spring up and women usually love to shop. Up to the end of the twentieth century, it was common for women to go to the local and international markets to shop for things that they need in their homes. During this period, they sometimes asked for recommendations from friends when they want to buy something for the first time. Their friends often recommended the store they patronize for that product and give them direction.
Introduction of Online Shopping
As the Internet continued to get more popular in the last few years of the twentieth century, online shopping was introduced. Online shopping made it possible to buy things on the Internet without leaving the house. Furthermore, it was possible to search the Internet for reviews about a company as opposed to asking friends for direction. For instance, if they were to patronize a particular store, they could search for reviews about the store and ready about the company. If they read Just Fashion Now reviews, they would be able to know the reputation of the online store as well as if it is worth patronizing. This has provided a different alternative to shopping as women could still go to local shops or use online platforms to shop for whatever products they might need.