I hate what the shopping experience has become in recent years.
It used to be straightforward:
go to website
add products you want to basket
go to checkout
register, or check out with a “guest account”
make payment
done
today?
go to website
dismiss cookie notice
provide ID to verify age (even though nothing on the site should require age verification)
immediately be bombarded with “subscribe to our mail list” popups, at least 3, with increasing (false) promises of discounts
be roped into subscribing anyway with a “spin the wheel” that guaranteed doesn’t give you anything useful BUT will ask for all your details and the close button is conveniently blending into the background, totally by accident
try to browse product list but can’t because halfway through you’re asked to fill out a “short”, 30 minute questionnaire about your experience on the site
the product detail pages are unreadable AI generated garbage
when you do add a product to your basket, a new popup recommends a dozen completely unrelated items, with the close button again conveniently camouflaged
finally you get around to check out, but the checkout process tries to sell three-four more products in just as many popups before you can actually buy what you need
finally you get to checkout and you’re forced to sign up to email, snail mail, text message, phone call, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, Signal, Snapchat, TikTok, and who knows what else marketing messages
even during the payment you get bombarded with “did you forget to add this to your order?” messages
Imagine if a physical store did this. You go in and immediately three people surround you, not letting you get into the store, to ask for your ID, your details, and so on. Then throughout your shopping, there’s a few employees following you, giving you recommendations, offering “better” products, or “often bought together” options and so on. This continues during checkout, every single item comes with a “you know we have a better option” or “hey this would go well with X” commentary. Then finally on your way out you’re yet again assailed by people trying to grab your wallet to get your personal info…
I hate what the shopping experience has become in recent years.
It used to be straightforward:
today?
Imagine if a physical store did this. You go in and immediately three people surround you, not letting you get into the store, to ask for your ID, your details, and so on. Then throughout your shopping, there’s a few employees following you, giving you recommendations, offering “better” products, or “often bought together” options and so on. This continues during checkout, every single item comes with a “you know we have a better option” or “hey this would go well with X” commentary. Then finally on your way out you’re yet again assailed by people trying to grab your wallet to get your personal info…