Popular Culture Review Vol. 5, No. 1, February 1994 | Page 136
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The Shopping Ritual: History and Function
Rituals are events of society that engage the interest of groups
large and small (Geist & Nachbar, 1983). These behaviors are
routine activities fulfilling both task and socio-emotional goals
(Barnett, 1988). Rituals provide illustrations of cultural practices
which help to structure social reality. One such ritual is shopping.
Shopping performs a variety of functions for individuals who
partake in the ritual. Traditional marketplaces provided a public
setting where the exchange of goods and services took place as well as
a place to meet individual social needs. Urban areas were designated
districts for work, residence and commerce, thereby defining the
nature of interaction. With the movement of the population from
urban sites to the expanding suburbs, the regional shopping mall
emerged, where individuals were provided with a variety of stores
and products under one roof, and extended the convenience of night
shopping while in a climate controlled setting (Gumpert & Drucker,
1992). In 1985 electronic home shopping was introduced, allowing
viewers access to bargain priced products while in the safety of their
own home (Dorfman, 1986). Convenience, product pricing and quality,
trust between the sales host and the audience, and encouragement of
social interaction are techniques used by home shopping channels,
such as QVC.
Communication Strategies Used on QVC
"Good morning, welcome to QVC with Jane and Maiy
Beth. Who’s this please?"
"Hi, this is Susan from Atlanta, Georgia."
"Is there anyone watching with you this morning?"
"No, 1 just sent my kids off to school so I'm here
alone."
"What are you choosing today?"
"I bought the Leslie Fay shirt and I already have
Mary's Something More bandanna shirt. It's great to
be on the air with y o u ___ "
The above dialogue illustrates a typical conversation between a
QVC caller and a QVC host. The (Quality, Convenience and Value
network has introduced shoppers to a new convenient way of shopping
while attempting to maintain the traditional social experience of