Popular Culture Review Vol. 5, No. 1, February 1994 | Page 136

132 ^^Pogular^CuUure^ev^ 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