Text b. Shopping for consumer goods

Shopping is a very important part of life, but shoppers are faced with a confusing and rapidly changing situation. The confusion arises from the claims made by advertising, a wider choice of goods than ever before, and new places to shop. The prices of clothes, shoes, and make-up have gone sky-high, so it’s vital that you do not waste your money and you shop carefully for value.

Be sure of what you want – never shop vaguely, because when you get home your purchase may not match anything else you’ve got.

Shop around for the best price and quality. Start with a department store, where they stock a wide range of goods and souvenirs. There you can find many departments: haberdashery, hosiery, drapery, millinery, ladies wear, menswear, and footwear. If you are looking for a skirt and a top to go with it, you’ll need “Separates”. You’ll find shorts or T-shirts in “Leisurewear”, jumpers in “Knitwear”, and a nightdress in “Nightwear”. In “Accessories” they sell belts, gloves, and purses. Try on all the trousers or dresses they have in the line although it may be quite boring to wait if the changing room is occupied. Check out the racks with the sign “sale”. Although it usually seems to be the small sizes that are offered in sales, you can sometimes find some super buys.

Feeling cheered up by your new purchase, don’t forget to keep the receipt, in case an item turns out to be faulty. You’ll need the receipt if you want to exchange the item or have your money refunded. If you are a bargain-hunter, try clothes markets. They often don’t have the high overheads of town shops and can therefore keep prices lower, though they can stock substandard goods. Flea markets are not the best place to buy anything. The prices are low, but the quality is, too.

Don’t put off the purchase of festive gifts until there are only two days left before a holiday. Department stores are swarming with last-minute shoppers, so you may have to queue for half an hour at the checkout till. From everywhere you can hear people swapping rumors, “They have sold out all the scarves”, and “They have run out of that cream”. You inevitably get involved in exchanging remarks with other people in the queue or with salesgirls. Sometimes the talk gets so interesting that the cashier’s question whether you want to pay in cash or by credit card takes you by surprise. Anyway, you pay and feel happy that you have made a bargain, which puts you in a good mood.

Dear friends, make shopping entertaining. Shop together with your friends. Enjoy attractively designed displays and well-dressed shoppers browsing through trendy items. Then you will definitely like it.

Exercise 1.

Memorize the following words and word combinations.

advertising реклама

choice of goods ассортимент

to shop покупать

to go sky-high взлететь

to waste тратить

to match подходить

department store универмаг

to stock иметь в наличии

a wide range of большой ассортимент

haberdashery галантерея

hosiery чулочно-носочные изделия

drapery ткани

millinery дамские шляпы

ladies wear женская одежда

menswear мужская одежда

footwear обувь

to go with something подходить

“Separates” блузки, юбки, брюки и т.п., “Leisurewear” одежда для дома и отдыха

“Knitwear” трикотаж

“Nightwear” ночное бельё; ночные рубашки

“Accessories” аксессуары

to try on примерять

changing room примерочная

“sale” распродажа

receipt товарный чек

a faulty item бракованное изделие

bargain-hunter завсегдатай распродаж

flea market блошиный рынок

queue очередь

to pay in cash рассчитываться деньгами

to pay by credit card оплатить кредитной картой trendy модный

Exercise 2.

Answer the following questions.

1. What departments can you name in your favorite department store?

2. Where can you buy the following items?

jewellery a pair of shoes

stockings buttons, zips

fabrics a suit

a swimsuit pyjamas

a hat a cardigan

3. What can you buy in the following shops?

an antique shop an art shop

a bookshop a boutique

a florist’s/flower shop a furniture shop

a gift shop a hi-fi store

an ironmonger’s a jeweller’s

an optician a pet shop

a photographic shop a radio shop

a record shop a sports shop

a stationer’s a toy shop

4. What attracts you and what annoys you in a big department store? (Highlight the following points: convenience, choice, service, quality and prices).

5. What would you personally never buy in a department store – and why?

6. Have you ever had problems like these? What did you do?

Your blouse has shrunk.

The zip doesn’t work.

The sole has come unstuck.

The colors ran.

Your pullover has stretched.

Your socks are different colors.

The heel has come off.

The strap has broken from the side.

The stitching has come undone.

Your dress has come apart at the seams.

Your boots pinch.

Exercise 3.

Role play: dramatize the situation “At the Boutique”.

Student N.

You want to buy some clothes but you can’t decide what to buy. Ask the assistant for help, try on the clothes. Explain why you don’t want them.

Student M.

You are a shop assistant. You serve the customer and suggest what to buy. Discuss prices, sizes and colors. Try to persuade the shopper to buy something and make a sale.