The future of shopping

Shopping in 2030! We are looking 17 years ahead. Presently in 2013 more and more consumers/ shoppers are gravitating towards technology (for instance online shopping) for a series of obvious advantages. Transport and communication are major contributing factors to how we shop today. We have come a long way from booking cars months in advance to getting the shopping done in an instant with just a click of the mouse, in the comfort of our house, at a time convenient to us. 17 years into the future i can only imagine that time will still be as precious as money and the present loopholes in the time gap between purchase and actual delivery will lessen all the more with newer, quicker and better technology which will keep on innovating. Payment mode, delivery system and mode of shopping should undergo tremendous change making shopping easier and quicker This is how i envisage the future of shopping :

(1) Marriage of the vending machine and ATM system :  Just as there is an ATM machine, there would be an ATS machine (Any Time Shopping.) Consumers who happen to work late into the night and perhaps get just a day off at their disposal for shopping (which they otherwise might prefer to spend relaxing or socializing) are especially worried as they have to dash to the nearest convenient store/ supermarket before it shuts down for the day or rely on another person to do their shopping for them. If there could be a touch screen ATS machine available near residential areas (or outside malls and major super markets that usually closes down by 10 pm). These machines would allow the shoppers the option and freedom to shop at even 3 am. It would be extremely convenient to the customers. The touch screen could show the complete list of items divided into categories ranging from consumer durables to fmcgs, complete with brand and mrp information for easy surfing. There could also be a segment to insert the quantity of goods. After the list is ticked, checked and entered by the customer, he would get the final amount of his shopping. Similar to a simple vending machine, the customer would  first pay this amount, then receive a receipt and an output slot where he would automatically receive his goods purchased. In case of a big appliances like say a refrigerator or washing machine, only the shoppers registered with the supermarket would be offered this special facility. Since the registered customers credentials and paper work are already stored into the markets database, they will be given a unique ID number/ card that would instantly recognize the customer and enable them to use this facility. The customer could go through the various brands and compare the prices and make his final decision. This saved entry would be saved in the system and the customer would get the delivery of the appliance instantly, say within an hour.Again a prepaid transaction and the customer will get a receipt that he can show at the time of receiving the goods.

(2) There is smart phone so there will be smart shopping : With the growth of technology, assuming most of the shopping will be done either online or using smart phones, customers could download applications of their favorite/ nearest supermarkets. These apps could be customized by the shopper. Say the customer shops a months worth of goods once in a month he could feed in the data of goods he will buy each month like toothpaste, soap, tissue roll etc. Now upon activation of this application, he will get a reminder alert on a particular date that is set by the shopper. Settings will remain flexible and can be easily updated by the shopper and the shopper can also frequently change his choice/ brands or include a few new items before entering the list. The app could also send reminder alerts of fresh brands available in the store and based on the information/ details that customer feeds into the app,the search could be further narrowed down and customised depending on individual budget, cosmetics for a particular skin type, festival shopping, anniversary day shopping reminders, new product information, etc. Again it could be a prepaid system or cash on delivery mode of payment, convenient to the customer. One could also customise time and place of delivery.

(3) 3D virtual tour : Car showrooms or high end luxury products may even provide apps that show the product in a 3d motion picture format complete with list of features, price, warranty, guarantee and competing brands information available on the smart phone. All the customer needs to do is click on his favorite product and buy.

(4) Mall on wheels : Instead of getting dressed and going out for shopping why not get the mall at the shoppers doorstep? For prompter delivery, there will be special shopping vans that patrol speific areas. Customers will have to register their location and contact details to avail this facility. Each van will have a phone and all the the customer has to do is call on this number to the van allocated to his area and mention his shopping list. He will receive the goods immediately.

(5) For shoppers who don't wish to download apps, the good old call and sms service would also be present albeit with technological advancements. They would just need to register, call or message their shopping list and quantity and receive the delivery at their doorstep.

(6) Mode of payment : In addition to cash on delivery, Plastic money (debit and credit cards) there would be a prepaid shopping  syste where you could pay a lumpsum amount to your regular store and shop without having to carry cash all the time,as long as the deposit amount is exhausted. A unique shopping card, similar to a debit card can be issued to customers for swiping and reminder alerts can be activated to update them about the remaining balance.

-S. Chaudhary

The Character Contest - Jacob Hills

http://www.harpercollins.co.in/BookDetail.asp?Book_Code=3773


My Characters :

(1) Prem Rathod and Lata: Prem is the Director and Chief Operating Officer of the war College. His small dwarf-like shrunken frame somewhat contradicts the weight of his title and the scope of his powers at the college. Now, well into his fifties, Prem was once, an aspiring soldier himself. Prem has still not been able to come to terms with the fact that he was "never good enough for the uniform" and despite the perks and the pay, he considers his present post to be that of a glorified peon. In his mind, he is still that knight in shining armour, the alpha male braveheart who "deserved" to be at the border, fighting valiant battles and not cooped up in some office of a college for training amateurs. Extremely soft spoken, sweet and a timid man who often comes across as a pushover. So it would shock anyone if they were to ever find out his addiction to Sadism in bed. Belts, baton or his plain bare and strong hands, nothing is off limits when it comes to torturing his frightened little docile wife Lata. Theirs was an arranged marriage and soon enough, Lata found out about her husbands kinky inclinations and "perversions." The fact that she could never bear him a child made her mentally justify the "well-deserved "retributions. Atleast she could please him in some little consolatory way and make up for her shortcomings. A shell of a woman, Lata has resigned to her fate and deftly learned the art to cover up her bruises with make up and her pain with an effortless, practised smile.

(2) Major (Retd.) Rajdeep Varma : A retired army Major and honorary trainer at the college, MajorVarma is a hard task master. A strict disciplinarian and notorious for his austere and ruthless training methods, Major Varma is known to have punished young officers, making them run 20 laps of the extensive college grounds for reporting even 2 minutes late to his class.( Many officers had collapsed and some seriously injured under his training.) A proud man, Major Varma had lost his right leg in the Sino Indian war of 1962. It was not just the leg that he lost in that horrific war. The incident made him a bitter, frustrated and extremely vindictive man filled with hatred and contempt, especially for the "enemy nations." His strong intolerant prejudices and dogmatic views that reflected in his teachings included "have no mercy for your enemies or prisoners because they will show no mercy towards you." Men at war are creatures thirsty for blood in his opinion and he believes in training men to become apathetic robots, devoid of basic humanity.

(3) Dr. Nikhil Ranjan : An in-house paramedic stationed at Jacob Hills. Dr. Nikhil is extremely good looking, charming and of pleasing manners. His over friendliness with Eva may come across as "flirting" to an unsuspecting eye and that is because Nikhil knows how to cleverly put on a show. The fact is he is a closet homosexual and has never been attracted to any woman in his life. In the strange and relatively conservative 1980's, when alternate sexual orientations were relatively unheard of and also a strong taboo, Nikhil was comfortable in his own skin. Having dogded the initial confusion, resistance and finally reconciling with his inclination. Taking undue advantage of his position, he would often make the young, ripped and unsuspecting officers strip their clothes on the pretext of 'regular health check ups or physical examination' and ogle at their raw, over whelming masculinity. And then one day he found George and instantly fell in love with the brave officer. He couldn't bear the sight of the madly in love and much married George and Eva, hand in hand walking into the club in the evenings or at other social gatherings. Filled with a raging jealousy and intense contempt for Eva, Nikhil never for once showed his true colours, always chatting her up as a long lost friend, staying true to his philosophy of keep your friends close and enemies closer.

(4) Lt. Mohit Kapoor, Priya and Soumya : Good looking, charismatic and hyper. That would describe Lt. Mohit Kapoor, stationed at the college as a physical trainer. A big time flirt, he is suspected of having hooked up with Major Singh's bored wife Saryu once. Eva, is a trophy waiting to be scooped up by him. Having never been turned down by any woman in the past, Mohit feels his precious pride and  infallible "record" are at stake if he doesn't get to nail Eva. The more she pushes away his advances, the more aggressive, impatient and obvious he gets in his "mission. Dr. Nikhil had recently congratulated and informed Mohit that his wife Priya is pregnant with twins. However, the rumours doing the rounds in hushed tones is that the children could very well be that of Gary, what with Mohit and Priya being regular patrons of Gary and Pam's swingers club. They also have a 4 year old duaghter Soumya. Could she be the next target of the mystery killer?

(5) Reverend Martis : Father Frank Martis, the Reverend at the old church near Jacob Hills is a sweet, compassionate, simple yet worldly wise man. His heart is buried with infinite secrets of the many brutalities, terrible sins and transgressions he has heard and counselled over the years. Strong, formidable officers have broken down inconsolably in the confession box with the line "Father forgive me for I have sinned"... As for Reverend Martis, he has always been extremely understanding and forgiving, helping troubled souls heal and halve their miseries by lending them an empathetic ear. After a woman's body was found under the black cross, the special investigating officer had questioned the reverend who claimed he was absolutely clueless. But is the there more to the reverend than what meets the eye? Does he know much more than any and everyone? Does his list of secrets include the identity of the killer as well?

(6) Inspector Ram : Inspector Ram at the local police station is always running into trouble with the authorities at Jacob Hills. Often over-stepping his authority and jurisdiction due to an ambiguous definition of periphery of power of the military station in his area and also because of his strong, unreasonable dislike for the place. He feels he is the King of the world, ruling in his tiny seat in his tiny little fiefdom and the officers at the college 'show him his place', mock his titular sense of power. Like an eager hawk, he is waiting for just that one slip up on part of any of the officers at the college, just to bring down the establishment on its knees and then show them who is the boss, who really is "in charge." Hearsay and idle gossip have provided him ample hunches about the swingers club and drunk officers at the college and other glaring irregularities at the college, but he needs concrete evidence and something bigger and better to book them. Forever, on the lookout he is secretly dating and working hand in glove with Shivani to keep closer tabs on his "pet project" Jacob Hills.

(7) Journalist Shivani : A young, budding amateur journalist, Shivani hopes to become a formidable force to reckon with in the field of media. She is looking out for that one Watergate Scandal moment or a Clinton Lewinsky kind of controversy that will rock the nation and make her an over night sensation. Inspector Ram has kept her hopeful and interested with "something fishy is going on behind those huge walls, the journalist in you needs to unearth the guarded and ugly truth and be the hero, this great nation is waiting for."  From a distance, Shivani is carrying on her own investigations, but will she learn the truth before anyone else? And if she does, will she live to tell?

(8) Agent X : The key link between the Government the the miliatry college. The invisible master mind and "soul" of Jacob Hills, he over rides every other designation deployed at the war college and over-sees everything right from the smooth functioning, budget approvals and takes a keen personal interest in the file of every final recruit from the college. No one has ever seen him and there are many theories regarding  his identity and existence. No one directly acknowledges his existence yet everyone is aware of his presence. Some feel that agent X is indeed the figment of some fertile imagination while some feel he is either Prem Rathod or perhaps the special investigating officer on the case. Whether real or unreal, he is known to sniff a simmering controversy at the outset, that could tarnish the college's reputations and is known for nipping it right in the bud. Heavily guarded files have known to suddenly disappear and officers transferred overnight, and all of this is attributed to Agent X. A true patriot, he will stop at nothing to protect his nation and the unit he is entrusted with and sworn to protect. What is it that links him to Eva? Is he her only hope and friend or her worst enemy endangering her life?

- S. Chaudhary