Bricks and The Bytes

One should not use oneself as a yardstick, as it may lead to biased inferences. But in this instance, I am referring to something that is already part of history.

Fifteen years back, if someone had time-travelled and told me that in the year 2010 we would be shopping directly from our computers, I would have categorised them as yet another science fiction writer. Today, standing in the middle of 2010, I have no hesitation in admitting that I would have been grossly mistaken.

I will also be mistaken again if I assume that within the next 15 years commerce will completely migrate to the electronic format. But definitely, a major portion of it will shift, while computers and smartphones will enjoy a significant share of that pie.

The new era of shopping will look something like what is shown in a video from Cisco, conducted from the comfort of one’s home or workplace. This is the future of shopping.

I enjoy strolling through malls—doing what is popularly known as window shopping—appreciating the displays as much as the overall ambience, while indulging in impulsive buying once in a while. This is particularly true during summers, when there is no better escape from the harsh Middle Eastern weather.

As a tribute, I have dedicated a few of my earlier posts to showcasing the beautiful and glitzy malls of Dubai. Now I feel an urge to take a break from those physical spaces and explore how things are shaping up in the cyber world—a glimpse into malls made of bits and bytes instead of bricks and mortar. Some of the screen grabs of virtual mall strolling is included below.

With due respect to Amazon and its tribe (let their tribe increase), I still have not found a virtual mall that impressed me enough to showcase. However, there is no denying their growing popularity, and perhaps the day is not far when all malls will be compelled to operate their own virtual branches—not just a homepage.

The trend is most definitely pointing towards malls on the internet. The primary objective of both physical and virtual malls is the same: to sell merchandise while constantly catering to different categories of visitors and offering them an experience that compels them to return.

They showcase products in a way that allows shoppers easy access to what they need, while also tempting the casual visitor to buy something she did not plan for—and perhaps did not even need.

Many will agree that this does not happen automatically. The design team—comprising architects, engineers, interior designers, and other specialists—plays a critical role in helping mall owners extract that extra dollar.

To understand why virtual malls are not as evolved as their physical counterparts, a bit of self-analysis of mall design is necessary. In my opinion, both physical and virtual malls should be built on the same fundamental design principles. They should offer a similar shopping experience to users and visitors alike.

While it is well accepted that any developer will engage architects, engineers, and interior designers at the concept stage of a physical mall, there still seems to be a notion that a handful of programmers and computer specialists can assemble a virtual mall on their own.

Perhaps this reluctance to accept that a virtual mall requires a team of artists, graphic designers, and 3D visualisers—supported by programmers and software engineers—is the biggest hurdle. Maybe this is why they are not evolving at the same pace as physical malls and are still leaving much to be desired.

It should be similar to conventional malls, where architects and interior designers lead the front-of-house experience, while structural and MEP engineers handle the back-of-house systems.

Another obstacle is undoubtedly the mindset of people, which needs to be addressed. The sense of insecurity created by periodic bad publicity around cybercrime is significant.

While statistics show that the number of crimes in the cyber world is far lower than in the physical world, this lack of confidence among shoppers still persists. A well-lit mall with security cameras and uniformed guards naturally provides visitors with a sense of safety and comfort.

Cybersecurity systems must take a giant leap to achieve anything remotely similar. What is often overlooked is that we tend to lose more in conventional malls than in virtual ones. While a cyber fraudster might steal your credit card details and drain your limit, a pickpocket in a physical mall could take your entire wallet and multiple cards at once.

Yet, this threat does not stop us from going shopping. For shop owners, a few physical security measures can reduce pilferage, but if someone breaks into an online store, they can potentially create far greater damage.

And finally, it is only a matter of time before the Bytes catch up with the Bricks.

 

A peep into the malls made out of bits and bytes