A long time ago I read a story about a guy called Buridan. Buridan had a donkey whom he called “Ass”. Once while carrying a heavy load of salt, Ass was very hungry. He happened to find two identical and equally delicious stacks of hay. Ass being a donkey, could not decide which one to choose. And he finally starved to death.
By the way, Buridan was none other than the 13th-century philosopher, John Buridan and the "Ass" was his philosophical creation.
A couple of weeks back, I was shopping online on Myntra. I had multiple tabs opened to select one shirt. At that point in time, I found myself to be a Buridan’s Ass. Because I could not decide which one to choose and I was stumped.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m sure I’m not the only Buridan’s Ass here. Numbers suggest that at least 40% of online shoppers are indecisive about what they buy. In fact, I’m sure you also would have been a Buridan’s Ass at some point or the other. But I’ll save you’ll the embarrassment of asking because no one wants to be called as an Ass.
And we are not the only ones at fault. Online retailers today have made us Dumb Asses. Back in the days, outbound shopping was seldom available, and shipping was rarely free; Free returns were unheard of.
As a result, we have become addictive and spendthrift, impatient and carefree, dumb, indolent and self-engrossed.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE MULTIPLE TABS THAT WERE OPENED WHILE SELECTING A SHIRT ON MYNTRA??
Just when I was in a limbo of deciding the shirt colors, I got a call from my mother. And engrossed in online shopping, I missed her call. In the hindsight, I realize that this self-indulgent behavior not severed my bonds with my mother but also … Mother Earth.
It occurs to me that instead of shopping online If I had gone in a brick and mortar store, I would have tried a few shirts and taken few pictures which I might have sent across to my mother. I’m sure things would have been much different then.
Today, E-commerce business has become ubiquitous and they constantly try to improve the customer experience.
They lure us with exciting offers and combo offers making us spendthrift and addictive.
One-day delivery/ one-hour delivery makes us nothing but impatient.
They pamper us by offering generous and hassle-free return policies making us carefree.
They bombard us with innumerable suggestions; shutting our brains and making us dumb ''Asses'.
AND DID I MENTION THAT SHIPPING THESE DAYS ARE FREE??
Well, let me decode the hidden asterisk there. Simply put,
nothing in this world comes for free!! Let alone your online purchase.
I realized this when I had to reluctantly add a set of socks
in my cart, lest, I would have to shell out extra 150 bucks to get my shirt
shipped. This is nothing, but crafty ways employed by online retailers to
persuade us to spend a considerable amount before the shipping charges can be
waived off.
REMEMBER THE TARNISHED BONDS WITH MOTHER EARTH…?
Businesses today are aware of our online shopping behaviors. Today, at least 30% of the online orders are returned as compared to 9% of store purchases. To increase their sales, they overproduce the products. But finally, 80% of the returned orders end up in landfills because it is unable to enter the supply chain. Either because they are damaged on the way or their value is decreased over the period. Hence such over-production only increases the carbon footprint of the industry. And let alone the impact of packaging and transporting the returned products on our Mother Earth.
Come to think of it, I had mentioned that I was a Buridan’s Ass. In fact, It’s not just me or you. Businesses today are also a Buridan’s Ass who are unable to decide how they can manage their carbon footprint and their profits.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Buridan’s Ass returned from 13th Century to 21st Century!! Let’s not be one of them.
While we are free to make a choice, we shall not be free from its consequences.
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