ARTICLE
You plan a weekend to go shopping. The day finally comes, you’re excited, ready to unwind a little. You head to a mall, walk into a store… and within seconds, a salesperson appears beside you. Then another. They start following you, suggesting things before you even look at them. Suddenly, the time you planned for yourself doesn’t feel like yours anymore. Not a nice feeling, right?
Most of us have been through this. What starts as excitement quickly turns into pressure. I don’t usually go shopping, Amazon has spoiled me but once in a while I like to browse, touch things, look around, and maybe buy something if it feels right. For me, shopping is a way to relax my mind. And as someone who loves shoes and tech, I actually enjoy visiting those stores.
When help becomes pressure
But the moment I step inside, someone follows me the entire time I’m there. They mean well, it’s their job to help but it doesn’t feel like help. Even when I say, “I’m just browsing,” they stay close, suggesting: “Try this… maybe that…” I know it’s meant to be polite, but it feels suffocating. Instead of enjoying the moment, I just want to leave. The simple joy of browsing quietly disappears.
In an electronics store, it’s the same thing. Say I want to buy a keyboard. I want to check the switches, key travel, ghosting, the sound, the build, actually try it. But before I even touch it, the pitch begins, like it’s read from a script. I’m sorry, but it’s annoying.
What Berlin got right
In Berlin, the experience was completely different. I remember a sneaker store in Kreuzberg: clean layout, soft music, one person at the counter who looked up, smiled, and nodded. That was it. I went shelf to shelf, tried two pairs, walked a loop, came back, asked for my size, purchased, and left happy, with a positive experience. In a headphones shop in Mitte, I spent a lot of time comparing two models without a single nudge. When I asked a question, I got a clear answer and then my space back. Simple. Calm. Honest. That freedom changed my decisions. Without the noise, I could hear my own taste again. I bought what I truly liked, not what felt like the fastest way out of a conversation.
Space is service
I keep wondering why the hovering happens so often in India. Maybe it’s theft worries. Maybe it’s sales targets. Maybe it’s just “how we do things.” But as a customer, I know how it lands in my body: shoulders tighter, thoughts shorter, wallet closed. I go to malls to switch off for a bit, touch real things, and let my mind wander. If I can’t do that, I’d rather order from my couch.
Good service, at least for me, is space plus presence. It’s not a big ask, just let me breathe. Let me walk. Let me think. When I need help, I’ll ask, and I’ll actually be ready to hear it. That small shift can turn shopping from a chore into something calm, human and maybe even fun.