Nothing quite parallels the sudden rush of satisfaction on payday when you finally check out the basket of items you’ve stocked up. It’s retail therapy, so says your brain as you continue clicking on pay buttons. Thereafter, you end up with regretful purchases lying in your room. And the thing is, you can’t “gift” these items away; because then, it’d look way too thoughtless.
But there are ways to keep your post-shopping remorse at bay. A surefire way to weed out unnecessary items from your shopping basket would be to analyse your needs and personal preference or style. If you’re shopping for yourself, put a little more thought into whether you’ll love the item after your retail high wears off. And if you’re getting a gift, think about how your purchase can make a bigger positive impact on the recipient and the community.
Coming up with an ideal wants- or needs-list takes some trial and error. The sheer amount of trends and items available online can often confuse you. When it comes to filtering out products that don’t suit your needs, shopping at smaller-scale stores may help. A lesser selection doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re missing out on other options, and more often than not, you’ll find what you need at specialty stores that focus on a particular consumer-type.
Exclusive collaborations and concept stores at KrisShop help expose shoppers to brands that specialise in artisanal, eco-friendly or local goods. Curation is a strong part of our identity, which is why you’re more likely to walk away with a unique buy. You’re starting a cycle of intentional purchase that doesn’t leave you with commonplace items you’ll get tired of.
For example, if you’ve run out of your eco-friendly necessities, KrisShop Green hosts a slew of products that cater to your clean beauty and organic food needs. Avid travellers will appreciate the selection of handmade knick-knacks, food and art from around Asia, Europe and Australia when they shop at KrisShop Discovers. For something closer to home, explore the products on With Love, SG, a KrisShop concept store that doubles up as a platform to celebrate local brands and collaborations.
After you’ve narrowed down your shopping repertoire to a list of selected stores, go a step further and think about the causes you want to support. Your dollar can do more good than you think.
Of course, you don’t have to support every charity cause that comes along, but it’s important to keep the environment and the less fortunate in mind. Especially more so when they’ve put in effort to hone their skills in crafting intricate and practical items like handbound notebooks and leather goods.
You can also choose to shop for noteworthy eco-friendly gifts. As part of Singapore Airlines’ ongoing efforts to reduce waste, the Upcycling Project is a line of products made from…well, upcycled old airplane parts. From dinnerware to fashion pieces, you’ll find collectibles that are rustic and nostalgic. Aviation fans, you’ll be thrilled to know that these one-of-a-kind items are produced with minimal re-touching to prevent any chance of incurring more waste and carbon emissions. This means that each piece comes with its own set of unique prints and, sometimes, scuffs - all of which tell unique stories of their own.
Shopping responsibly can sound daunting, especially since there are so many factors, like packaging material or production ingredients, that we can’t control. Reading labels and product descriptions is a great starting point. You’ll know what goes into the production of your item, and if you come across ingredients or materials that sound foreign to you, simply do a quick online search on what they are.
At KrisShop, we’re conscious of how e-commerce impacts the environment and we’re on a journey to develop more sustainable shopping experiences for our consumers. KrisShop’s delivery packaging has been redeveloped to reduce the carbon emission of our deliveries; fragile items are wrapped with honeycomb paper instead of bubble wrap and package fillers are made from climate-neutral materials. Our paper boxes can also be easily folded while retaining their shape and function, thanks to the self-interlocking system. To put things into perspective, we’ve managed to reduce the overall weight of our packages by 63g (per package), which will in turn lead to easier transportation and lesser fuel usage.
If you're still looking for a sign to start shopping intentionally, here's one: Your closet will no longer be cluttered and you'll always be the best gift-giver in the room.
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