Shopping can be both a "must" and a pleasure. Those who hate shopping place their orders by telephone and it saves them a lot of time. Some make a hobby of shopping tours, whether they buy any things or are just window-gazing. Besides, most housewives would like to see what they are getting for their money and do their shopping out themselves.
You couldn't think of shopping in terms of pleasure, you always think of it in terms of necessity. In case you're not a gourmand, you certainly feel happier just merely window-shopping at an expensive jeweller's than actually buying a joint of beef from your butcher's.
My friend Alice and me, we both do our shopping together, generally on Saturday morning. Last Saturday I went to the butcher's for a small joint of beef and then to the greengrocer's for some apples, a dozen oranges, beans, potatoes.
Then we went together to the baker's and paid for the bread that we had had, two brown loaves and two white loaves– and then went home feeling rather tired.
I am also a regular customer at one of the big London stores. I went there today and enjoyed myself very much wandering from one department to another, looking at various articles on the counters.
I thought the assistants were very helpful. There must have been hundreds of salesmen and saleswomen and dozens of different departments including china, haberdashery, confectionery, hardware and even provisions.
We all wear clothes, and that is another necessity. We all do our shopping for clothes in that same big department store. Last month we bought a nice summer frock for myself. The assistant showed me a green frock which I liked very much. What a darling it was!
It said I'd wear it then and there, so there was no trouble changing again.