It seems that some retailers will try just about anything to generate revenues and profits. But, such tactics may turn off shoppers.
What do you think of this new tactic?
According to Gregory Smith, writing for POPAI: “Before the rise of the smartphone and E-commerce, shopping used to be a fun activity for folks of all persuasions and means. Routine trips to the local mall were filled with window shopping and dreams of grandeur for the shopper of yesteryear, but could these concepts become foreign to the shopper of tomorrow? Two retailers — seemingly in a reaction to showrooming — have experimented with ‘just looking’ fees and similar charges for customers who browse but don’t buy. A Vera Wang boutique in China recently decided to charge brides-to-be 3,000 yuan ($482) simply to try on its gowns, according to a report in a Chinese newspaper. Faced with an outcry, Vera Wang canceled that fee. And according to a sign posted on Reddit, an Australian grocery store has also instituted a $5 “just looking” fee, which seems to be applied to everyone who walks in the door.”
Click the image to read more from POPAI.
Retailing: From A to Z 
You’ve got to be kidding? How low will some retailers go? Good god they get us on fees left and right now. I guess they just are getting greedier at our expense. Just as bad as head office downloading to corporates and franchisees.
I believe it is fair and could be done through a membership fee or just a visiting fee, similar to museums. People should understand that there’s a cost to keep that store open and if everybody would not buy anything on one given day, the expenses of running that business divided by an average number of customers should make that ‘just looking fee’.
I work in a bookstore and I secretly wish we can do this gauging on the amount of books and magazines we have to re-shelve everyday from people who spends hours and hours reading in our store but never had the courtesy of putting them back. I mean, c’mon, they practically devoured so much of our products and we have to clean up after them. I can dream!