IELTSУстная речьvocabularytrainingshopping

Examiner: Do you often go shopping?

Kind of.. but I mostly just do (1). As a student, I’m (2)so I have to be careful with money.

Examiner: Are there many shops where you live?

Answer 1: We’ve got a few local shops nearby and a few independent stores but none of the big (3).

Answer 2:Yes! The town I live in is growing quickly, and because of the recent growth, more and more large (4) are beginning to appear on the shopping street.

Examiner: Do you enjoy shopping?

Answer 1: Not really! I find it a bit stressful when the sales are on and lots of people all trying to (5).  I also get annoyed when shop assistants try to (6)when all I want to do is look around.

Answer 2: Yes,  I like to shop around to see if I can (7).

Examiner: Why do some people prefer to purchase brand name products produced abroad?

I think there are two main reasons why people like to buy foreign brands rather than local ones, those are that these products are perceived as being (1) and are also often of better quality. For example, American sportswear like Nike and Adidas are very popular in my country, and I think it is because these brands are considered by many to be comfortable, long-lasting, and popular. So, if people choose to buy a Nike hat instead of a local hat, they probably do it because they think the Nike hat is more fashionable or high-quality than a local hat, because the (2) is definitely not cheaper.

Examiner: How have shopping habits changed over recent years?

There are two big changes that I’ve noticed in people’s (3). The first change is that more people are starting to shop online. I think that (4) has become more popular because it has become convenient these days. Secondly, there is a growing trend towards people wanting to own (5), especially luxury brands, such as Coach or Louis Vuitton. Although there are surely other small ways that shopping habits have changed, those are the two changes that seem the biggest.

Examiner:  Do you think we will stop using paper money in the future?

I think it’s likely. At the moment it’s still possible to (6) but I think there is a growing trend towards purchasing items online with credit cards. The problem is that people are more likely to (7) and (8)when this happens.

Examiner: How do companies encourage the consumer to spend their money?

Hmm.. that’s a good question. Well …the easiest way is to offer better deals. For example, in my country,  people are encouraged to (9) and buy the latest must-have products on ‘Black Friday’. Another way is to host in-store events. Hosting events at the store can drive traffic and gives shoppers a reason to visit the space and engage with products in person. Then there are things like (10) to get the customer back in the store.

Examiner: What do you think shops need to do to create a positive shopping experience?

The main thing for me is not being pressured to buy.  I get annoyed when sales staff try to (11) when all I want to do is look around. I understand that sales staff are probably (12) but if I’m looking for clothes for example I like to take my time to try something on.

Examiner: What do people do when they get bad service?

From what I’ve seen, that’s actually a very cultural thing. For example, when Americans get bad service, they usually react very negatively. They will take a direct approach to what they think is even slightly bad service by (13), writing bad online reviews, or asking for refunds or compensation. In other countries, I think people do not react so strongly to bad service. They may say or do nothing when faced with bad service if the quality of the food or product is good enough. Or, they may just choose not to return to the place of business in the future. So, it really depends on the culture in question when it comes to dealing with bad service.