Episode 120

EPISODE 120
LEVEL A2

 

READING COMPREHENSION

Web shopping clicks into place

For traditional stores, online shopping has become a cause for concern in a difficult retail environment. The Internet is accounting for more spending than ever. In addition, it also makes it easier for consumers to compare prices across a far bigger selection of items than a trip to the high street. “The way the Internet encourages people to shop around is having a big impact on the market,” says Neil Brown of Verdict research, a consultancy. Internet retailers have been able to offer cut-throat prices because they do not have to bear the cost of running a physical shop. Price-comparison websites such as Kelkoo, where a shopper can compare prices on any product from DVDs to Prada perfume to get the best deal, make the market even more competitive. “it is a lot more competitive online because you are always just one click away from a rival,” says a CEO.
Retailers selling electrical goods have been particularly hit by the Internet, as items such as televisions and DVD players become more common purchases. This creates a dilemma for retailers who sell products both online and in shops. Some bricks-and-mortar retailers are adopting a model of dual pricing in order to keep their position online while maintaining margins in their shops. Mr Gladdings says dual pricing will become harder to practice as consumers become better at surfing the Internet.
To be successful in operating in the online and offline world, retailers should probably try to integrate the two as much as possible. Some businesses, for example, have set up their operation to allow customers to shop online, over the telephone or in stores.

 

Exercise 1

Complete these collocations from the text with the words listed in the box:

 

concern, cost, deal, goods, impact, Internet, margins, online, prices (x2), pricing, purchase, shop, shopping, street

1. online _________________
2. cause for _________________
3. to compare _________________
4. the high _________________
5. to have an _________________
6. cut-throat _________________
7. to bear the _________________
8. to run a _________________
9. to get the best _________________
10. electrical _________________
11. common _________________
12. dual _________________
13. to maintain _________________
14. to surf the _________________
15. to shop _________________

 

 

Exercise 2

Find words in the text which mean the following:

1. detaliczny: _________________
2. wydatki: _________________
3. wybór: _________________
4. wpływ: _________________
5. konkurencyjny: _________________
6. konkurent: _________________
7. powszechny: _________________
8. zakup: _________________
9. marża: _________________
10. założyć: _________________

 

Phrasals, phrasals…

 

The way the Internet encourages people to shop around is having a big impact on the market.

This sentence from the text contains an interesting phrasal verbs: “shop around”, which means “rozglądać się, porównywać”.

Here are some other examples of sentences with this verb:

 

• The following are five other things to look for when shopping around.
• I’m shopping around for a new winter coat.
• I think Sue’s shopping around for a new boyfriend.

 

What does it mean…?

In addition, it also makes it easier for consumers to compare prices across a far bigger selection of items than a trip to the high street.
The underlined part of this sentence is an idiom. When we say in English “high street” we may mean either the main street in a town or city, with a lot of businesses (=firms) along it, or the business (=interesy) done on a high street. Let’s have a look at a few more examples:

 

• In Switzerland, banks are everywhere , not just in the main financial centres , but up and down every high street.
• The high street is now going through a difficult time.
• Sales in the high street continue to fall.
• The approaching Christmas season boosted the high street.

 

Grammar corner…

 

Let’s study a few fragments of the reading text:

• The Internet is accounting for more spending than ever
• it also makes it easier for consumers to compare prices
• make the market even more competitive
• dual pricing will become harder to practice as consumers become better at surfing the Internet

 

All of them contain the same grammar structure – the comparative of adjectives (stopień wyższy przymiotnika). How do we form it? Adding the ending “–er” to short adjectives (small – smaller) or the word “more” to the long ones (intelligent – more intelligent). We have to remember that words ending in “y” will change it to “i” in their comparative form (healthy – healthier), and one-syllable words will double the last letter (big – bigger).

 

Exercise 3

Change the form of these adjectives, remembering about the rules above:

1. careful _________________________
2. dirty _________________________
3. famous _________________________
4. fast _________________________
5. fat _________________________
6. funny _________________________
7. great _________________________
8. happy _________________________
9. hard _________________________
10. hot _________________________
11. important _________________________
12. lazy _________________________
13. mad _________________________
14. necessary _________________________
15. nice _________________________
16. sad _________________________
17. silly _________________________
18. soft _________________________
19. suitable _________________________
20. wet _________________________

 

GLOSSARY

cause – przyczyna, powód
concern – troska, zainteresowanie
retail – detaliczny
environment – środowisko
to account for – stanowić część czegoś
spending – wydatki
to compare – porównać
selection – wybór
item – sztuka, rzecz
to encourage – zachęcać
impact – wpływ
consultancy – firma konsultingowa
retailer – detalista
cut-throat – tu: bardzo niskie
to bear the cost – ponosić koszt
to run (a shop) – prowadzić
the best deal – tu: najlepsza oferta
competitive – konkurencyjny
one click away – o klik od, w odległości kliknięcia
rival – konkurent
CEO (= Chief Executive Officer) – Prezes firmy
to be hit by sth – doświadczyć jakiegoś problem
common – powszechny
purchase – zakup
bricks-and-mortar – określenie tradycyjnych sklepów w przeciwieństwie do tych prowadzonych jedynie online
dual pricing – podwójny cennik
to maintain – utrzymywać
margin – marża
to integrate – zintegrować
to set up – założyć, ustanowić

 

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