The experience of shopping is (for many) just as important as the acquiring of possessions.  The thrill of the hunt reinforces our sense of ownership by associating the experiences that come along with the obtaining of objects.  The majority of our interactions with strangers occur during the act of shopping, making it a vital means for human contact.  The variety of senses evoked during the act of shopping makes the process of acquiring tantamount to its aftermath.

The aesthetic organization, in which a variety of objects are displayed, remind consumers of their ability to make choices.  Options define what we consider valuable. Through the comparison of prospective purchases we decide what is better and what is worse.  Possessions hold higher value when selected from a variety of objects than when there are no options.  When decisions our denied, nothing is unique. Thus one’s individuality, defined by their possessions, becomes invalid.