Shopping has lost its friction

“Going to the mall” used to mean piling into your friend’s Chrysler and spending every bit of cash you had saved up to fill your bags.

Every item was a treasure. Every purchase a score.

Today, shopping is plagued by one-click shipping, same day delivery and over-optimized recommendations. We do whatever we can to clear our carts of friction, forgetting what it feels like to actually hunt and gather.

Modern shopping has conditioned us for convenience.