Conversation B (At the mall)
Anna: Here we are, guys, I'm going to stop by Bergner's first. I might just get lucky today. Who knows, some of their dresses might be on SALE.
Masahiro:Bergner's?
Will: It's a fairly well-known department store. Sort of like Penny's. They've got some quality stuff. Wanna check it out?
Masahiro: Why not.
Anna: I need to get something for Lisa's birthday. She's into name brands. Any suggestions?
Will: A Gucci handbag or Calvin Klein T-shirt might be nice. Designer perfume is another option. Which reminds me! I have a 15% discount coupon1 for Lerner's and Penny's. I hardly ever shop at Lerner's, as I'm not that big on women's clothing. And I rarely shop at Penny's, so go ahead and use the coupons2 if you can. Here they are (handing them over).
Anna: Thanks a lot, Will. That's really very thoughtful of you.
Will: My pleasure, Ma'am!
Anna: Oh no! I was supposed to give Liz a buzz an hour ago! Hope I have a quarter (checks her purse).
Will: Need a nickle?
Anna: Actually, I don't have anything but pennies in change. Does any of you have a dollar in change?
Masahiro: Sorry, I don't, but I do have 35 cents on me. Will that be okay for the phone call?
Anna: Great! I really appreciate it. I'll make it quick. Do you guys want to go ahead?
Masahiro: We'll wait.
Will: Just don't forget us.
Anna: I won't. Why don't we just meet here in 30 minutes?
Will: Sounds good. I guess I'll just look around.
Salesperson3: Can I help you, Sir?
Will: No thanks, I'm just looking. Well, just out of curiosity, how much is that necklace?
Salesperson: Twenty-nine, ninty nine.
Will: Really! My sister's birthday is tomorrow. She loves jewellry. I just wasn't sure I could afford it.
Saleperson: You'll find that a lot of our stuff is amazingly affordable4.
Will: Well, that's certainly nice to know. I'll take it.
Saleperson: It's a good choice. I'm sure she'll love it.
Will: Let's hope so.
Salesperson: Cash or charge, Sir?
Will: Charge, please. Do you accept Discover?
Salesperson: Yes, we do.
Will: Great.
Salesperson: That comes to thirty one, ninty-nine with tax (handing him the charge sheet). Please sign next to the "X."
[Meanwhile, in another section of the store]
Salesperson: Do you need some help, Sir?
Masahiro: Well, I'm looking for . . . let's see. I've forgotten the name again! It's used to make fresh coffee.
Salesperson: A coffee maker5?
Masahiro: That's right.
Salesperson: Well, we have a few in kitchenware, which is upstairs.
Masahiro: Thank you.
Salesperson: You're welcome.
[minutes later]
Anna: Oh, there you are, Masa! What did you get?
Masahiro: Just a simple coffee maker.
Anna: Good choice. And you, Will? Find anything interesting?
Will: A necklace for Stephanie's birthday.
Anna: Lucky her!
Will: Did you get anything?
Anna: Just a couple of silly earrings6 that I liked. I hope I wear 'em! I did a lot of window shopping.
Will: That can't hurt.
Anna: True. Well, do you guys need anything else from this place?
Masa: One last thing. Oh no! I've forgotten what you call it?
Will: Just describe it and we'll probably figure out what it's called.
Masa: It's a crystal container for flowers with long stems. I need to get one for my Mom.
Anna: Oh! A VASE!
Masa: That's it!
Anna: They should have a bunch in giftware.
Will: Let's go get one.
Anna: I'm going to have to stop by Jewel on my way home. Is that okay with you guys? I'm almost completely out of groceries.
Will: No problems. I could pick up a couple of things, too.
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New Words and Expressions
1. Items that are "on SALE" are sold at discount prices. In other wirds, thay are cheaper than they were originally. Usually, they are available at a percentage off the original price.
2. Name brands refer to well-known, designer items such as Christian7 Dior, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren products. They are usually expensive, because they are associated with both quality and name.
3. To be big on something means that you really like the item in question.
4. A dollar in change is a commonly used expression that literally8 refers to coins (quarters, dimes9, and/or nickels) that together, make up a dollar.
5.I'm just looking is a very common shopping-related expression, which indicates a shopper's desire to be left alone (i.e., not bothered by salespersons) to merely look around, and not necessarily for anything in particular.
6. Just out of curiosity is another frequently used expression which literally means that the shopper is just interested in knowing something specific about an item, such as its price, make, etc., before s/he decides whether or not to purchase it.
7. An item that is affordable can be bought.
8. "Cash or charge?" is a question commonly asked by cashiers when they wish to know whether the customer wishes to pay with cash, or a credit card.
9. Discover is a well-known credit card.
10. In most states in America, a sales tax (8 to 10%) is added to the price of every item purchased. In the state of Illinois, the sales tax is anywhere from 7.25% to 8%. Take a look at the receipt provided below. The sales tax is underlined on the receipt. A receipt is a small sheet of paper that spells out the details of a monetary10 transaction (e.g., the price of each individual item, purchased with or without a coupon, the sales tax imposed, and the total amount paid by the buyer). It is a good idea to keep all receipts in a safe place, so that if you'd like to return an item, you can do so. Most Department stores in America allow shoppers to return items (except for food items) within a period of 30 days after the date of purchase. During this time, you have the option of either exchanging an item for another similar or similarly priced item or returning it altogether and getting your money back. States in which no sales tax is imposed on purchases include New York and Oregon. Such states are therefore said to be good for major shopping (i.e., large scale shopping).
11. Find anything interesting? is a commonly asked informal question (in which the subject is understood from the shopping context). Through this question, the speaker inquires whether the hearer/ addressee bought anything from the store or liked something in particular (even if s/he did not purchase it).
12. Window shopping refers to the idea of looking at display items and other items without specifically intending to buy anything right away.
13. Giftware refers to that section of a Department store that carries gift items. The names of virtually every section or department of a Department store generally end in the suffix11 -ware which simply refers to a sale item. Therefore, kitchenware refers to that section of a Department store that carries crockery and other items typically found in the kitchen. Now it should be easy for you to figure out what (wares) different sections of a store carry. Visit the Department store nearest you and see for yourself!
14. Jewel is a well known grocery store.
15. Pick up is a commonly used shopping related expression which simply refers to the idea of getting/ buying something from the store (e.g., Will: Let's go pick up some milk from the corner store).
Conversation C Complaining about Some Purchases
[Three weeks after Anna, Will, and Masahiro went to the mall]
Anna: Hi Masahiro! How's it going?
Masahiro: Fine, I guess. How about you?
Anna: Busy. Guess who's coming our way?
Will: Hi guys! What's up?
Anna: Nothing much. We just ran into each other.
Will: That's nice. So Masahiro, how's the coffee maker working?
Masahiro: Actually, it doesn't work well. It was a waste of money. I guess I should have shopped around for a good one.
Anna: Why don't you take it back?
Masahiro: I'd like to, but I've misplaced the receipt.
Will: Well, if it's any consolation12, my shopping wasn't all that great either. I wish I'd never bought Stephanie a necklace. Just last night she was telling me how she wished she had Liz Taylor's new perfume.
Anna: That makes three displeased13 shoppers. Guess what? The camera I bought and shipped to Mike just this morning is now on sale! It's a pity that I bought it then. Then again, I guess I shouldn't complain. It was a good buy, even though I didn't get the best deal on it. Anyway, Masahiro, I suggest you look for that receipt and just go to the Complaints Department and say "I'd like to exchange this, please." It's as simple as that. And Will, it's not too late for you to ask for a refund14.
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New Words and Expressions
1. I regret buying. . . is a very frequently employed shopping-related expression used to refer to purchases a shopper is not happy with.
2. Why don't you take it back? is a commonly asked question that usually serves as a suggestive response to a shopper's complaint about a purchase. By asking this question, the speaker urges the hearer to return the item s/he is clearly not satisfied with.
3. I wish I'd never bought . . . is another commonly used expression of complaint.
4. A good buy is used to refer to a purchase that the shopper is very pleased with--usually a great/discount deal.
5. The best deal refers to the cheapest and most satisfying purchase price.
6. The Complaints Department, as the name suggests, is the section of the store that takes Customer complaints and grants requests for refunds15, requests to exchange items, and so on.
7. A refund simply refers to the money paid for an item returned to a store. This money is given back to the shopper.
