Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with intent to purchase at that time. It is the activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one. It can be traced back to many civilisations in history. In ancient Rome, there was Trajan's Market with tabernas that served as retailing units.

To many, shopping is considered a recreational activity in which one visits a range of stores in search of a suitable product to purchase. 'Window shopping' is an activity that shoppers engage in by browsing shops with no intent to purchase, possibly just to pass the time between other activities, or to plan a later purchase.

To some, shopping is a task of inconvenience and viewed as rather a chore. Alternatively, shoppers sometimes go to great lengths to wait in queues to buy popular items as typically observed with everyday shoppers and holiday shoppers are all categories of shopping.

More recently compulsive shopping has been recognised as an addiction. Also referred to as shopping addiction, 'shopaholism', these shoppers have an impulsive uncontrollable urge to go shopping. The term 'retail therapy' is used in a less serious context. Main shopping categories include jewellery, clothing, sports, weddings and children.

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