A regional minister in the Spanish province of Castilla y León has come under fire for proposing that brick and mortar clothing stores charge a fee for customers to try on clothes in order to discourage the 'unethical practice' of trying on clothes only to buy them cheaper online.
西班牙卡斯蒂利亚-莱昂地区的一名部长近日因为提议实体店向顾客收取试衣费而被炮轰。该提议的目的是为了打击线下试衣然后到线上以更低价格购买的“不道德行为”。
María del Pilar del Olmo, Castilla y León's economy and treasury minister, made her controversial idea known at a recent Retail Industry Conference, after reportedly discussing it with the province's tourism, trade and industry minister.
卡斯蒂利亚-莱昂地区的财经部长玛莉亚·德尔·皮拉尔·德尔·奥尔莫近日在零售行业大会上提出了这一争议性想法,据说她还曾和本省的旅游、贸易和工业部长讨论过此事。
She argued that nowadays too many shoppers tend to first visit brick-and-mortar boutiques just to try on clothes, and, having figured out which items and sizes fit them best, leave empty-handed only to buy the same clothes online, at lower prices.
她辩称,如今太多购物者一般都先去实体店试衣服,搞清楚要买什么衣服、哪个尺码合适后就空手而归,再到网上以更低的价格买同款。
The regional minister proposed a fee for trying out clothes in order to discourage this 'unethical practice'.
这位部长提议收取试衣费,以打击这种“不道德行为”。
According to Ms. del Olmo, this is less of an issue for big brands that only sell their clothes in their own stores and on their websites, with prices varying little, if at all, between the two, but it is crippling boutiques that carry various brands, which visitors can find on popular online stores like ASOS or El Corte Inglés after trying them on.
德尔·奥尔莫称,对于那些只在专卖店和官网卖衣服的大牌而言,这个问题不大,因为线上和线下价格基本没有差别,就算有,也不会太大,但对于出售多个品牌服装的时装店来说,却是致命的打击。购物者在那里试过衣服后可以在人气网店ASOS或El Corte Inglés找到同款。
The minister's proposal has been met with criticism. Many are saying that the price difference on clothing items in physical store compared to online ones is irrelevant, making it unnecessary for shoppers to leave whatever clothes they like in the dressing room only to order them online and wait at least one day for them to arrive.
这名部长的提议遭到了批评。许多人表示,实体店和网店的服装价格差别微不足道,购物者没必要为了去线上购买而将自己喜欢的衣服扔在试衣间,而且至少还要等上一天才能收到货。
Others claim that boutiques often sell limited-edition items which are very hard to find, elsewhere, even online.
另外一些人指出,时装店经常会卖一些限量款,在其他地方甚至网店都很难找到。
In some cases, people simply try on the clothes and leave them in the dressing room because they plan to buy them when they go on sale, and it's unclear whether a fee for trying out clothes will help or hurt shops in the long run.
有时候,人们试过衣服就将衣服留在试衣间,因为他们打算等到特价时再买,收取试衣费从长远来看对实体店有利还是有害尚不清楚。
And then there is the risk that shoppers who would normally buy the clothes that fit them after trying them on, would avoid going into stores at all because of this tax.
而且那些通常试过衣服觉得合适就会购买的消费者有可能因为要交试衣费而干脆不去实体店。
"It's just an idea," minister Del Olmo insisted. "A major part of Spain's identity is the existence of physical and often bespoke shops in town and city centres and, of course, frequently in villages, too; and the only way to ensure they survive is by seeking out innovative ideas. This does not necessarily mean shops will definitely start charging for trying on – this was only an example."
德尔·奥尔莫部长坚称:“这只是个想法而已。西班牙之所以有西班牙的特色,很大一部分是因为小镇和市中心的定制店和其他各种实体店的存在,当然还有村子里的小店;能保证这些实体店存活的唯一途径就是想法子创新。这不一定是说实体店都要开始收取试衣费——这不过是举个例子罢了。”
An online poll conducted after the minister's proposal went viral online showed that 91% of respondents were against the idea, believing that shoppers have the right to see if something fits them properly before deciding whether to buy it or not.
部长的提议在网上疯传后,一项在线调查显示,91%的受访者表示反对,认为购物者有权利先弄清东西是否适合自己再决定买不买。