Cyprus loves shopping online, but the latest craze is buying absolutely nothing

Cyprus consumers have developed quite a taste for online shopping, but a new trend spreading from South Korea is turning the entire business model on its head. People are filling their baskets, placing orders and enjoying the experience without spending a single cent. Welcome to the world of ‘dopamine sites’, where the shopping is imaginary, the satisfaction is supposed to be real and the delivery driver never turns up. It sounds like a rather elaborate joke. For online retailers, however, it raises an interesting question. What happens when consumers enjoy shopping more than actually buying anything? These websites recreate the familiar experience of online shopping, allowing visitors to browse products, compare prices, fill their baskets and proceed through a simulated checkout. The difference is that no payment takes place and nothing is delivered. On Dopamine Shop, users can indulge in imaginary purchases of luxury watches, designer handbags and expensive jewellery. FoodNeverComes takes a slightly different approach, allowing visitors to order meals, watch a virtual delivery progress and enjoy the satisfaction of having resisted a takeaway. There is even TripNeverLeaves, where users can plan a holiday, choose flights and accommodation, and go through the booking process without leaving home. The idea is simple. Keep the pleasure of shopping and lose the expense. The phenomenon first gained attention in South Korea, where digital shopping and food delivery are deeply embedded in everyday life, particularly among younger consumers. It has since attracted international interest, with developers creating similar platforms for audiences well beyond the Korean market. More importantly, it has turned a familiar consumer habit into a digital product of its own. After all, browsing without buying is hardly new. People have always wandered through shops, tried on clothes they could not afford and imagined owning things they had no intention of purchasing. The difference is that technology companies are now building entire platforms around that behaviour. And there may be money to be made from people who never spend any. Some dopamine sites operate on advertising-supported models, meaning their commercial value comes from attracting visitors and keeping them engaged rather than selling products. FoodNeverComes, for example, confirms that it uses Google AdSense and Google Analytics. Although its simulated purchases involve no actual payments, advertising and analytics technologies can collect certain information about website activity. For the businesses behind such services, attention itself becomes the product. That distinction matters, particularly as retailers spend heavily on digital advertising, personalised recommendations and loyalty schemes designed to turn casual browsing into completed purchases. Research from the Baymard Institute puts the average online shopping cart abandonment rate at 70.22 per cent, based on 50 studies. Its research also found that 42 per cent of US online shoppers had abandoned a basket because they were simply browsing and were not ready to buy. Not every abandoned basket represents lost revenue, of course. Some consumers are comparing prices, waiting for discounts, considering gifts or simply passing the time. Dopamine sites take that existing behaviour and make it the main attraction. For Cyprus, the trend is particularly interesting given the country’s growing appetite for online purchases. According to the latest available statistical service (Cystat) figures, 62 per cent of internet users aged 16 to 74 placed online orders during the first quarter of 2025, compared with 63.6 per cent a year earlier. More recent marketplace figures also point to considerable spending activity. During the 2026 summer sales, orders placed by Cypriot consumers through Skroutz increased by 62 per cent compared with the previous year, while turnover rose by 58 per cent. The average order value reached €101, with Limassol accounting for 35 per cent of orders and Nicosia another 34 per cent. Fashion is another area where Cypriot shoppers stand out. According to Eurostat data, 85 per cent of online shoppers in Cyprus purchased clothes, shoes or accessories in 2024, the highest proportion in the European Union. That makes the island an interesting market in which to consider the appeal of virtual shopping, particularly when fashion, luxury goods and impulse purchases feature prominently in these simulated experiences. There is, however, no verified evidence that dopamine sites have gained significant popularity in Cyprus. For now, their relevance to the local market lies in what they reveal about changing consumer behaviour. The business implications go beyond whether somebody buys a handbag. Cyprus retailers are already having to compete for consumers’ attention in an increasingly crowded digital marketplace, where comparison websites, international platforms and social media influence purchasing decisions. At the same time, the island’s businesses are still developing their online sales capabilities. Cystat’s enterprise survey found that 23.9 per cent of businesses with at least ten employees in the sectors covered received orders through computer networks in 2024, with 17.1 per cent receiving orders through their own websites or apps. For these businesses, understanding why customers browse, what holds their attention and why they ultimately decide not to purchase can be just as important as monitoring completed transactions. There is also a psychological explanation for the popularity of imaginary shopping. Researchers distinguish between the anticipation of obtaining something and the satisfaction that follows actually getting it. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in motivation and reward-related behaviour, plays a role in the desire to pursue something pleasurable. It is not simply a chemical responsible for happiness. In other words, wanting something can sometimes be more exciting than owning it. That helps explain why scrolling through luxury products, arranging an imaginary holiday or selecting a takeaway can feel rewarding even when nothing material follows. But whether this actually saves consumers money remains uncertain. Media psychologist Pamela Rutledge, speaking to NerdWallet, cautioned that “there is no solid evidence that reduced spending on these sites carries over into real-world behavior.” Researchers have also questioned whether repeatedly simulating purchases might reinforce shopping impulses rather than reduce them. The advertising dimension adds another complication. Consumers may avoid spending money on a fake purchase, but advertising-supported platforms can still benefit commercially from their attention. Personalised advertising could also introduce them to products they eventually buy elsewhere. For the wider retail industry, the development presents a curious contrast. Traditional e-commerce businesses are investing in faster payments, easier checkouts and more efficient deliveries, while these new platforms are attracting visitors by removing the transaction altogether. It is far too early to know whether dopamine sites will develop into a lasting digital entertainment category or fade once the novelty wears off. What they have already demonstrated, however, is that shopping and spending are not necessarily the same thing.