I don’t write often about shopping – too much is written about it anyway and especially in this country too much shopping is done as well.
Two ladies window shopping, note the absence of shopping bags! pic: texasweddingsltd.com
“Window shopping” however, is an expression that is good to know and is used with some frequency. If you go window shopping you don’t actually buy anything, just just go to the mall and look at the display windows. The reason for doing so can be manifold: maybe you have some time to kill and just idle around a bit, maybe you want to see what’s in this season, get an idea of the trends and colors before you commit to buying anything, maybe you’d love to buy something but simply can’t afford it but feel looking is better than nothing, or maybe you just have nothing better to do with your life.
Window shopping is to be done at a leisurely pace.
One can window shop for many things but fashion, jewelry, electronics, and books probably rank high on the list of window shoppers.
The concept is well-know all over the world, the English term “window shopping” though sums it up particularly nicely.
Here is an example:
“What did you do on Sunday?”
“Nothing much, just went to the mall?”
“What did you buy/”
“Nothing, we just went window shopping.”
American Culture Explained 
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