Indians Discover Shopping Thrill Without Payment

Indians are exploring a novel digital pleasure: the thrill of shopping without spending money. FoodNeverComes, a website launched by two software developers from Udaipur, replicates the rituals of ordering food and making purchases without any products ever being delivered.

The service has drawn over 2.7 million visitors since its launch in June. FoodNeverComes offers a selection of 22 cuisines, 327 dishes, and 319 recipes, complete with fake prices, a simulated checkout, and a fictional delivery experience. Users browse menus, add items to a virtual cart, and complete an order, only to receive an AI-generated call citing delivery issues – no food was ever real.

FoodNeverComes represents a new internet genre known as 'dopamine sites.' These platforms recreate consumption-like rituals without the actual consumption. Similar services exist in shopping, delivery, and even travel sectors, gaining traction, particularly in South Korea, before spreading globally.

The founders, Purvansh Parmar and Anshul Sharma, were inspired by their own online shopping habits. They noticed themselves filling virtual carts with items they never actually bought. Sharma recalls browsing electronics and abandoning filled carts, while Parmar's mother would add items to online stores intending to order later. Parmar's own experience involved ordering food during work trips, even when he didn't necessarily need the treats.

According to the founders, the real craving is not always for the product itself but for the ordering ritual. Boredom, anxiety, or habit can trigger the urge to order, even without actual hunger. Ravi Dhar, director of the Yale Center for Customer Insights, terms this 'anticipatory utility,' where the pleasure of looking forward to consumption can be more satisfying than ownership itself. Neuroscientists distinguish between the brain's 'wanting' and 'liking' mechanisms, and the term 'dopamine' is often misapplied online to solely mean pleasure.