UX Sample: Rough Trade Records

While browsing Rough Trade’s store one day, I noticed an interesting feature that I’d never seen before: a place on the page to quickly drag and save items independent of a shopping cart. Admittedly, my screenshots are a little antiquated already, as they’ve changed the shop around quite a bit and have unfortunately done away with this idea. I suppose that, functionally, it doesn’t do anything that can’t be done with a regular shopping cart, but I thought it interesting to be able to hang on to something as if you were walking around a store clutching a record, debating whether you’re really up for paying $22 before tax for a couple of live rearrangements, however beautiful.

An unobtrusive banner of space for something you’re eyeing that doesn’t take up too much of the page.

What it looks like with an item, and the marking of the item itself.
I suppose it may have been more trouble than it was worth to keep it. As you have the option of dragging or swiping, I suspect they were trying this out for mobile, where the idea may be more useful (involving less steps to purchase the product).

Leaving aside questions of purpose for the moment, something about the idea was thoughtful enough to make me want to note it, and it did make my overall experience more pleasant, so maybe that counts for something! I did end up buying the record, so there’s that. :)