I had a last-minute Indian wedding to attend in Delhi and one week to find two outfits. After wasting time at a few of my favorite stores (all duds), I gave in and went to Seasons after much hesitation—my mom’s pick. Naturally, I found both outfits there. Obviously. Moms just know. But that’s beside the point.
Seasons is one of Mumbai’s most iconic ethnic wear destinations. Since opening in 1995, it’s become a pilgrimage stop for almost every NRI visiting the city—whether for wedding shopping or just to stock up on festive wear. Surprisingly, this was my first time there. And I have to say: it was kind of magical.
As someone who hates in-person shopping—especially for Indian clothes—this was shockingly pleasant. In fact, it might’ve been one of the best shopping experiences I’ve ever had. Why? Because Seasons runs their store like a well-oiled machine—with the help of a lot of people and some seriously clever behavioral design.
First, the layout. Everything is organized by size. Not by color, not by occasion, but by the one thing that actually matters when you’re shopping: Will this fit me? This is a brilliant example of choice architecture—structuring the environment in a way that makes the desired choice (in this case, finding your size) the path of least resistance.
Then, within each size section, the outfits are categorized by type: lehengas, sarees, gowns, shararas—you name it. It sounds obvious, but it’s rare to see this level of functional segmentation, especially in ethnic wear stores. What they’ve done here is reduce cognitive load—the mental effort it takes to filter through irrelevant options. Compared to the visual and mental overwhelm of an H&M or Zara (where half the time I’m just swimming through a sea of unrelated styles), this felt like walking into a store that respects my brain.
Once you sit down at a table, a sales assistant begins pulling outfit options based on what you’re looking for. You say yes, you say no, and without missing a beat, they adapt. It’s like shopping with a human algorithm—except it’s powered by intuition and experience. This soft curation helps you avoid the paradox of choice, where having too many options can lead to anxiety, indecision, or regret.
Finally, once I’d tried on the outfits and made my decision, someone else walked me to the billing counter, packed my outfits, and handed it over to me. I barely had to lift a finger. The entire experience was frictionless—and that’s the magic of a system that understands behavioral bottlenecks and solves them before they even appear.
In a world of overstimulation, over-choice, and endless scrolls of self-service, Seasons reminded me that good design isn’t always digital, sometimes, it just needs people who understand people.
The behavioral backdoor 