Do you prefer to shop online or in person?

Depends on the item. Shoes = in person. Clothing = usually online. Books = online. Electronics = in person.

Speed ( how quickly I need something) plays a role too.

It depends on the item. Generally, I would say I prefer to shop for clothes in a store but I love the convenience of getting things from LL Bean. If I find a brand of sneakers and style I like, I will often order them repeatedly online. I recently tried to buy Solarcaine in two drug stores to no avail, came home and ordered it from Amazon. I liked Macy’s but the one near me has less and less merchandise and will probably close soon. It’s a vicious cycle, the more we all shop online, the more the brick and mortar stores are forced under.I’m not a big shopper in any case but I probably order something online about three times a month.

I did recently buy a shredder and I went to Staples because I wanted to see the range of what was available.

I was in Staples yesterday and the interaction with the staff turned my day around. I left feeling so happy after being stressed that morning over unrelated things.

@JLeslie I agree. I had a very nice interaction with the cashier who gave me advice about the shredder. I don’t use self-checkout at the grocery store for that and other reasons as well.

There are advantages to both.

Online if I trust the seller (Amazon, etc.) because if I’m looking for something specific, I often don’t have time to drive to various stores to look for it. Right now I’m looking for a summer handbag and I am thinking what stores I could go to, and I really don’t have time any time soon to drive to the Macy’s at the mall, and other various stores where i may or may not find this item with the specifications and price point that I want. I almost never go to the mall even though I live ten minutes away from a great one.

I am a person who needs to see and touch the items. Things I buy online are because I know what I am buying and that is where it is available. Return policies have to be rock solid and convenient if I do buy online.

I was just thinking about something I don’t like in regards to shopping in the store. In a store like Macy’s, there are often coupons available in flyers that may come in the mail. If you don’t have the coupon for the extra discount, you won’t get it. I may ask the cashier if she has one she can ring in, but she may not or may not want to give it to me and so will say “no” she doesn’t have one. I don’t like shopping and feeling like I haven’t gotten the lowest price possible. Online, for example on Amazon, if there are coupons for additional discount, they are with the item and you click on it and get it.

I prefer to shop online. Groceries from DoorDash, Instacart, and SkipTheDishes. I however prefer buying meat and produce in person.

I spend hours, having fun, adding to my shopping lists.

I prefer to shop in person…always. I can ensure clothing items fit, can see what they look like on me, etc. Tools, home improvement items, etc I like to see what the quality looks and feels like. I can check measurements instead of trusting someone else’s claim. Books I can browse and read book covers. I like the instant gratification of finding something, buying it and having it. I don’t have to wait for delivery. Plus every in-store purchase helps keep a business close to me in business. And every in-store purchase is an interaction with a real live person (or more than one!). It is a social thing.

I will order stuff online, but usually it is if the item I am looking for cannot be found near me or if it is significantly cheaper.

depends on how much time I have and what it is

I like to browse in person but I prefer to shop online.

It can be fun to stroll around a mall or a store and look at stuff, but I almost always find better prices online.

Another thing I like about online is that things usually come wrapped up, like from the factory, untouched by others, whereas in the store, you don’t know how many people touched it with their dirty hands.

I haven’t been shopping in person for so long I can’t even remember when.

In person.
I find treating brick and mortar stores as online showrooms vile.

Online because I can’t walk.

I prefer buying online as it is incredibly easy and the choice is immense. The customer reviews are worth their weight in gold when I am deciding what to buy. You don’t get that in the shops.

A good story about buying in store. I bought a shredder from Staples last week; I think I wrote about it here. Today it jammed and I couldn’t get it unjammed and the motor wouldn’t work. I looked for my receipt but couldn’t find it but the people had been so nice when I bought it that I took a chance at bringing it back. The tech person, a different one, confirmed it was jammed, asked me if I bought it less than two weeks ago and gave me a new one with no problem. Imagine the rings you would have to go around to get any service like that online!

In person. Brands shittify over time and the new model is always lower quality than the old one. Getting a sense of the product in my hands is invaluable to me. Price is a factor, but paying anything for something that sucks is a waste of money. I don’t trust online reviews in the slightest, because of all the obvious incentive and ability to fake it, and when I return something at least I know it’s likely getting back on the shelf, not thrown out. That said, I’m in rural America, so not everything is available, thanks to WalMart.

@Smashley So true that a lot products shitify over time.

I have a mini fridge for my new digs on the way!