Do you like to shop online or in a store?

[ilovedolphins]

I have bought most of my stuff online lately but today I needed something so I went to one of the stores in my small town and bought it.  It kind of felt good not to have to wait to receive it and noticed that I could have bought some of the stuff for the same price in the store as I paid online.

A lot of times I just don't want to deal with people in the store but sometimes it is also nice just to get out and go to a store and look around.

[grits]

If it's long sleeved shirts or pants, online. I am tall and thin.
Most other things, the store. I hit Big Lots, dollar stores, TJMaxx, Ross, and Tuesday Morning. I sometimes go to Hobby Lobby. 

[Gardening Grandma]

I much prefer online. It's efficient and I never have to stand waiting while the cashier helps someone on the phone (pet peeve).

I do go to JoAnns and get irritated at the ling lines. I would never set foot in a Hobby Lobby.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Online mostly. More options than where I live. We have a Wal-Mart and one other store like that (it's now owned by Kroger but still goes by its original name). Costco is an hour away. Trader Joes, Michael's, Pottery Barn, Target, etc are two hours away.  We do have a Ross and Jo-Ann's. 

[countrygirl2]

We live 45 minutes from a bigger city, our small town has a Walmart, Dollar Store,
2 grocery stores, a CVS, local pharmacy, and Walmart pharmacy.

We have a couple of hardware stores, 3 auto parts stores, lots of restaurants,
a car dealership. We end up having to go to the city for so much stuff that I
end up ordering lots and lots online, a week does not go by that we don't have
things coming in the mail.

My DIL is like a kid, we let her open the packages, well she and DD. They have
so much fun doing it.

But yes, I order most stuff online, I know I'm helping kill the local mall and
stores and will later regret it, but it sure is easier. And in the winter, will
even be easier.

[Deleted]

Mostly online, but clothes and shoes for the kids I usually take them to the store because sizes are so wonky and I don't want to be sending stuff back.

[suesinfl]

I HATE shopping, but since we have to eat, I grudgingly do it. Sometimes I'll write out my list and send DD. It' been years since I went to the mall, because I just can't stand crowds. 

For clothes, I do go to the brick and mortar store, but for other stuff, it's all on line.

[Deleted]

Online.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Mostly online.  Shopping is too hard for me physically.  If I have to go to the mall for something, I park as close to the store I need to be at as I can get, and go there and get out.

During last winter, I even did most of my grocery shopping online.  Place the order, get in the car and go pick it up a few hours later.  I don't even have to get out of the car and risk falling.

[saveinla]

I love going to the mall to watch people every few weeks - not too much. I spent the morning at JC Penney today - had fun buying clothes for my great niece and son - they had lots of clearance and it was a great deal when there was even more discount at the register. Once in a couple of weeks, I like to go to the store. 

[zibazinski]

Store

[busymom]

I've gradually been doing more shopping online.  It's easier to find the best deals that way.  


But, when I have LOTS of time, I still enjoy going to a "real" store, & people-watching.  And, of course, some things you have to do in person, like trying on jeans.  

[cottontail]

I live about 20 miles away from most shopping, so I shop online a lot. I sometimes miss seeing things in a store, but I'm not usually willing to make the drive.

[lynnerself]

Groceries and clothes at the store. Most other things on line.

[tcu2003]

Both. Groceries still in store, so far, but I will probably try grocery delivery or online order/pickup at the store soon, just to save time.

Clothes are both - but if I order online, I want to be able to return them to a store if they don't fit.

Amazon takes way too much of my money, but they make shopping for diapers and wipes hassle free. And other stuff.

[msventoux]

Online. I went over a year without setting foot in a local store. I got a CSA box and could get produce, dairy and meat. All cleaning, HBA and household supplies came from Amazon. Clothing and miscellaneous stuff came from various other sites. It was more expensive overall, mostly for groceries, but it was worth it.

I still get most of my household and pet stuff online, but I have started going to the grocery store again.

[weltschmerz]

Store.
I like to try clothes on. I'm short and busty, hard to fit, and some clothes look terrible on me.

[Cookies Galore]

Both. I buy stuff from Amazon all the time, and I'm also constantly going into stores. I live in a densely populated area so there are plenty of stores less than four miles from my house, and I'm 10 minutes from the largest mall on the East Coast (though I don't go there too often. People, ugh).

I will order clothes online if there is a local store to make a return. I prefer to buy clothes in store.

[mmhmm]

Definitely online. I know the brands I like and that fit my style. It's a lot easier to just order it online and have it shipped to me.

[Shooby]

Depends what i am shopping for.  I prefer to buy clothes and shoes in a store.  I need to try them on.  But, if i could reliably buy clothes online and feel confident about the fit and that I would like the look of it, then I would prefer online.  But, with online you don't get to see the fabric, how it feels, the true colors, etc. Sometimes what i have ordered wasn't what I thought it would look like based on pictures.

[ohmomto2boys]

I do both.  We are currently updating our family room.  New furniture - went to a local store and bought.  Table, lamps, rug - I bought on-line.  Wayfair, Amazon and Home Depot.  So far I love everything I have purchased.  I am also looking at curtains and have purchased 4 from Walmart - free delivery to home.  I will return what I don't like to the store.

Clothing is hard for me to buy on-line.  I usually go to store and try things on.  Then I might buy on-line, just depends.
I do buy kids clothes on-line from time to time.  

[Lizard Queen]

I don't particularly like shopping, but I prefer to see things in person. It's so much easier to gauge the quality of something vs. online. I do prefer the online prices of toys, though, but still I've gotten burned.

[Deleted]

Clothing- nearly always in-person.  It's one area where Made in China proliferates but I can avoid it if I check the labels.  I just ventured into a Chico's last weekend at an upscale pedestrian mall where I could also have had my eyebrows threaded, gotten a massage or had fake eyelashes put on.  I had a hard time finding a parking place!  I rarely buy clothes- that was my second clothing shopping trip this year.

Shoes- I have to try athletic shoes on and check for country of manufacture- so I do that in-person.  Dress shoes- I have a ton from my working days, all the same Italian-made brand.  After buying the first pair in the store I ordered subsequent pairs on0line from their Sale section, since i knew what size fit.  Those shoes may outlive me.  Sandals- Birkenstock, made in Germany, on-line. 

I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to the idea of having groceries delivered.  For some reason I like grocery shopping. It helps that I can go on weekdays and avoid the crowds.  I'm sure as I get older and less mobile, I'll enjoy delivery and/or pickup at the store.

I've tried order on-line pick up at store with Lowe's and Home Depot with mixed results.  First of all, they don't ship between stores.  I once had to get part of the tile I needed from Store A and then drive to Store B for the rest.  The order isn't always ready, either, even when I've received an e-mail that says it is.  Once after I'd waited 20 minutes the guy who brought it out said he wasn't sure whether I wanted ivory or white grout so he's picked white.    So... he'd put the order together after they called from the front desk and asked where it was.  

[dannylion]

Except for groceries and a monthly Costco run and stuff from Home Depot, nearly everything else is acquired online. It's less peopley.  And I don't have to find shoes. 

[TheOtherMe]

Except for groceries, I prefer to shop online.  I abhor shopping malls.

[cktc]

Clothes and groceries are pretty much all in store. I'd actually prefer to buy more stuff in stores. I like browsing, finding sales, seeing stuff in person, and having it immediately, but with a one year old there is a limit to how much time I can spend in any given store, or how many stores I can go to if one doesn't have what I need. Online has a lot of advantages too though. You get a lot more variety and better prices on unusual items. My prenatals that I've only seen at Sprouts are like 75% cheaper on Amazon.

[dannylion]

Oct 9, 2017 11:03:35 GMT -5 cktc said:

Clothes and groceries are pretty much all in store. I'd actually prefer to buy more stuff in stores. I like browsing, finding sales, seeing stuff in person, and having it immediately, but with a one year old there is a limit to how much time I can spend in any given store, or how many stores I can go to if one doesn't have what I need. Online has a lot of advantages too though. You get a lot more variety and better prices on unusual items. My prenatals that I've only seen at Sprouts are like 75% cheaper on Amazon.

Do you like Sprouts? We're getting a Sprouts in our neighborhood and are wondering what it is like. I was hoping for a Panera or a cupcake place, but at least it's not a dentist, which is what opened in another new space in our town. 

[cktc]

Oct 9, 2017 11:33:24 GMT -5 dannylion said:

Oct 9, 2017 11:03:35 GMT -5 cktc said:

Clothes and groceries are pretty much all in store. I'd actually prefer to buy more stuff in stores. I like browsing, finding sales, seeing stuff in person, and having it immediately, but with a one year old there is a limit to how much time I can spend in any given store, or how many stores I can go to if one doesn't have what I need. Online has a lot of advantages too though. You get a lot more variety and better prices on unusual items. My prenatals that I've only seen at Sprouts are like 75% cheaper on Amazon.

Do you like Sprouts? We're getting a Sprouts in our neighborhood and are wondering what it is like. I was hoping for a Panera or a cupcake place, but at least it's not a dentist, which is what opened in another new space in our town. 

Yeah I do. Their fresh food is really good, and they have a nice selection of bath products and vitamins. Packaged and home products it's usually better to shop elsewhere though. 

[dannylion]

Oct 9, 2017 12:15:54 GMT -5 cktc said:

Oct 9, 2017 11:33:24 GMT -5 dannylion said:

Do you like Sprouts? We're getting a Sprouts in our neighborhood and are wondering what it is like. I was hoping for a Panera or a cupcake place, but at least it's not a dentist, which is what opened in another new space in our town. 

Yeah I do. Their fresh food is really good, and they have a nice selection of bath products and vitamins. Packaged and home products it's usually better to shop elsewhere though. 

Thanks! It's in a convenient location, replacing a good local grocery store (bought out by a bigger local chain and closed because there is one of their stores nearby), so we're glad to have another grocery store there.

[alabamagal]

I buy a lot of my work clothes online.  Very casual clothes.  I found a brand of pants/jeans that fits me well, so I just order when I need them.  I usually buy about 5-10 new tops in spring and fall.  I buy mostly from retailers that have a physical store so that I can return there, but I never have.

I would prefer to buy shoes in person.  I love that I am now near a DSW store, but last time I went there I found no shoes in my size (11), so I ended up ordering from them online.  I hate shoe shopping because of the size issue, so would rather go online and see what they have in my size, rather than seeing some nice shoes on display and then realizing they don't have my size.

I don't mind grocery shopping, I just go early on the weekend when stores are not crowded.  We will soon to down to 2 adults at home, so the amount of shopping needed has gone down quite a bit.   Also for the last year, I have sent my DD to the store with my full grocery list some weeks for her to do the shopping.  I could totally see doing delivery/pre-order pickup when you have a large household/kids at home.