NPR

What is your preference? What percentage of your shopping do you do online versus in person?

Personally I do homework & price comparisons online but I prefer to complete purchases the old fashioned way. I like the act of forking out for my stuff and the instant gratification of getting it there and then versus waiting for it to be delivered. Moreover whilst I am not a big shopper I do consider shopping to be a social experience, I enjoy going out with my kids, grabbing a coffee and bantering with people. Lastly, I like the fact that you can see exactly what you are buying in person, its always a gamble when you shop online and returning stuff is an aggravation.

I can see the benefits of shopping online I just don't think the benefits outweigh the negatives.

Depends what I'm buying, clothes are easier to try and buy in a shop (pre COVID anyway). Prefer to buy locally if possible but Shopping variety is very limited where I live so there are many things I can only get online delivery or through click and collect. It's not too far to the nearest large town for shopping but haven't been there since COVID and the big out of town shopping centre has poor transport links from where I am.

For anything specific that performs a function (like a lightbulb for my over) rather than fulfills a taste of opinion (clothes and food), I order online.
Anything where I want to feel the fabric, or fit, or have a go on something like a car or computer or bike, I prefer doing that in the shop. I don’t personally think it’s good for the environment to do what 99% of what women I know do, order 3 of every colour and size combo and get sent 27 different skirts or blouses for work, and then send all but one or two back.

Another way of how I prefer being in a shop, is you can see bargains or get ideas for other nice things, I’m far less spontaneous online. People lament Debenhams , woolies and all the other shops that have collapsed , but buy everything on amazon now and are mystified why the shops have gone.

Online shopping.

Since I live in a fairly small commuter town without many shops it's more convenient, if I venture forth to a bigger town I have to be around loads of other people and stores, except in Summer when the air con is blasting, are almost always far too hot and it becomes a race to get in and purchase my item(s) before devolving into a puddle of sweat. Unpleasant. There are very few things I purchase that I'd need to see or hold before buying them.

That said, I do go out of my way to (or did) support physical bookshops; even a chain like Waterstones. I also try to use Amazon only as a last resort, we shouldn't be so meekly assisting them to dominate the market. Especially while they provide terrible conditions for their warehouse staff.

I hate shopping.

But when I have to I will try my best to go local. This isn't helped by my wife walking around telling be it's £20 cheaper on Amazon and it annoys me I have to make that choice of paying well over the odds or capitulating to them.

Agree with Socks, books are one item I'll happily spend a bit more on to get it from a local shop.

In saying all that, I used Amazon Prime for the first time last week, fuck it was easy....

It's easy to bag the shit out of Amazon Prime but when you examine the finer details you can see why they're so popular.

I bought an excellent quality 2021 diary the other day. Except it was a 2020 diary.

I checked out their returns policy, and noted that there was a category for 'mistake' purchase.

Where Joe Bookseller would have rightfully told me to get fucked, Amazon gave me an easy to print label and for the princely sum of $7, allowed me to post the book back in their own envelope for a refund.

Is nice, I like.

Wherever I can I buy locally but some things I simply can't get anywhere but online. For meat, veg, garden plants etc., I'll source as locally as I can. Online is a last resort.

I loathe high street shopping with a passion and don't consider it a positive social experience.

Things I am willing to go to the shops for :

Most food (coffee and most booze is online)
Some clothes - although I'm doing more online
Emergency purchases where I need it in 30 mins, not 48 hours.

Almost eveything else online. I seldom use Amazon. I'm sure the DHL guy thinks I'm an alcoholic.

Yeeb wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 10:20 am I don’t personally think it’s good for the environment to do what 99% of what women I know do, order 3 of every colour and size combo and get sent 27 different skirts or blouses for work, and then send all but one or two back.

The real dirty little secret of Environmental degradation - if chicks were only allowed to shop once a month, 3 items max, the impact would be huge

A lot of Gen Y women only wear something once and throw it away

Food / Clothes in Shop or Market with some bought direct from producer online.

Computer stuff = online

Photo Gear in Shop except minor accessories

Anything I can't source locally online

books/Audio shop+ online

With confinement some of the shop stuff has disappeared momentarily

unfortunately the town I am in is too close to Paris to have retained a lot of high street shop : no music shop no book shop no photographer. (Fnac in next town did not help)

I have never used Amazon and have zero intention of ever using them.


I dont particularly like shopping .

Probably do 95% of my shopping in shops.
The only online stuff I do regularly is Wine Society deliveries.

mat the expat wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:00 am

Yeeb wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 10:20 am I don’t personally think it’s good for the environment to do what 99% of what women I know do, order 3 of every colour and size combo and get sent 27 different skirts or blouses for work, and then send all but one or two back.

The real dirty little secret of Environmental degradation - if chicks were only allowed to shop once a month, 3 items max, the impact would be huge

A lot of Gen Y women only wear something once and throw it away

But imagine how many children in Asia would lose their jobs due to lack of demand for cheap clothing!

Glaston wrote: Fri Dec 04, 2020 7:25 am I have never used Amazon and have zero intention of ever using them.

I've purchased a few things here and there from Amazon (randomly and its not like it's stuff I haven't been able to get elsewhere) but I stopped entirely this year.

As someone upthread said I don't like the idea of helping Bezos build a monopoly. I'm more than happy to pay a little extra and purchase my books from independent bookshops. Plus I really enjoy the experience of going into the shop and browsing around, looking at the covers, reading the jackets. Ordering online will never be able to replace that.

My favourite bookshop is in Eton, I got a load of old Asterix books in there last year, its got a real old timey feel and I love the smell of old books. Those places are heaven to me.