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Results so far:
| In stores | 48% | 250 votes | Total: 524 votes | |
| Online | 52% | 274 votes |
In stores
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Add to FavoritesShopping in the local retail stores has distinct advantages. The recent toy recalls had a big impact on how I shopped this year but that wasn't the only reason. This holiday season there were more considerations to take into account than in years past. Would it be easier to shop online? Yes, but lessons learned from past experiences outweighed the choice to shop online.
Shopping locally for the gifts for my family was a challenge however I believe it was time well spent. Upon choosing an item, I was able to examine it for small parts, the quality with which it was made and it's origins. If these items were bought online I would have had to rely on the description provided by the site.
Clothing is always a guessing game no matter where you shop. Being able to actually see the article of clothing allowed me to judge how the sizes ran, since all sizes aren't consistent when labeled s-m-l. An example is a shirt may be labeled large but by the cut dimensions may not fit someone that normally wears a large. Thus it is too big or a little to snug.
Buying household appliances in the stores I consider a must. Being able to compare the product on the shelf with other products gives a visual advantage. Seeing the product online again I'd have to rely on description and try to judge the space needed for that item. Buying a microwave at the local retailer gave us the chance to examine the ease of use for the intended recipients. We were also able to inspect the box the microwave came in for signs of damage.
Toy shopping this year was especially daunting. The recent toy recall made me take a closer look at the toys once I found them in the store. Finding the toys our children wanted I then was able to ask myself about their possible hazards. I found a few of the toys had small parts that could cause a problem for a younger sibling. I changed my mind numerous times before I made my purchases. If I had been purchasing online I wouldn't have had these options once I clicked the button.
Another consideration this year was economical. When comparing price in years past I found shopping locally to be less expensive. Once I added the shipping and handling charges and the interest charges on the credit card, the items would cost more. One of the problems I see using the card is it's too easy to run up the balance only to be shocked when the statement comes in January.
This year I paid with cash and allotted a certain price range for each item. This gave me control over my spending without the stress of worrying about future bills. I found this also eliminated the emotions to buy the best or more expensive gifts.
Worrying about delivery dates or times were also eliminated. In the past at least one member seemed to have to wait for their gift. Either the online company ran out of the product or the weather made delivery at a set time impossible. Buying in the store assured all gifts would make it for Christmas.
The final consideration was returning a gift. While waiting in line or the possibility of the stores being out of the exact same gift in a different size isn't really appealing. Returning an item to an online site can be a nightmare. The small print for return policy may be misleading and must be read carefully. Buying a gift in October may not be returned after Christmas due to a 30-day clause. Sometimes a person is unable to get through to a company or is put on hold for long periods of time. Thus making it more convenient to simply purchase locally.
Shopping in the stores can be stressful or a rewarding experience. Dealing with all the people also shopping can raise a person's blood pressure but with a little planning I find it eases the stress of the overall shopping experience. I get it done all at once. Knowing I'm buying locally is also helping the local economy let's me feel like I'm doing my part to help. The best part of shopping in the stores is the smile and Merry Christmas from the clerk. I don't get that from shopping online.
Learn more about this author, Dee Cain.
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Online
There are many different reasons why many people prefer to shop online whenever they can, and also why some people will always prefer to use stores. Many of the differences are a mater of personal preference, although there are some significant differences in both the process and experience of shopping online rather than in stores.
The most obvious difference between the two is that buying from a store means that you can have the goods instantly, and of course if it is ordered online then it takes time to be delivered. The delivery times do vary greatly depending on the site, although you can usually get what you need within a few days in most cases. Whether this is better either way is a matter of situation really, as some people don't have the time to go and buy things which they can just as easily order. Similarly however some people prefer to have things immediately rather than having to wait for them.
Often the prices available from online retailers are a lot better than you can get in stores most of the time. The reason for this is that most online retailers don't tend to have stores that people can walk into and so have much lower overhead costs. Their businesses basically consist of a website and a huge warehouse used for shipping goods back and forth. However because of this they don't have to pay for things like cashiers, store decoration or expensive store orientated costs such as rent in expensive areas.
During the holiday season, the stores might generally tend to run low on many things which online retailers will still have right through this time. However the fact that mail tends to get backed up at this time of year does mean that ordering in advance is the best thing to do if you want the goods by a certain date. This has gotten better over the last few years, and most retailers will have a date by which they guarantee that goods will arrive in time, usually around 7 or 8 days before Christmas day to arrive before then. If something goes wrong however, such as a truck crash, or bad weather, then ordering online can go wrong, which is something that no one wants to happen around the holidays.
When it comes to shopping for certain people, online shopping has meant that they have been able to become more independent than they would otherwise. For example people who are elderly, disabled or who otherwise can't get to a large store selection easily now have the means of getting all the same things that everyone else does. In the past these people might have had to struggle to get to the store when they could, or otherwise had assistance in getting what they needed. Most online stores these days will have some kind of free shipping option, particularly for goods such as groceries, which means that there is usually a good saving to be made.
The other main advantage of shopping online is the fact that you can choose from a much larger range than any store could ever have. The fact that many online retailers ship their items directly from a supplier straight to their customer means that they can display a much larger range than stores would ever have room for, Similarly the fact that they also allow individuals to sell through them also means that there is a much greater choice.
More than the fact that there is a greater choice however, is the fact that finding certain goods on the internet is much easier than it would be in person. If you needed some obscure item, or a collectors piece for example, then finding one for sale on the internet is as easy as a few clicks, To find something of this nature in the real world however often requires inside knowledge of the industry in which the goods are dealt, and finding one is generally much more difficult.
Obviously another benefit of doing online shopping is that you can do it from the comfort of your own home, and don't have to fight the weather, traffic or crowds, Also if you forget something during online shopping, then adding something to your order is very easy and doesn't set your delivery time back any. If you forget something during a busy shopping time however, then you might often find that there is nothing left by the time that you get back to the store.
The downside of online shopping is often that the customer service sections can be hard too interact with, mainly because you can't talk to someone in person. Even if you are able to get through on the phone, the fact that you have to send the faulty goods back and forth means that the issue often takes a lot longer to resolve. If something was wrong with an item bought from a store however, then you can usually solve the problem with a trip back to the store.
Learn more about this author, Dambrath.
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