by Marvin Double

Created on: April 28, 2008

On line shopping can't replace bricks and mortar stores. The reasons are numerous and varied but fall into two basic categories, practical and emotional.

For a practical point of view there are many buying decisions which simply can't or shouldn't be made without being up close and personal. Some products need to be, touched, felt, examined, held, stroked, smelled or in some other way directly experienced as part of buying process.

The internet is a wonderful valuable tool which allows anyone to research products and services. Comparing features and prices online is now a common place exercise for many consumers. However even the best information about a product can't replace a first hand evaluation.

Everyone can relate to the very personal experience that comes with buying specific items. An attractive chair might seem ideal in a picture but, sitting in it is the real test. Finding out if a chair is comfortable is a very subjective thing which no online store can ever offer. The same would hold true for buying a mattress, clothing or any other product which by necessity must be seen in the flesh, so to speak.

The emotional aspects of shopping are not less important that the practical issues. Pictures reading a description watching videos or seeing pictures on a computer monitor are a pale substitute shopping trip to a real store. Interacting with other people in the course of the trip is a social activity which some might argue is essential to being human.

Being able to talk to sales people about a purchase offers an interpersonal interaction which is subtle, complex and sociologically significant. The purchase of goods from another person is more than a simple necessity, it's a part of the human experience and something which is not easily replaced digitally. Most of us crave contact with other people and shopping is one way in which we satisfy that need. Action, interaction and reaction to and with other members of our species are all part of our natural psychology.

Computers allow is to reach out and find information about things we may wish to buy. In some cases some products may in fact be better delivered online. Purely digital products like e-books, unique specialty or products are examples of some goods which can be delivered online quickly and effectively. Branded physical products with which the buyer is already familiar can also be easily sold and delivered through direct online sales.

In spite of tremendous advances in online shopping sites, bricks and mortar stores will continue to provide a shopping experience which can't be reproduced digitally.

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