The Advantages of Online Shopping

No stop! whatever happened to the anticipation of going out to the mall with friends and anticipating what you will find there. Whatever happened to finding something, trying it on and let your closest friends either remark with glee that yes it is the most perfect outfit for you or join in your giggles that let everyone know that it just isn't you. Such wonderful moments shared with others cannot be found on an online site and the excitement of finding that perfect thing to add to your life. No, people. No online shopping for me, just give me the human connection anytime. After all what more is there.

Online shopping is a huge plus for me ever since having my baby b/c it saves time and energy! The only downside is that I enjoy buying local and supporting local businesses in my area and many of them do not have online stores. So for me there is a plus and a minus.

I do love to shop online. I spend most of my day on my computer so it just makes sense to shop there too. I don't have to drive anywhere. I don't even have to put on makeup or brush my hair. But I must admit I do love going to the mall and stopping at the stores and seeing what is new and interacting with the salesclerks. You just cannot take the people out of shopping, just like you cannot take the people out of communicating. So many people today communicate on line as well as shop. Let's not forget our people skills, our ability to hold a conversation, our ability to just be human beings, and not machines. I grew up before this internet age and can see the good that it does, but boy in so many ways we have become a solitary person in a box and we are losing our communication skills. I remember when children played outdoors and not in front of a computer.

I love online shopping and sometimes I feel like I get better deals when I shop online than going into the store. I love when stores offer discount codes, free shipping etc. Also I like using ebates and shopathome for cash back. I feel like online shopping is a lot less stressful then the mall!

I actually do most of shopping online...from groceries to vitamins. It's convenient, save us time.

Even though I do love online shopping because its convenient,saves on fuel,and I can easily find things I'm looking for without having to go to 10 different stores,I would not stop shopping at retail stores. At the stores is the where I find the best deals. No online store has "closeouts" or "clearance" sections(at least not like the regular stores do). I don't know how many times I've found laundry soap marked down to almost nothing and had a coupon and got it for barely $2 (and we are talking the big sized laundry soap). Plus I have 5 kids and those grocery store trips save my sanity sometimes :)

Noooooooooo! I love mall shopping. I don't usually go during the holidays, because, as so many have written, it is crazy. But during the rest of the year, I love to go window shopping and walk around. I think it goes back to my childhood. Some of my favorite moments with my Mom were when we went window shopping at a mall. We'd stop for lunch at one of the ladies' luncheon rooms at a department store (very few of those exist, sadly) and many times we never bought anything. It was just great time spent together. I do like to research products online. But I want to look at something and touch it. Also, in my neighborhood, a lot of packages that are delivered by UPS are left on the front porch and are stolen. Our local UPS and USPS deliveries come damaged. So, it is just better and more enjoyable for me to go shopping at my favorite malls.

I think online shopping will get more and more popular. With people pressed for time more than ever, the cost of gas, and sometimes crowds (during the holidays) it is so covenient to shop online. At first I started out just getting clothes and smaller things online. This past January we bought a TV online, and shipping was free. It came right to our front door. Very convenient! What is there not to like?

I liked this idea for discussion so much that I've written my "comments" plus a bit more and added to it a "Poll" on my blog http://chatwithvera.blogspot.com/2013/04/an-end-to-mall-culture-shift-to-online.html . I hope some of you will give your take on it yea or nay, etc. on the poll. Then I'll share it back here. I'll link this article on SheSpeaks on my blog, too.

I do like online shopping for the convenience but I will still do my girlfriend shopping days! Those shopping days are awesome and online shopping won't take that away!

2nd half of my comment.... I see online shopping as another venue and a good option in some cases. But nothing quite takes the place of strolling through a store, catching a glimpse of something appealing, touching it, holding it up and appraising the quality, trying it on for size, and making your choice right then that "I want it!". So we may see a decline in some areas of marketing but I don't think the "shopper stroll" type of shopping will cease to exist. I also don't think the plan of a store in Australia to charge $5 to view the merchandise, stroll through the store, etc. will fly either. Do I and will I continue to cruise the internet for bargains? Yes. Do I and will I continue to stroll the shops for pleasure and for shopping? Absolutely!

Nice article. My take? Well, I don't think folks want to go back to the days of the Wild West or Wilderness living where the only way to obtain a new dress was with the pony express and you shop for a new house by the Sears & Roebuck catalog for per cut/measured/formed houses. Yes, I've seen some in Wilmington, NC that were catalog houses from by-gone days that are still in fairly good shape. But is that what folks want to get back to. It is basically the same mind-set, shopping/merchandising plan that online shopping is. Look at a picture. Read about it. Order it. Wait. Receive and hope for the best. Of course, today it is much easier to return-to-sender what we don't like, but do we really want to do that?

I only shop online, for clothes shoes and everything else. I only shop stores that have free shipping or shipping under $1.00. And eBay is my favorite store to shop online because the majority have free shipping and no tax. Best way to shop , once you try it you will never go back to store shopping again.

Online shopping is so convenient for me, especially at Christmas. Being unable to leave the house it's great!! No sales people hovering. Plenty of time to decide between one brand or the other. You can look at reviews and do your research as well, instead of grab and go.

That is fascinating that shoppers used to not be able to see the merchandise and a sales clerk had to go get everything from a stock room. It seems so obvious now that you should let the shopper see the items to tempt them to buy. What an interesting nugget of history.