Surfing Dude or High Street Junkie? (Online shopping versus offline shopping)

Name: lisa2062

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Product:	Online shopping versus offline shopping
Date:	28/08/07 (336 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A pastime loved by many including myself

Disadvantages: Spending limit

Loved by millions and probably equally detested by millions there’s no getting away from it, shopping is an essential part of our everyday lives. Today more than ever, when it comes to doing that monthly food shop, or to get that pair of shoes to match an outfit, there is more choice than there’s ever been. Take shampoo for example, back in the 60’s and 70’s you could count on one hand the choice that was available, now you could probably spend a whole afternoon looking dazed and confused at that isle if your that way inclined. So the question is do you spend your spare time in and out of shops being trampled on, or do you do it online where it’s all to easy to get carried away?


For me the answer to that question as I’m sure it is too many is, I like to do both. Of course there are arguments for and against both, but at the end of the day I like to have the choice.
While the word shopping to some means a fate worse than death, on the whole I find it enjoyable, and let’s face it there’s just some things you have to buy on your own.


Lets start with offline shopping since that came first, and look into the world of mesmerizing isles, dreary shop assistants, and queues that always seem to move but not the one your in.

When your walking down your local high street your instantly hit with the latest fashions displayed on half naked dummies, posters plastered over windows advertising yet another sale, and music beating out of them giving a club a run for it’s money, so why do we and for the basis of this review I enter these unforgiving to your pocket places?

There are many items including food and clothing, that I find need to been seen in the flesh if want for a better word. While I know that if that top you bought online doesn’t fit, or is off poor quality you can send it back, at least in a shop you can just put it back on the rack and move on.

Time is a very precious thing and I don’t want to spare a large quantity of my free time, packaging up items to go back to the online store I got them from.
Take online grocery shopping for instance, I’ve found that fruit and veg has arrived here looking a little worse for wear. Items such as that are much better seen in person, so you check for yourself the colour and ripeness of the produce.

Another plus for offline shopping I think is the social aspects of it, as it could be so easy to become withdrawn if you did everything in the comfort of your own home. Complaints can also be dealt with face to face, and while I’m not saying you’ll necessarily get somewhere at least you won’t run the risk of getting cut off on the telephone, or sending endless emails without a response.
The same could be said for any questions about an item you may have, or it may be that you’d like a demonstration of that computer you’ve been drooling over. I remember I had an online query the other day regarding an ipod accessory, surprised at getting a response I was frustrated to read that they couldn’t help as the only information they had was what they received by there suppliers.

Bargains are what most of us want and luckily shops these days seem to have sales on all of the time. We all know you could probably still get it cheaper online although not all of the time, but there’s nothing more satisfying than walking down the street with over flowing carrier bags of shear bargains that you can wait to stuff into your overflowing wardrobe.

Queues however aren’t an enjoyable experience, and while unlike some who get annoyed at just two people in front of them I am more than capable of waiting. Having said that when I’ve been in a queue for more than 10 minutes and it’s still not moving, then I do start to wonder if I’ll ever see home again. Of course some of that is down to the customers who are complaining that the lettuce they bought was too green, the clotted cream they bought is runny failing to admit It’s been sat in the car since Noah built the Ark, or the fact that the top they bought has shrunk when in reality they’ve got bigger.
The majority of the queue waiting time however is down to the assistant who, one has more than likely got a hangover, two can’t operate the till to save her life, and three refuses point black to help you pack even though they can see you struggling and wanting the ground to swallow you up.


This brings me on nicely to the world of online shopping where, queues are a thing of the past, items tend to be cheaper, but you’re dealing with faceless people and security issues when it comes to payment online which can be a worry for some.

There is some times when you need to go shopping, but the weather and hours in the day isn’t on your side. Rather than racing out the door, getting soaking wet and getting into a queue of traffic, the internet is an ideal place to sit back and relax and spend your money as if it’s going out of fashion.

The worry for a lot of people considering this method of shopping is the security of their transactions. If you glance down at the bottom of the retailers webpage during a transaction you’ll find a padlock symbol, this means that the payment information you’re giving is encrypted and only the site has the ‘key’ to decipher it. I have been ordering items over the internet for a few years now, and touch wood haven’t had any problems with security breaches.
With that worry hopefully pushed to the back of your mind, you can get on with browsing the internet and picking up plenty of bargains which in some cases is only available on a retailer’s web store.

No more queuing, no more rude assistants, and no more jumping out of the way of buggies.

Some would say that shopping online can become addictive, as your paying with a card and so it doesn’t sink in the amount you’re spending. Seeing though as more and more people have a credit card these days, I can’t really see how that’s any different than handing it over in a shop.

Out of the many items I’ve purchased ranging from smaller items such as make up and DVDs to Microwaves and printers, on the whole from the initial purchasing the item to receiving it has gone without a hitch.

I can recall two recent occasions with the same online retailer where in one instance the gift wrapping was ripped, and a DVD case arrived but without the DVD itself.
Both times I emailed the company to air my grievances, and I’m pleased to say that the response was quick and the problem dealt with a full apology. I’m sure such problems concern people as they do me as like I mentioned earlier on you’re dealing with ‘faceless’ people. If it’s a big concern of yours than ask friends and family who they shop with, google the company to see if you can dig up major problems with the retailer, or perhaps do as I did and start of with small purchases with a company. Once I felt happy with the service I was receiving, I was more inclined to stick with them and spend more money.


So when it comes down to it which do I prefer, online or offline? Like I said I enjoy having the option and there are certainly pros and cons for both. In fact I really find it hard to choose betwee.
I like the social aspect and scrutinizing items more closely in the shops, but I like the fact that online I can pick up so many bargains that I wouldn’t be able to get in the shops. So if I was pressed to pick an option it would be to shop online, due to the fact I don't have money coming out of my ears.

The question is, where do you do it?

Summary: Something we all have to do, but it doesn't have to be a chore.