Internet shopping vs "actual" shopping

[lucylou99 10]

How many sheffielders will be or have been doing their christmas shopping online this year? Or are you the king of person that likes to see before you buy?

I have just opened a small shop in a localish area and internet sales are far surpassing shop sales which got me thinking about the future of local businesses. So if the options were a full day at meadowhell to xmas shop or online and pay postage costs which would you do?????

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Edited December 11, 2012 by esme
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[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

Twin-sourcing customers/clients is an excellent idea. Well done!

Who nowadays would rely only on passing trade ('footfall') without any online presence?

[milliardo 10]

Always internet, I can't stand crowds especially meadowhell. I love things like John Lewis where I can pop in, show number and get box, free 'delivery', done in about 15 minutes over the net.

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

But one problem is that 'delivery'! See any PO Sorting Office queue as to why.

[max 13]

A bit of both for me, there's stuff you need to be able to see and touch to check the quality so there's always a need for some shops.

[Manlinose 10]

a bit of both for me too, but only because i haven't found a "real" shop that sells amazon gift vouchers

 

i'm a bit old fashioned and don't get out enough so i much prefer going into shops and buying things

 

i don't mind paying a bit more for the privilege of knowing that i have contributed in some small way to someone keeping their job for just a bit longer

[Ms Macbeth 73]

A bit of both for me, there's stuff you need to be able to see and touch to check the quality so there's always a need for some shops.

 

Snap. I'll often check the goods in the shop, then order them online to save being loaded down with parcels.

[L00b 441]

95%+ of my shopping online this year, as the last 5 years at least, with very little from bricks-and-mortars (which has been mostly to pick up online-ordered and 'internally-delievered' e.g. John Lewis/House of Fraser, to bypass the 'vagaries' of Royal Mail at this time of year).

 

Mostly because -

(i) Generally, local shops (Sheff, R'ham, Chesterfield) don't stock what I want to buy (I'm very picky about presents, which are frequently obscure/specialist or too exclusive);

(ii) those that do are really taking the mick with prices (I can understand a high markup for bricks and mortars with more overheads...but come on!); and

(ii) Sheffield costs me too much time for access/parking.

[becm 10]

'multi channel retailing' if you want get technical, I tend to look online and then buy it locally if I can find someone, so both website and shop is ideal.

 

I shop online alot but getting fed-up with ordering the wrong size/out of stock/mis-delivery/cost of delivery/not like the picture/ oops left it to late... problems so going back to real shops this year.

[francypants 441]

A bit of both, as others have said there are always some things that you want to actually see before you buy. I started my Christmas shopping in May !

Any shops nowadays that are not on the net want their heads testing.

[Nataliie 10]

I despise shopping, but I've had so many disappointments with things I've bought online that I'd never risk it at Christmas. Things turn up half the size, or a different colour, it's just not worth it. And then there's postage, and if it'll turn up in time, or at all.

 

I'd rather be able to touch and see the item first, so I know I'm not buying someone some tack that I don't even like.

 

As much as I hate shopping, I have to endure it so I know I'm getting people something they'd like.

[lucylou99 10]

It doesn't look like it bodes well for the local shops,our best example of this prob being yesterday afternoon where we sold £300.00 online and £15.00 in the shop!Ironically i will be doing all my shopping online this year because of having the shop and can't get out!

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Edited December 11, 2012 by esme
link removed