Internet shopping vs "actual" shopping

[Cyclone 10]

Most of my xmas shopping has been done online and it's almost all been delivered now.

[jfish1936 10]

I prefer "real" shopping, where I can handle the goods and talk to the sales staff.

But I wanted a keyboard for my Asus tablet (TF 300 T); I found a shop with the keyboard, and asked the price.

Apparently it is their policy only to sell the keyboard with the tablet, and I can't use two tablets.

So I've placed my order via the Internet, depriving a local store of business . Maybe saved myself a little money, too!

[Bargepole23 337]

Bit of both for me, but I do like to see before I buy, so if I do buy online I tend to use sites that have an easy returns policy.

 

I have started using Amazon Locker deliveries, which means I can collect what I have ordered from Amazon at a time and place which suits me.

[spilldig 188]

I don't mind buying books on line but anything else I like to check out before buying.

[milliardo 10]

I have to say that having an actual shop location and website is probably for the best. Having a shopfront gives people confidence that they're ordering from a legit company, and re the posts above about people wanting to check stuff out, they can come into your shop, look, be indecisive, then go home and order it on the internet instead of having to go back!

[Total Chaos 10]

Online,far more choice and i can only get to the shops at the weekend.I can order online and it will be delivered before the weekend usually.

[Mecky 10]

I like to examine stuff before I buy so I always go to the shops.

[pretty_big 10]

my advice would be get out and buy a little bit of snow will throw Royal Mail/DHL/TNT etc into chaos I worked as a postman for years and when it snowed bad the other year it was absolute chaotic I was delivering items that had been dispatched on 30th Nov in January. Its a snowball effectif it happens before Xmas because one day of snow where the postman can't get out and the next day he has 2 days worth of mail which he literally can't fit in his bag and would take him 6/7 hours of constant walking plus the 5 hours he'd spend indoor prepping his round so he'd do something they call "cutting off" where the postman would only take part of his round and the rest would be left for overtime which before xmas would be lucky to get done. I saw some shocking things at Royal Mail at Xmas due to complete and utter bad management the postie gets pushed far too hard without any help on the street delivering, there's always help indoors in the office and at main mail centre near meadowhall but absolute no help getting the mail/parcels delivered.

The postman you see on the street feels the sharp edge of a very sharp Royal Mail knife at Xmas. I live close and drink with one of the lads who works at Hillsborough office and he was telling me that while there was a massive queue outside the collection office on Saturday in freezing conditions while 2 lads are rushed off there feet trying to serve as fast as possible 1 member of management was casually putting a health and safety poster up and the other was on the computer ordering his own Xmas presents.............so this is what the postmen and general public are up against inept selfish management who wont much in

[Vaati 11]

I've done a mixture of both. What i could not get in store I got online.

[iansheff 88]

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

 

I ordered something from pc world on Sunday with free standard delivery (up to 5 days) got a mail this morning saying would be delivered between 11.32 and 12.32, it arrived about 12.10, fantastic service. Should have said, it was a courier.

[Vague_Boy 10]

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.

 

Their "reserve online, collect instore" is a model as to how it should be done.

 

Got to be internet I'm afraid. Better choice, especially the more niche stuff (not what you're thinking!) and as long as you don't buy from a shop that uses ThickyLink as their courier, you're sorted.

 

Although I must commend ThickyLink for their progressive hiring policies. Employing strategically shaved chimps was a brave move that *almost* paid off.

[chem1st 10]

I bought a gift online for £3, (a science type book with miniature construction kit/projects to teach scientific principles to those who are 8+). Delivered aswell, reight bargain - that is why I bought it. Just realised I haven't got anybody in mind to give it to! I reckon it's a boys present you see and all the males in my extended family are 18+ or under 2... Suppose I could give it to a girl though!

 

I have bough most of my gifts from local shops. Except for a blow up sheep which I bought online for a mate (He isn't Welsh before you ask, he is Polish!).