Buying online?

Went to Boots yesterday for 2 specific things. Neither were in stock. So ordered on their website. Free delivery. That’s why I buy online

This thread is over two years old.

Lack of public transport. Cost of parking. Higher costs in physical shops. Put them altogether, and shopping in person is just not as convenient or cost effective.

"Each to his own" Jackthelad. I try to do a mixture of both.
I particularly try to support my local small shops.
But there are times when online is best. When you can't find an item locally without endless plodding around, etc.
At almost 85 and with a chronic back condition, buying online is very often the best way for me.

Reported

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

I have only used Amazon Prime since the first lockdown. Next day delivery and they always have what I want. Why would I want to go shopping? In any case, most shops are shut.

I like shopping in ‘real’ shops when I can and I still shop for groceries that way, not just because I could never get a delivery slot.
Online is the only thing available for quite a lot of things, e.g. I’d never make it to a physical Seasalt shop because of distance.
Sometimes, Amazon is the only way to get things. I tried Screwfix, B&Q, the local plumbing shop etc. to get a new insert of a particular size to fit my tap with no luck. Amazon gave me a choice of several suppliers and next day delivery.
Before online shopping we’d never have known about many shops.

I buy in shops and online,too. I like getting parcels, simple as that. Saving money helps, too. I agree about Amazon, though, dreadful.

I think that over the years I’ve come to know what to expect from the retailers I use, and if I don’t like it or it doesn’t fit, it goes straight back.
I will never use Amazon, if I can’t buy it anywhere else, I go without.

I'm disabled so find outside shopping very difficult. I don't drive, can't use a wheelchair or a mobility scooter, so I have to rely on my walking stick to stop me falling over. Even then I can only walk a few paces before the pain kicks in. I can't carry much either as my stick is in my stronger hand and my other is too weak and wrapped in a brace.

I have a rare bone disease which means I have spurs growing into my muscles and tendons, and putting pressure on my nerves and blood vessels.

So online shopping is a must for me and it's very rare that I can't find everything I need.

I notice * jackthelad* has disappeared

I'm disabled so online shopping is my lifeline. Not a great fan of shops and find customer service has in the main disappeared. I recently had to source everything for a high end bathroom refit and traipsing round the shops would have been exhausting doing it online saved me a fortune and made it all so easy. I just had one brief visit to a tile shop and everything was sorted. Actually the customer service in the tile shop was above and beyond, my wheelchair brings some benefits after all. Personally I wouldn't miss shops if they all closed down.

My mum used to say that the road to hell was paved with good intentions ?

Agree with MawBe

Baring food and drink, I buy about 90% of what we need on line. I enjoy shopping around the internet for bargains and only twice in the past 5 years have I had problems and that was buying through eBay. However, their resolution centre sorted it all and I got refunds.

I'd love to go out shopping for clothes and shoes but I'm tall and frustration kicks in when I see the shops at my nearest shopping centre cater for Petite and not Tall. Oh! and my nearest shopping centre (Truro) is a 40 min drive away.

I'm curious as to what type of shops are closing. On my only visit to Truro this year there were 3 shops closed (boarded up). Two were jewellers and the other Hotters. Others were boarded up as they'd moved to larger premises. Some have been taken over as pop up shops.

So Jackthelad business is still good on the high street.

Most of my online buys at the moment are from retailers whose shops are shut at the moment. E.g. M&S, John Lewis, JoJo Maman Bebe, and Smyths toys. Oh, and the Natural History Museum online shop - plenty of dinosaur items!

Virtually all my knitting yarn - a lot - since the beginning of lockdown has been bought online but I’d do that anyway since the only place to buy it anywhere near is John Lewis, where it’s mostly a lot more expensive, not the cheap and cheerful I want for the sort of things I’ve been making.

I do try to avoid Amazon wherever possible. Incidentally a present I wanted for a little Gdd was cheaper from Smyths than from Amazon.

It may have been well-intentioned @Jackthelad, but those of us who have been buying online for years could have reassured you that we do know what we are doing. Returns these days are usually free and easier to drop off at a PO or a local corner shop for courier pickup than trekking back into town with the expense of parking or contact risks of public transport etc even if the shops were open. No question of pigs in pokes or “shunning the High Street” on principle.

I've just ordered a coat on line from Monsoon with a 30% Black Friday discount. That shop has disappeared off my high street I'm sorry to say, but they have an in house section in John Lewis, where I'm collecting it. I personally don't want to go shopping when restrictions are lifted next week, it's not a particularly pleasant experience wearing a mask, so it's pretty much on line shopping for me until we are out of danger, whenever that may be, hopefully next year sometime.

Thank you for that Jack. It was so helpful, such a useful mansplanation. I really must stop buying cheap cats and piglets online after only seeing a picture or reading a sales blurb. It’s a good idea ( thank you again) to factor in quality and value for money. And I was completely unaware of what’s happening to my local high street so again, thanks for the heads up. What would we do without the boys to advise us?

Me too teetime I just love shopping on line from Next where I can return items very easily if not suitable.and it’s very good quality. Mind you I was didled once when I bought a cool bag from somewhere else on line it came in the size of a miniature which could only hold one wee item at a time I would say s child size but not exactly what I wanted or needed. I’m pleased to say my daughter took ownership of it for a wee lunchbox I was careful in future about sizes offered . I still buy on line basically because I live in a rural area where the nearest shopping retailers are so far away and I’m a little infirm at the moment.

Why is this in discount codes and offers even more suspicious ???

I much prefer walking round shops trying things on it’s not only a trip out but you really need to try something on to be sure ......HOWEVER perhaps Jackthelad hadn’t realised that most of the shops have been closed for the last 9 months and many town centres have lost many shops because of the U.K. economy
This sounds such a strange question for this completely different year of 2020

Are you doing some research jackthelad and want the views of the ‘overs’

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Like many people, online shopping is my preference now for mobility reasons, including clothes. Yes, sometimes I have to send items back but it isn't a big problem, I just take them to the local post office where I can park outside. I need a new kitchen table but am struggling to choose one online as I'd like to test it out ( how sturdy it is!) so might have to go to the shops in person! But I will have to go to an out of town shopping area with parking outside.

I needed new pyjama bottoms - ordered 3 from Asda...arrived within 3 days - perfect- no postage, no traipsing around shops. Right now , I don't feel like getting out of bed, let alone shopping.