There is little question that online shopping is convenient. But offline (in-person) shopping offers some advantages as well, such as receiving personal attention and being able to see, touch, feel and try on merchandise. As for price competitiveness and some less tangible factors, it can depend on the type of item and the situation.
For years, online shopping has been growing in popularity. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic limited in-person shopping for months last year. Now is a great time to reassess which type of shopping offers you a better deal or perhaps a more satisfying overall experience.
Why Shop Online?
The big five pluses of online shipping are convenience, variety, ease of comparisons, pricing and avoiding crowds and sales pressure.
1. Convenience: Whether it’s on your desktop or laptop computer, iPad, smartphone or other portable device, shopping online is something you can do quickly, easily and at any time of day or night, literally 24/7. And in the comfort of your home in your pajamas, slippers, nightgown or sweatpants.
2. Variety: Whether you use a search engine to shop online or visit your favorite online retailers, you basically have access to everything. No brick-and-mortar retailer can match that regardless of how big, responsive or efficient it is.
3. Easy comparisons: Want to compare the prices or other features of merchandise at your favorite online retailer with those of a competitor? Just open a new window on your browser and do the product comparison quickly and easily.
4. Pricing: It’s challenging for physical stores to compete with online sellers. One reason is that you can skip the middleman online and buy directly from the manufacturer. In some cases, you can bypass sales tax and save on gas and parking costs. Online shopping is hard to beat purely from a dollars-and-cents standpoint.
5. No crowds, no pressure: Because we’re looking at this from a non-COVID perspective, we won’t consider the health and safety aspects of shopping from home. Simply not having to put up with crowded stores or be pestered by pushy salespeople can be appealing.
Why Shop Offline?
Now let’s consider why you might be inclined to shop in person locally. The reasons include receiving personal attention, being certain that what you see really is what you get, the “now” factor, the joy of shopping and supporting your locally owned businesses.
1. Personal attention: Whether it’s clothes, arts and crafts, electronics or various other items, sometimes you don’t know exactly what you want, and a skilled, attentive salesperson can help. Navigating websites is fine but having a real live human to answer your questions and make suggestions can be hugely helpful. Especially if they are an expert on the product you’re interested in buying.
2. Try it, you might like it! Perhaps you’re shopping for food in a delicatessen or a bakery and would like to sample some pastrami or a cookie. Maybe you are shopping for new sneakers or clothes. You think you know your size, but just to be sure, you want to try them on and see how they look and feel. There are many more examples where touching and seeing, and maybe even tasting, really is believing.
3. Immediacy: Now. It’s such a simple and brief word. You need or just want something now. Whatever the product. No waiting for delivery. Just buy it. Even Amazon Prime doesn’t deliver the moment you make your purchase!
4. The joy of physically shopping: Some people are born to shop or thrive on “retail therapy.” Others less so. For many people, putting together a few errands, whether as a family, with a friend or solo, is a positive experience with intangibles that aren’t necessarily about getting a deal. It’s about the joy of being out there, trying, buying and spending money, and time shopping in person.
5. Local contact and support: This must have gotten to you during the lockdown: a lack of personal connection. We all need connection to varying degrees. The more we shop online, the less face-to-face contact we have with our community. Even the chance to make small talk with fellow shoppers or a cashier, aside from the added value of support from a salesperson, is the kind of intangible that matters. And then the flip side is the good feeling of supporting your local bookstore, wine seller or other shop owner.
What Are the Best Online and Offline Buys?
Certain items often are less expensive online. These may include computers, electronics, appliances and furniture. On the other hand, in-person store purchases can be less expensive and more practical when it comes to groceries, non-prescription drugs and toys.
Sometimes it’s helpful to forge a relationship with a local retailer, who might be able to give you a discount. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Or you might find out when there’ll be a sale. Loyal customers may benefit from special promotions and discount deals as well as frequent-shopper cards.
As the world continues to reopen to in-person shopping, look for and embrace opportunities to save, to shop locally and to support your local community and its businesses.
Allan Kunigis is a financial freelance writer based in Shelburne, VT. He has written about personal finance for more than two decades.