Three weeks back I swore that I'd never buy anything online again (read my delivery drama stories here to get the picture). Well, that was three weeks ago. Since then I have had a (successful) delivery of a pair of shoes, a dress, five books & a steak press. Yeah, I've got a problem. Online shopping problem.
Online shopping is just too good, ain't it?! You can go online anytime of the day (or night) and browse the endless pages & pages of products (which you most likely don't need). It's so therapeutic to lie on your back in front of a heater (fireplace, if you're one of the luckier ones) and type away your dreams into the search box. And the excitement of having your parcel waiting for you at home after you came from a 8:00-20:00 Saturday shift - ripping it open & finding that uber cool silicone tea strainer in a shape of strawberry you bought two weeks ago when you were suffering from a severe case of insomniac brain malfunction.
But you know what? I haven't always been such an avid online shopper. I'm a village girl. In my village we don't buy things online - and if we do then it's probably a pair of horse riding boots or a nourishing oil for your horse's hooves. Until about 2 years back, I wouldn't even bother with online shopping - I had the most stereotypical fears: I'll buy a wrong size/shape/colour, it won't fit me, it's a scam, it'll never come, it'll get lost in the post, it's more expensive. I was so young & naive, oh deary me! Now, why is shopping on the internet so much better than shopping in a real brick-n-stone shop? Because it's:
⇢ ONLINE SHOPPING
therapeutic
crowd-free
comfortable (you're warm even when it's -30°C outside!)
more stock available
better selection
discount codes
cashback
you've got time to reconsider
any store you want, not just the local ones
available 24/7
quicker
interactive mannequins (H&M, Asos etc)
second hand/thrifty buys
excitement of parcel delivery
easy to compare retailers & prices
reviews & photos of other users available
...
I mean, seriously - what can beat good ol' E-bay?! You can search for the most random Korean make-up and buy it in two clicks! Back then when there was no online shopping you'd probably have to travel to Korea and buy it in a shop there. But then - you wouldn't have known they sell this crazy snail poo extract cream there, so you'd never even think about going there in the first place. Just imagine! Now go, get yourself a good high speed broadband (nothing worse than half loaded picture of a super cute dress right?), and click click click away - you know you want to!
My favourite online stores: E-bay, Asos, New Look, Fragrance Direct, Amazon, CEX, etc
PS: Don't forget to shop via Quidco or Topcashback - it's like earning money whilst shopping!
Do you prefer shopping online or offline?
A walk to the store for you or is it just a double click & card details?