Do you shop in retail stores anymore?

[OverVolt]

Not really. Screw B&M stores except grocery stores. I only buy food at B&M.

 

[KeithTalent]

Yeah all the time. Bought the Halloween Blu-ray set at a B&M store this weekend and also a bunch of towels from a separate B&M store.

KT

Edit: also do about 98% of my clothes shopping at B&M stores.

 

[Platypus]

only if I need something immediately or it's convenient, otherwise no not really.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

amazon charges you tax if they have a physical presence in your state (fulfillment center).

Stuff that's cheaper online I buy online. Stuff I want quick or is cheaper in store I'll buy B&M. What's nice is the option to buy online and do store pickup.

Some of the slick deals you get are in store only because the price is different. For example if you add some items to your cart on walmart.com then change your browser agent to mobile, you'll see the in-store price. Could be more or less.

 

[pontifex]

very rarely - most everything i buy is via Amazon.

i shop costco, local grocery store, local gun shops for guns (usually online for ammo unless local place has a good deal) and sometimes local hardware store.

sometimes clothing store because every time i try to order online, especially pants or shoes, its a crap shoot (unless I buy more of something I already own and know is the right size).

i might buy something from a B&M store if they have a better deal or need it immediately.

 

[Rebel44]

I might go to retail store once or twice a year. (not counting food shopping)

 

[z1ggy]

Interesting the amount of people who actually seem to go to non-online sources more often than not.. interesting.

I guess I rely more on reviewer input for things like TVs etc. I think almost all my electronic stuff (tv, PC parts, etc) I have purchased online with out ever seeing it first. I guess though this could be due to me living in a more rural area.

 

[squarecut1]

Interesting the amount of people who actually seem to go to non-online sources more often than not.. interesting.

I guess I rely more on reviewer input for things like TVs etc. I think almost all my electronic stuff (tv, PC parts, etc) I have purchased online with out ever seeing it first. I guess though this could be due to me living in a more rural area.

Returns is a factor too. Something like say toaster oven. Or electric shaver etc. If it is not good enough, much easier to return to a retail store

 

[z1ggy]

Returns is a factor too. Something like say toaster oven. Or electric shaver etc. If it is not good enough, much easier to return to a retail store

Meh. Maybe??? I just ordered some socks for hockey this past week. Turns out they don't fit. So I called up the distributor, got an RMA number, then put it in a box and go a few miles to my post office and send it back. Sure, I need to wait a week for any item to get back to my house, but to me that's not a big deal.

Returning something in store or back to the online retailer takes about the same level of work IMO, it's just you get one back quicker.

 

[TheVrolok]

Mostly online. Amazon Prime and 5% cash back in Amazon purchases with Discover these two months? Awesome.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

People tend to forget that if you are not buying things for a business (trying to make money) that people tend to be happy to pay a little more just to have the experience of shopping and to get the hell out of the house.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I prefer to stay out of malls/stores whenever possible and do a great deal of my shopping online. But there are things a person needs on a day to day basis that simply are not worth ordering online or waiting for delivery. If I need duct tape and sandpaper I'm popping into Home Depot or Harbor Freight, not clicking over to Amazon.

 

[piasabird]

Went to office depot and purchased a wireless keyboard the other day. I just wanted it fast and I was working on my computer. It was convenient because it was next to Wal-Mart. I could have ordered it online if I wanted to wait. Most of the retail item I purchase are things like pans, appliances, and household items like curtain rods. I often order clothing items and sometimes I go shopping for them.

 

[MtnMan]

I actually made a significant purchase at a Best Buy last month, as they had the best price on the tablet the wife wanted, beating Amazon and anyone else online by at least $50.

Knew the exact model I wanted, their website showed the local store had them.
Went to the store, found the display, asked clerk for a the item and gave specifics.

Within 5 or 6 minutes they found someone with a key to the cabinet they were kept in, and another 5 - 6 minutes of them looking for the specific item.
Then the only thing left was to say "no thank you" about a dozen times for every "up-sell" they came up with, and finally be allowed to pay for just the item and leave.

Had to keep telling myself as I walked out with the item "but you save over $50, but you saved over $50 for putting yourself through this"..........

 

[Golgatha]

I hardly ever buy anything not clothing, food, or home improvement related at a retail store anymore. Just not worth the hassle or the added expense. I seem to find plenty of other fun things to do besides parking at and browsing through a store though.

 

[squarecut1]

People tend to forget that if you are not buying things for a business (trying to make money) that people tend to be happy to pay a little more just to have the experience of shopping and to get the hell out of the house.

Yes, there is this too. But lately every place has become so overcrowded that you have to fight the traffic inside the stores

 

[rsbennett00]

I actually made a significant purchase at a Best Buy last month, as they had the best price on the tablet the wife wanted, beating Amazon and anyone else online by at least $50.

Knew the exact model I wanted, their website showed the local store had them.
Went to the store, found the display, asked clerk for a the item and gave specifics.

Within 5 or 6 minutes they found someone with a key to the cabinet they were kept in, and another 5 - 6 minutes of them looking for the specific item.
Then the only thing left was to say "no thank you" about a dozen times for every "up-sell" they came up with, and finally be allowed to pay for just the item and leave.

Had to keep telling myself as I walked out with the item "but you save over $50, but you saved over $50 for putting yourself through this"..........

I'm curious, did you have to give them a phone number? I tried to buy something there a couple months ago and they outright refused to take my money without a valid phone number. I left and vowed never to go back.

 

[Tattare]

I look at products online more than I read the news. Most of my online habits would be shopping and reading reviews. I probably pull up amazon 20+ times a day but I still compare products with other retailers like REI & the tool stores since their websites are pretty decent to navigate & I want the Isle # a products on.
Costco is about the only store I buy random crap in without comparing but its for small products like windshield wiper blades.
Things like electronics I usually wait for a slickdeal.

 

[Imp]

I split half and half probably.

No car, so if it's big and heavy, I order it online. I prefer to buy electronics locally and in person in case it's a broken POS. Clothes I do online because they usually don't have my size (XS) in stores.

I actually feel bad about the amount of packaging it takes to send crap to my door. The return process online is also annoying because there's no immediate return of funds and I've had an item go missing twice -- both times I came out fine, but annoying.

 

[Fern]

I just got back from Best Buy. I needed to pick up a battery UPS. I didn't feel like waiting.

I won't buy clothes or shoes online (except maybe coats).

Fern

 

[lxskllr]

I don't buy much stuff from anywhere. I buy online when I can't get something locally. I like antique and thrift shops, and buy used as much as possible. I only buy new when I need something *now*, or if it's a late model tech item.

 

[who?]

Went to office depot and purchased a wireless keyboard the other day. I just wanted it fast and I was working on my computer. It was convenient because it was next to Wal-Mart.
Was it as cheap at OD as it would have been at WM?
If you'd rather wait at home you can order online from Best Buy for in store pickup.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I almost exclusively buy from Amazon. The rest would be food from Costco and random toiletries that I only need to buy once a year like deodorant from Target.

 

[RossMAN]

Both.

Can't buy a Slurpee from Amazon.com even with Prime.

 

[Phoenix86]

Do I need it today? Is it perishable? I get it locally.

Everything else is online.