Online shopping sure is convenient, and for quite a few items like books, small electronics, toys, and technology, you can find prices that are well below what you would pay at a retail store. However, for various reasons, there are some things that it is better to buy at the store.
One example of a situation where it is better to buy in store rather than online is groceries. The thought of having groceries delivered to your door is certainly enticing, especially if you do not enjoy going to the grocery store. From a money saving point of view though, the price is not as good as what you can get at the store thanks to weekly ads and coupons.
Shipping is a major reason why it is best to buy many large items from brick and mortar stores instead of online. For things like furniture and appliances, many stores offer free delivery and some will even remove your old appliances for you. There is also another reason why the prices on large items are better at the store. Salespeople at stores that sell these items will sometimes work with you to negotiate a better price on an item, especially if it is a floor model or has some slight blemishes. When we were shopping for appliances for our home, my husband and I saved a few hundred dollars on the refrigerator that we wanted because it was the floor model of the pervious year’s model, and at the time that we were buying it the new model was about to arrive.
A third type of item which you may want to keep buying at the store is the “little stuff”. Things like shampoo, pens, toilet paper, and the like may seem like a good deal at some online retailers until you factor in shipping. Some sites do offer free shipping, but you may find yourself adding items to your cart that you don’t need in order to get to the free shipping threshold. If you were at the store, you would not be spending money on those extra items.
Photo by kahle on morguefile.com.