Despite the advantages of online shopping it is still important to support the high street by visiting shops in person. Here are 8 reasons why you should still consider shopping in-store rather than buying online.
Better Customer Service
Visiting a store means you can talk to the staff and other shoppers. You can ask people’s opinion on items you are buying and experience the customer service that the store has to offer. Stores may also offer extra services that you cannot get online such as personal shopping, measuring, personalisation or expert advice.
Can your phone or your laptop offer good customer service?
Staff Have Better Product Knowledge
Staff in the stores know about the products. They can provide useful information, hints and tips on how to use it, recommendations for similar products and answer any questions you have.
See Products In Person
Have you ever seen a t-shirt online and thought “I wonder if this will suit me?” or “I wonder what size I should get?”
Visiting stores in person means you can see the product in person. You can pick it up, touch it, try it on for size (if it is clothing) and have a go at using it. It is easier to judge the quality of something by seeing it up close rather than looking at it on a computer screen. This will help with your final purchase decision. In particular, this is handy for clothing items as you can decide what size fits best.
Avoid Delivery Fees
Ordering online may be easier but having goods delivered is likely to land you a delivery fee. Although some stores may offer free home delivery this is usually only if you spend a certain amount. The average cost of home delivery in the UK is £3-4.
You Can Go Shopping With Family and Friends
Nothing better than a bit of retail therapy with your friends and family. Let’s face it it would be slightly tricky to shop together whilst crowding round a phone or laptop.
Going shopping with friends and family means you can browse the shops together, help each other choose outfits, offer recommendations to each other and even coordinate on your outfits so you are matching. After your shopping, you could go for lunch, dinner or coffee.
Take The Product Home Immediately
Buying a product in-store means you can take it home with you there and then. If you order it online you will need to wait for a few days before it arrives. Also if the parcel will not fit through your letterbox you will need to arrange for someone to be in when it arrives. Otherwise, you will need to travel to the post office to collect it.
Avoids The Risk of Having To Return Products
Ordering a product online means you won’t have seen it in person. If the product arrives and it is the wrong size, not the colour you thought it would be or you simply don’t like it, you will need to arrange to return it. This means either packaging it up and taking it to the post office or travelling to the nearest store to return it yourself.
However, visiting the store to look at the product means you will be able to decide there and then if you like it means there is less chance you will want to return it at a later date.
Supports The High Street
The increase in people shopping online has resulted in a reduction of people visiting physical stores. This has caused stores to close or downsize, retail staff to lose their jobs, shopping centres to risk closure and less tourism in town centres.
Visiting stores in person will help keep stores open and avoid the risk of further store closures.
