I know that no one is 100% one way or the other, but generally speaking:
Do you like to shop, compare, hold, then look somewhere else, think a while, then perhaps buy that thing you want/need, or do you go straight to your preferred provider, walk in, spot the item and buy it? Does the possibility of buyer’s remorse weigh heavy in your decision making or do you plow right ahead? If you do buy and find a better deal later, doe sit bother you or do you think “Oh, well, I needed it and I got it”.
My wife is a browser, I am a buyer. We decided many years ago that if we were to make a life together we should go to stores separately.
No poll because A) not that important and B) IE 11 apparently ate that option on this computer.
I’ve heard it said that this is, generally, a male vs female thing. One comedian put it, “Women graze. Men hunt.” I know that’s true for me. Unless I’m at Home Depot, where I could spend quite a lot of time just wandering around.
I’m a browser (and a female). It’s a feature, not a bug! I make wish lists, do research, redefine my criteria, justify the expense…and then I never buy the thing. Saves a ton of money.
I don’t go shopping without a goal, if that’s what you mean. If I leave the house to buy something, I generally know where I’m going to go and what I’m going to buy before I get in the truck. Unless it’s for clothes, then I just go out and hope for the best.
If I’m in the market for something a little pricey, I research the crap out of it online and either buy it at a trusted site or check availability at local stores before I head out. I never look for a “better deal” after I’ve bought something. Once I buy it I stop thinking about it.
If I am forced to buy clothes, I go right to them and try to get out in minimal time. Also true at the hardware store - I buy because I need a part or a tool.
Bookstores and puzzle stores on the other hand are made for browsing.
To give a celebrity example of a buyer, I offer Stanley Kubrick. During the filming of 2001 it was decided that he needed new suits. A visit was arranged to a famous store, and the tailors, salesmen and managers were arrayed to welcome their famous customer. Before he reached them he went to a display of suits on a rack, said “I’ll take three of these” and turned and left the store to get back to work.
I am more of a browser than a buyer, but it’s a little more nuanced than that.
When the item is optional, a luxury, a future want, etc. then I’m the consummate browser. I’ll spend years keeping an eye on features and sales to see if the item I want has come down into a price range I want to pay.
(However, I do this online or through TV/mail ads. I do not head down the mall to spend two hours window shopping. You couldn’t pay me to do that.)
But let’s say I’m fixing the deck before the rains set it. We need the supplies and we need them this week. I’m going to Lowe’s (because it’s at least half a mile closer than the next option) and I’m paying whatever they charge. Done. No regrets.
Big ticket and/or wants - browse or watch features until I am ready or willing to pay the price usually on-line
Normal household replacements - buy, although I will try to check a few prices on-line or in a small area to get a better price (this is for items of a few hundred dollars to maybe 1000)
clothing and food - go buy unless I am stuck shopping with my daughter who will graze forever
I am female
I’m female and I hate to shop. I generally have a pretty specific idea of what I want. My ideal trip is to enter store, locate item, pay for it, and leave. I’m a hunter, not a gatherer.
I’m a buyer. Especially these days, I don’t understand browsing at all unless it’s strictly necessary. If I need to do research, I can do it online ahead of time. In my estimation, the time and energy spent going to different retailers usually is greater than the amount of money I’d save unless it’s something really expensive and, again, I can usually at least significantly narrow it down with a bit of online research and even then, I’m generally only going to the store to buy it rather than ordering online because it’s either cheaper, it’s convenient (eg, on my way home from work), or I need it sooner than it can be shipped.
That said, there are some items that, unfortunately, I feel I have to browse for. One of those is clothes. For some people, they might have a common size, but I always find that even stuff at the store that are labeled with the same size, some fit, some don’t. So, I can’t really do much research or shopping online since even if I go to the store, I may find that I need different sizes in different brands or, perhaps, I may not find anything that fits reasonably at all. But even then, I know more or less what I’m looking for, so it’s just a matter of trying to figure out what fits and I try to get in an out as quickly as possible.
I do all the price and product comparisons online. By the time I get to the store, my mind is made up, and chances are high that I’ll just grab the item off the shelf and go. If it weren’t for the internet, I’d be a browser. I wouldn’t want to buy an inferior product and have to go through the headache of returning it.
