Other: I only buy stuff online if I can’t find it in stores, due to the shipping time/cost, and stolen-off-my-porch issues.
I never intentionally showroom - that is, I don’t go to a store to see something I intend to buy online and if I see something I want in a store, I don’t go home to find a better price online. I’m sure there have been times that I’ve seen something in a store and decide sometime later that I want it and end up buying it online.
I chose " I think it’s unfair to the store" but that’s not entirely accurate. I do think its unfair to the store , but there’s another piece that’s more motivated by self interest. I think if I want the stores to exist so that I can try on the clothes or test out the mattress, then I need to be willing to pay for it. Because if no one will pay for it, the stores will cease to exist. It’s like the people who are unhappy that they can no longer find neighborhood pharmacies that will deliver prescriptions - but they only used those pharmacies when they needed a delivery and used the cheaper chains for all their other purchases and they don’t see the connection.
I’m financially OK enough that if I see something I want in a brick and mortar, I just buy it. Why stress out over the delivery process to save a few bucks? When I buy online it’s something I’d be unlikely to find in stock anywhere near where I live.
Oh, also, frequently I HATE the in-person shopping experience. Annoying people, parking, sales people who won’t leave me the hell alone or can’t be found when I do need them, or when they can be found and I actually want their assistance, turn out to know even less about their merchandise than I do, loud annoying music (big box electronics stores are the worst for this) - it all gives me a headache and drives me right back to my computer monitor.
Also, mansplaining. Electronics salespeople are the worst for that. Just because I don’t know all the specs of every model on your sales floor doesn’t mean I’m an idiot.
I think the absolute worst, though, had to be the guy in Home Depot who not only mansplained me, but when I called him out on not actually knowing what product I needed to buy, proceeded to read all the damn jar labels that I had already read, and told him I’d already read. My reading comprehension is fine, thanks. I don’t need your help reading, I need actual product knowledge. If you don’t have the actual product knowledge, then STFU.
Me too. There should be an option for “Never - I just get it online to begin with”
I voted “other,” but I “never” do it, but neither of the two “never” options reflect why I don’t do it.
Never, but not for the reasons listed. If I want something, and it’s at the store I get it at the store. Usually when I want something I want it right then, and don’t have the patience to wait two days for it to arrive. The only exception is if the price difference is significantly cheaper online.
Usually I’m the opposite. I’ll go online and do a bunch of research, then go buy it in a store. I did that with my television. Hhgregg even matched the online price of a competitor, and took my old TV away.
I’m the same way as Mudshark. Usually my starting point is either a Consumers review, or a user recommendation and review. Then I go to a store that carries that specific thing. If I like the touch and feel of it, I buy it at the spot; if I don’t, it’s back to research.
Clothes and shoes I always buy in a real shop. It’s a pita to try them on and send them back.
More and more I just head straight to Amazon for a purchase. If I accompany my gf while she goes brick/mortar and I see something, I just buy it then.
Well, I chose “whenever possible”, but after reviewing I’d have chosen “Only for certain classes of merchandise”.
Electronics and the like is all online, the internet knows so much more than just a browse through your local store. Also I’m a bad negotiator, so I do my best to find the best price online.
Things I want to try on like clothes and shoes, I’ve only bought in physical stores so far.
A related question that popped in my head just now: do you drive to another store if you know the same product is cheaper there ?
There’s a bike store in my village, but it is significantly (50%) more expensive for parts than one I sorta pass when I come home from work. I bought my townbike there, but the MTB and parts are all from the other store or online.
Only once, when buying a tablet a couple years ago.
I actually could have bought the tablet at the same online price if I wanted to drive around a bunch more.
Anyway: not all that helpful for the effort so I don’t really want to repeat it.
I voted never. However that’s not the whole story. While that initial purchase may be made in the store, should I need a repeat, I may well order online.
I went with other. I can think of one or two times in the past few years where I saw something in a store, liked it but not the price, and then came across it cheap somewhere online and made the purchase. Not really the usual case I believe the OP means.
This is exactly what I came here to say. I use both for research and both for purchasing.
Never. At least, I can’t think of an instance where I’ve done it. If I’m at the store to look at something (which is rare) I’ll just buy it at the store. For anything under $500, a marginal difference in price is not enough to offset “Well, I’m right here and so is the thing.” Anything over that I’ve researched the crap out of online, so I don’t need to see it in the store.
That’s me as well except I haven’t needed a repeat yet. Retail stuff I generally don’t want the hassle of buying online or are sufficiently variable that I’d like to try out the actual instance of the item (i.e. shoes).
But a specific instance – gaming supplies – are expensive enough at retail versus online and yet small enough and durable enough that shipping is a valid option so I would consider getting repeats of gaming supplies online.
I went with “occasionally”, but a better descriptor would be “Not intentionally”. I don’t set out to showroom, but I’m sure there have been a few times where I saw something in a store but wound up purchasing online.
Rarely, but I did do it this week.
I went shopping for shoes. Found a pair I liked (which is rare for me) but didn’t like their price. Ordered them online and saved some money.
My apologies for not including a ‘Never - Other’ option. I really did think about it and just forgot it while I was typing things up.
The last items I deliberately showroomed were some kitchen appliances and I declined the offer of assistance of the salespersons who offered. I had done the research online but wanted to get the feel of them before spending that much money. The dishwasher was $200 cheaper online plus another 60 or so in saved tax with free shipping. The stove was about 400 less expensive and what I would have paid in tax covered the shipping.
But generally aside from books mentioned in my OP I’m an accidental showroomer. I’ll see something in the store and decide against it only to later reconsider while I’m online.
It seems to me that showrooming by others has already leveled prices on anything you can find in a brick and mortar store, especially since we’re well into the age of “price-match guarantees” applying to online stores rather than just local, like they used to. Last thing I bought in a store that I might have bought online was a Wi-Fi range extender, and the price at Best Buy was about the same as Amazon.