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I'd rather shop online where I know I'll find the style I want, the size I want, the color I want, the model I want, etc, rather than spending an entire day trekking around from store to store, battling traffic and parking lots, hoping somebody has what I'm looking for. "I'm sorry, we are out of stock, let me call around to our store in Timbuktu and see if they have it." "I'm sorry, we don't carry that item anymore." "I'm sorry, we don't have any of that in our store, everything is in our warehouse but you can go to East Timbuktu to pick it up or we can get it here next week." It's especially aggravating when I know more than the sales clerk when I ask for help with something (Best Buy, I'm looking at you here.) Ultimately, it is worth the wait for shipping to ensure I have what I want the first time without all that nonsense. They kind of did it to themselves.
I just said that I get why people shop online, and then went on to make a bigger point.
I'd rather shop online where I know I'll find the style I want, the size I want, the color I want, the model I want, etc, rather than spending an entire day trekking around from store to store, battling traffic and parking lots, hoping somebody has what I'm looking for. "I'm sorry, we are out of stock, let me call around to our store in Timbuktu and see if they have it." "I'm sorry, we don't carry that item anymore." "I'm sorry, we don't have any of that in our store, everything is in our warehouse but you can go to East Timbuktu to pick it up or we can get it here next week." It's especially aggravating when I know more than the sales clerk when I ask for help with something (Best Buy, I'm looking at you here.) Ultimately, it is worth the wait for shipping to ensure I have what I want the first time without all that nonsense. They kind of did it to themselves.
Easier to do when your a standard size. Those with longer/shorter torsos, narrow/wider calf's more/less "junk in the trunk," actually have to try things on, which is much easier to do in stores. It's disappointing to purchase something, only to open it from the package to realize the fit isn't the same as your older pair of jeans from the same company, or the quality isn't quite what you expected and you wouldn't have purchased it if you've seen it ahead of time/in person. Not to mention, not everything is safe enough to ship to your address if you're sharing a multi family with different kinds of people, some being less honest. There's more variety, but cons for sure. Granted, this doesn't really apply to situations in NH, but just general reasoning in favor of some brick and mortar stores.
Huh. I'm not a "standard size" and I do almost all my clothing shopping online because there are only about 2 stores in NH that carry anything in my size, and it's a lot easier to find clothes online. I still have to try them on and return some things, but at least I can find options.
Only been to Steeplegate once and it was a ghost town.
Everything is doing bad now. Movie-going is at lows, B&B Circus just closed down, people go to sporting events less, malls are dying, etc. I get saving money and time on Amazon versus the mall, but the sad reality is that people rather stay at home glued to devices than actually get out and enjoy life, enjoy nature, and be around other people.
I don't consider dealing with traffic, tons of hurried people, and stores that probably don't have what I want as "get out and enjoy life."
I still go to the movie theater about once a month but I mostly save it for "big" movies that I can't wait for the DVD and home viewing for.
We still see at least one live concert per year, sometimes more. And take in smaller, local live music events frequently.
I took my son to his first pro sports event last week (Celtics). Yes, it was fun, and I'm glad we went, but it was a HUGE hassle and a massive expense. Still, the Garden was sold out so it's not like everyone stayed home instead. We go to local sports events all the time because it's way more convenient and far, far cheaper.
Ultimately, this is just progress. Entertainment comes right to you now. There are plenty of people who only braved the malls and large venues because it was the only way to consume the entertainment or shopping options that they needed/wanted. Now with online shopping, there's rarely a reason to go to a brick and mortar unless you really want to. A cable sports package costs less than a single bleacher seat for a single game, for a whole season of top quality TV coverage. DVD's and Bluerays on modern large screen TV's are downright amazing.
Yes, people shouldn't replace real, human interaction with their screens, but I don't think it's as black and white as that when it comes to malls. Cost and convenience are real factors.
Hey, my personal preference is that I don't like malls either. I do think there is a place for physical stores, though. For example, being able to try on clothes and see gear in person before purchasing is a huge benefit. For me, most of what I buy from offline is not inmates but from locally-owned or specialized shops. A bummer for physical stores is that people do go into their store to try on things and see what fits or what works best, and then they go online and purchase elsewhere for cheaper. I'm sure this happens all the time. Once the Amazons of the world kill off much of physical retail, this will no longer be an option.
Hey, my personal preference is that I don't like malls either. I do think there is a place for physical stores, though. For example, being able to try on clothes and see gear in person before purchasing is a huge benefit. For me, most of what I buy from offline is not inmates but from locally-owned or specialized shops. A bummer for physical stores is that people do go into their store to try on things and see what fits or what works best, and then they go online and purchase elsewhere for cheaper. I'm sure this happens all the time. Once the Amazons of the world kill off much of physical retail, this will no longer be an option.
I have seen things I want online then decide I want to support local businesses and/or I want to try it on first so I go to the store only to find it costs 50% more than the online price. It can be frustrating to support local stores with that kind of cost disparity, not to mention that online tends to have WAY more style and size selections and it's at your door in 2 days.
A month ago I went to Joe King's Shoes in Concord and paid $160 for some nice Keene winter boots. Cheapest online is $200. Two days ago I was at EMS in Concord and the Outdoor Research Alti Mitts I recently bought were $125. Cheapest online is $200. Yesterday I was in Agway and paid $30 for two paris of Darn Tough socks even though the current cheapest price anywhere online is $22 per pair for them.
In the 1970's and 1980's, malls were a form of "entertainment", a place to hang out, and you pretty much had to buy stuff from brick and mortar stores (unless you ordered from the J.C. Penny or Sears catalogue). Those days are gone. So is the mall format.
I practice a mix of online and physical store shopping. I absolutely hate the mall format and I don't like the downtown main street format either. I will generally patronize stores with adequate and proximal parking with a direct entrance to the store from the parking area. When I go shopping I prefer to spend my time on the task at hand and not wandering far to get to the store whether it is inside (mall) or outside (downtown area).
I just think there are too many malls. I think there should be one mall per about one million people. When I lived in Maine, I only knew of the Lewiston-Maine Mall, which was no big deal, but the Portland Mall which had a lot of stores was always busy. (This was in 2004-07.)
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It can be frustrating to support local stores with that kind of cost disparity, not to mention that online tends to have WAY more style and size selections and it's at your door in 2 days.
