Shopping: Online or Brick and Mortar

[Bmat]

Pros of each: (Please add your own thoughts, too.)

Online:

Don't have to drive or park, gas and time savings.
Don't get exposed to germs.
Can shop from the convenience of your own home.
Get the item delivered to my door.
Sometimes avoid sales tax.
Often wider variety.

Brick and Mortar:

Support local businesses and employment.
Get to actually see the item before purchasing.
Add to sales tax income for local government.
Easy return of items.
Get to try on clothing items.
Bring the item home instead of having to wait for delivery.
Usually control credit card, especially with the self-swipe devices.
Can pay cash.

Phone/catalog:

Can write check or pay by card for mail orders.
Can view products in the comfort of home.
Save gas and driving/parking.
Item delivered to home.

[Dark Knight]

I prefer Brick and Mortar, besides I don’t have a credit card, however there are some things that are only available on-line. The cheapest deal for my PC was on-line and I could pay by chq, Dell is only available by phone or on-line in NZ. However there was a problem with the online deal, so I phone and managed to get the online deal over the phone.

Online:

Get items only available online.
Get items that are not available in your area or country.
Could be cheaper {Don’t have to pay rent or sales people}

Brick and Mortar:

Get exercise walking to shops
Can talk to staff about product

Phone/catalog:

Can talk to sales person
Can sometimes be cheaper {than Brick and Mortar}

[Ariel]

I mostly shopped online though I had my Mom pick out a robe for herself and paid her for it. I did a little shopping in stores but very little. So for me it was a mix.

[Boikat]

Brick and Mortar. Instant gratification.

[Qray]

I prefer Brick and Mortor, though I do a considerable amount of my shopping online as a lot of things you just can't get locally. Many parts (automotive, motorcycle, ATV, bikes, electronics, computer, etc.) I can also get cheaper online. In the case of automotive and motocycle parts, usually 50% to 75% cheaper than local suppliers. Not to mention, I can shop online while naked.

Oh come on! You all were thinking the same thing. I'm just the first one with bad enough taste to mention it.

Brick and Morter, as previously stated by others, you can see the actual product. It's easier to tell if the salesperson is lying to you by reading their body language. You can usually get service easier, and in the case of a problem, complain in person.

[fanuilh]

Online naked shopping! Woo hoo! I have shopped in my PJ's before, but not naked -- it upsets the cats.

Online edges out brick and mortar for me for most of the reasons already stated -- I don't have to fuss with parking, or rude people who don't know how to drive, or toting things around, or burning gasoline. But actually looking at the item you're considering buying has benefits, not everything looks the same online or in the catalog as it does when it actually arrives at your doorstep.

Sometimes there are deals you can only get shopping at brick and mortar locations, sometimes there are deals you can only get online, so that's kind of a wash. Although you do save shipping and handling shopping in person.

Some of the places I shop at online offer free shipping -- if you spend more than a certain amount. And sometimes that's more than I want to spend. I'm sure that's the idea, to get us all to spend a bit more so you can get free shipping, even if you'd have spent less by buying what you wanted and no more, even if you had to pay shipping.

[Alex F]

I like brick and mortar because I like to get out for a walk into town and look at all the crazy people about the place. Then again, online shopping for music is great because MP3 downloads enable me to get hold of tracks I would never be able to in a million years around here, in seconds. Having just got online myself I'm finding this a positive boon

Fanuilh I like your Trombone sig but also 'Oi!' as I used to play the instrument myself
How do you confuse a trombonist? Put some sheet music on his music stand.
How do you stop a trombonist altogether? Put notes on it.

[Bmat]

LOL! I always snort when I see Fan's sig line. Very funny, Alex F!

[Qray]

LOL! I always snort when I see Fan's sig line. Very funny, Alex F!

[fanuilh]

:offtopic: Fanuilh I like your Trombone sig but also 'Oi!' as I used to play the instrument myself
How do you confuse a trombonist? Put some sheet music on his music stand.
How do you stop a trombonist altogether? Put notes on it.

How do you tune two piccolos?

You shoot one of them.

[I'm a flutist, and sort of a percussionist. And that joke is totally true -- piccolos aren't in tune. Ever.]

I just thought of another joke -- told to our band by one of our members.... How can you tell if there's a percussionist at your door?

The knocking keeps getting faster and faster and faster.

[Alex F]

Very funny pic! That is the average trombonist!

I remember talking to an electric base player years ago, an old orchestra veteran who told me that you can tell the type of people musicians are by what they do on their lunch breaks.

The string players would go for tea somewhere in a nearby cafe... the woodwind players would drink from flasks of coffee... and (my favourite, and totally in character!) the brass player would go down the pub! Absolutely faultless!