Online Specials

The Online Shopper

I’ve never been one for “retail therapy”. For me, shopping is a chore right up there with ironing. At the same time, I do enjoy clothing, which is why I’m a dedicated Online Shopper. Let me contrast the mall experience with the online experience.




MISSION: I’m looking for a solid black skirt.

MALL SHOPPING
8 am: Get dressed. Not just get dressed, but dressed nicely with makeup etc. Who knows who you might see at the mall?

8:30 Get in the car, drive 15 minutes, find a parking spot, start walking to the mall, wonder if I’ve locked my car, walk back to my car to lock it, start walking to the mall, remember that I haven’t noted where I parked my car, walk back to the car & write down the floor name and location of my car, start walking to the mall.
9:00 I’m in the mall. Wow, this place is huge. I decide to start with the large department store.
9:10 I’ve arrived at the entrance to the department store. Wow, this place is huge. Looking for a black skirt.
9:45 No black skirt, but I bought 5 other items that don’t go with anything else I own, but what bargains! Heading for another store.
12 Noon. I’m heading home with 15 items, including a black skirt that costs twice as much as I had intended to pay, but I’m desperate. Everything else I tried on was too short, too tight, had a slit, wrong size, etc., and I need a black skirt, and this is the only time I have to shop. I’m also exhausted. Where’s that piece of paper with my car location?
Money spent: $350 plus gas
Time: 3.5 hours plus the nap I’ll have to take when I get home, plus the time I’ll probably spend returning some of those bargains I couldn’t resist.

ONLINE:
8 am: Grab a cup of coffee, sit down at my computer, go to my favorite online site (ask me what it's called) search for "black skirt".
8:01 Decide which one I want.
8:05 It's in the mail.

OK, I can hear you saying, "But I need to try it on, feel the fabric, how do you know it's going to look good on you, returns are a pain, etc. etc."
In future postings, I'll explain how to get the most out of shopping online.

Please share any of your experiences, good or bad, with shopping for clothes online. HFOPersonalShopper@gmail.com

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