Online or in store? (unofficial non-scientific survey)

[Mitch Kronowit]

For those you have the time and interest, I'm conducting a little research on consumer and business buying habits, namely do they prefer to shop online, in stores, or both. This is for a little marketing project I'm working on.

To kick things off, I'll post my own madness so you can get the idea of what I'm shooting for.

I prefer shopping/buying online when:
- I'm on a tight budget for a particular product and I can save significant money buying online.
- I'm not in any hurry for the product, i.e., I can wait for shipping.
- The product is difficult to find locally or simply not available, so I HAVE to shop online.
- The web site/company was very helpful in making my decision/selecting the product I needed so I feel they deserve the sale.

I prefer shopping/buying in a store when:
- I need the product NOW or very soon.
- The price is competitive with online suppliers, especially after factoring in shipping costs.
- I really need to see and feel the product first hand before deciding on a purchase.
- I like to support my local economy so long as I'm not over-spending.
- The store or salespeople were very helpful so I feel they deserve the sale.

Looking forward to your responses. Thank you for taking the time to participate. (nobody's names will be part of this research) :D

[Brian Levredge]

If I could buy everything online I probably would. I pretty much hate shopping, especially if it involves having to go to a mall and walk around.

Having said that, things like groceries and clothing pretty much have to be done in person. I would also agree about bigger ticket items like furniture or electronics. Anything else I pretty much buy on line. I find the prices are often better than what you will find locally (regardless of sales tax) and the shipping is way less than what I would spend in fuel to get there and in how I value my time.