I love to shop, that’s clearly no secret and I think pretty common among women (and some men). Just yesterday I was doing some online browsing and thought to myself how wide our access has grown to aquire different things. Think back to just a decade ago when online shopping didn’t exist. Imagine your life without it; would you be affected?
Do you prefer online or in-store shopping?
I love online shopping, the convienence but mainly the accessibility. I love that I can get something from halfway across the world or simply from a store here in my city that no longer has my size. Then you receive your parcel in the mail a bit later and it’s always so exciting opening it up. It’s awesome.
That said, I still love shopping at the mall more. Touching and trying on the clothes, the rush you get when you walk out of the store with your new purchases. Holding that tangible item immediately. Hard to beat.
What about the type of shopping you do: Are you a sale shopping or will pay full price for the latest and greatest?
I am a big sale shopping and don’t tend to pay full price for something very often unless it’s shoes (my size, 10, is rare and sells out quickly). When I do purchase something full price I often feel guilty because I know it’s going to be on sale soon.
That said, I have been trying to make a concious switch in my shopping within the past month or so. Instead of buying cheaper, trendy items, I’m looking for more quality-made, staple pieces. Items that will stick around in my closet for a while that are well made. I kind of came to this realization about two months ago while shopping at Forever 21 and then stepping into Zara. Now, for the record, I love F21 and you can find some great pieces there and I’m not discounting that, but going into Zara immediately after and loving almost every beautiful piece that came across my vision made me think twice about where I’m spending my money. Investment pieces aren’t really something I was interested in purchasing up until now, and while I can’t pass up a good sale, I also am trying to focus my purchases towards slightly higher end items.
Lastly, do you ever return items or have buyer’s remose?
I return stuff like nobody’s business and have become quite good at keeping my receipts organized just in case. I have no problem returning something if I’ve changed my mind; no point letting it sit in your closet and throwing away your money, find something else that you will love instead. While returning can be a hassel, thinking about what you could purchase instead is my motivation. When I’ve purchased something I cannot return, I’ll either keep it in my closet and let it go to waste, or take it to a consignment shop try to make some money back.
Sound off on the (lengthy) topics above!
(Top photo at my favourite store in Montreal in 2007; in Syracuse, NY in 2008)
