My shopping behavior has changed.

[cbo111]

I just heard a knock on the front door at 8:00pm, It was a UPS driver dropping off time critical items; an engine and AC filters for my Subaru, and a six-pack of Colgate Whitener toothpaste. Thanks to me, these guys are out delivering nearly 24 hrs a day. I am dumbstruck at how much stuff I purchase on-line, and how little I shop at my local mall or shopping centers. I haven't been inside a mall in five years. My perpetual collection of cardboard boxes in the garage is stunning. Like others, I upped my online shopping during COVID and never really went back. In fact it has increased over the years. We ordered a sofa on-line two weeks ago, and yesterday it was delivered. Nice piece of furniture, exactly as described on the website. I hope there aren't too many others like me, or the local brick and mortar stores are doomed.

 

[marko]

We get an Amazon delivery almost every single day. Delivered right into the garage. There's a Home Depot less than a mile away, but most times I'll just order something via Amazon instead of driving over there.

 

[sengsational]

I'm the same. It's just too easy.

Back in the days of slow connectivity and poorly organized and poorly stocked online commerce sites, I thought "this will never be any good." Boy was I wrong.

Although I was checking prices at Home Depot a few days ago, and spotted a clearance price, in-store only on river rock ($3 a bag instead of $12). I drove right over! I was going to put that in the micro blow the dough thread, but I bought the whole pallet ... 56 bags, so > $100.

 

[GrayHare]

I have Amazon deliver directly to my storage unit. Amazon now offers its own storage units into which they can put whatever you buy. (Just joking. About both.)

 

[Graybeard]

Large malls and shopping centers have closed years ago and are still closing in this state, the ones that remain around here have 2 or 3 tenants vs the 8 or 12 they used to have. Last time I was in Walmart was 2 weeks before Thanksgiving 2019 cuz I don't return until mid January to avoid the Christmas madness. The COVID restrictions in Jan. 2020 were so absurdly restrictive I refused to go there and stand in line outside in the cold while they allowed just 50 people in the store. I have never gone back.

 

[Pointby2]

You're not alone. We buy almost everything on Amazon. I decided during Covid to follow my gut and buy the stock as well. We're also Vine members so we get shipments almost every day. It is sad to see what may be potentially the end of most retail stores.

 

[GrayHare]

I've been going back to stores that offer better quality items. Too many things I've gotten online appear to seconds, though not sold as such. The major brand name light switch that recently broke after less than 2 years of use comes to mind.

 

[Major Tom]

I hope there aren't too many others like me, or the local brick and mortar stores are doomed.

There are many others like you (I am one of them) and yes, many local brick and mortar stores have either already bitten the dust, or will do so.

 

[aja8888]

I only buy a few things online. I like going to the grocery store and picking out my own stuff. I go to WM to pick up a few things that are bulky or heavy. I also need to get out of the house as I have no inclination to just hang around. I'm single though so maybe you married folks have more to do at home than me. And I can't watch the TV for very long before wanting to throw a brick at it.

 

[MC Rider]

I only buy a few things online. I like going to the grocery store and picking out my own stuff. I go to WM to pick up a few things that are bulky or heavy. I also need to get out of the house as I have no inclination to just hang around. I'm single though so maybe you married folks have more to do at home than me. And I can't watch the TV for very long before wanting to throw a brick at it.

Same here mostly. But Waldo is an hour drive away so I don't go often.

 

[Texas Proud]

We buy all groceries at the store... and pick it out ourselves... I have watched them pick and they never look at a date.. no thanks...

DW buys a lot online from many vendors... I buy some but not much...

However, I just bought a new freezer online as their delivery and take away charges were less and they had the cheapest price along with a 7% discount... also the soonest delivery time...

 

[Al18]

We enjoy grocery shopping at the store, and I enjoy shopping at Home Depot or Lowe’s (they’re across the street from each other)

 

[badatmath]

We get an Amazon delivery almost every single day. Delivered right into the garage. There's a Home Depot less than a mile away, but most times I'll just order something via Amazon instead of driving over there.

Home Depot has great free delivery even on small items IME.

IDK the actual "policy" but I've ordered things that are $2 or $7 and had free delivery. Sometimes from the local store, sometimes via a "real" service.

 

[Midpack]

• 42 packages per person shipped worldwide in 2022; U.S. parcels shipped at a rate of 64 packages per person.
• The number of malls declined 16.7% per year from 2017 to 2022.
• Projections indicate that up to 87% of large shopping malls may close over 10 years.
• 2 million square feet of mall space was demolished in 2022.
• 141.7 million Americans (54.3% of those aged 18+) bought groceries online in 2022.
• In-store shopping still earns more sales dollars than online shopping. American consumers spent $7.051 trillion in retail stores and $1.243 trillion online in 2023.*
• The monthly record for online purchases was 17.3% of retail sales dollars in November 2023.

https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/

 

[Koolau]

I only buy a few things online. I like going to the grocery store and picking out my own stuff. I go to WM to pick up a few things that are bulky or heavy. I also need to get out of the house as I have no inclination to just hang around. I'm single though so maybe you married folks have more to do at home than me. And I can't watch the TV for very long before wanting to throw a brick at it.

I'm the same way. I much prefer to shop in person. Sometimes, when I see something in a store, I decide I don't really want it. Using online shopping, I'd either keep it or deal with the hassle of returning it. I much prefer the B&M experience but YMMV.

 

[athena53]

My buying habits haven't changed that much but I'm on the Boomer side of the graph Midpack published. I prefer to buy my groceries in person because I buy a lot of fresh produce. I rarely buy clothes- I have plenty. I buy on-line only if it's something I can't find locally. Last thing was a passport folder with a pocket for an AirTag.

I'm also concerned about the environmental and economic impact of Amazon and other on-line sellers. Shein and Temu seem to be mostly fast fashion and other cheap stuff that will end up in landfills within a year. Throw it out, buy more. How many trees get killed to produce shipping boxes? What's the environmental impact of all those massive trucks on the road, parking wherever they want and blocking traffic? And I have a friend who doesn't manage money well who buys nearly every darned thing "suggested" to him by Amazon. More little electronic gadgets, more toys for the cats.. he's a borderline hoarder and struggling with credit card debt. I don't have a Prime membership- makes it too easy to "Buy Now" and makes me less likely to consider other sources.

 

[ncbill]

recently checked local drugstore prices for the OTC allergy meds I wanted to buy.

(Walmart stores were further away than I wanted to drive)

then I went on Amazon to check prices.

by buying a larger size of the above (to go over $25 total order) I got overnight shipping.

though groceries are bought in-person at a Lidl ~5 minutes away.

 

[Jerry1]

I hardly ever go to the store except for food. Online shopping is very convenient but the biggest draw for me is the selection. There’s just no way a store, or even a mall could stock all the variations of things to be bought. I agree, clothes are a little difficult to buy online, but the selection far outweighs burden. For example, jeans at my size are usually a 34 or a 36 inch waist. But, online, I found both Wrangler and Levi’s in a 35 inch waist, which fit me much better. Shoe are another good example. B&M stores rarely had the size and width that I wanted but online, I can find the brands and the sizes I want easily.

Some things are still best to find locally though. Things like oil and washer fluid for the cars/lawn equipment don’t ship all that well and thankfully there is still good supply in the stores. Then there’s the little and big things at the hardware store like nuts and bolts (small) and a snow shovel (large) which online doesn’t handle very well.

 

[isisdave]

I recently needed two stainless 5/8-inch toothed lock washers. They were on Amazon, but I would have to buy a bag of 25 and it was $15.44! Pretty pricey washers, and I hate having leftover weird hardware that I'll probably never use again.

So I visited Menards, Lowe's, and Home Depot to find that the next size they carry above 1/2 inch is 1 inch. Even if they had it, I'd still have to buy a $1.83 bag of probably 4 or 5. That was my goal.

How much gas and time did I waste trying to avoid Amazon?

 

[Jerry1]

I recently needed two stainless 5/8-inch toothed lock washers. They were on Amazon, but I would have to buy a bag of 25 and it was $15.44! Pretty pricey washers, and I hate having leftover weird hardware that I'll probably never use again.

So I visited Menards, Lowe's, and Home Depot to find that the next size they carry above 1/2 inch is 1 inch. Even if they had it, I'd still have to buy a $1.83 bag of probably 4 or 5. That was my goal.

How much gas and time did I waste trying to avoid Amazon?

That’s the type of thing a small local hardware store does well. Problem is that the margin isn’t enough on those types of things. Places like ace fill in the gap with things like yard/gardening supplies, grills, and various services. It’s nice to have one close.

 

[euro]

My buying habits haven't changed that much but I'm on the Boomer side of the graph Midpack published. I prefer to buy my groceries in person because I buy a lot of fresh produce. I rarely buy clothes- I have plenty. I buy on-line only if it's something I can't find locally. Last thing was a passport folder with a pocket for an AirTag.

I'm also concerned about the environmental and economic impact of Amazon and other on-line sellers. Shein and Temu seem to be mostly fast fashion and other cheap stuff that will end up in landfills within a year. Throw it out, buy more. How many trees get killed to produce shipping boxes? What's the environmental impact of all those massive trucks on the road, parking wherever they want and blocking traffic? And I have a friend who doesn't manage money well who buys nearly every darned thing "suggested" to him by Amazon. More little electronic gadgets, more toys for the cats.. he's a borderline hoarder and struggling with credit card debt. I don't have a Prime membership- makes it too easy to "Buy Now" and makes me less likely to consider other sources.

Admirable for sure, but..... I have to say, I'm probably somewhere in between - I actually enjoy my Lowes/HomeDepot/HF trips as I get to scope out new tools, new plants, etc. I still find "real life scrolling" much more enjoyable than online scrolling. Alas, I'm already at 60 Amazon orders for 2025....!

 

[Badger]

I buy our groceries at the store since I use mostly fresh produce and I want the option of making sure it is up to my standards. Anything else I would want to check prices first. Home Depot or Lowes are mainly for wood for repairs or small projects. The only problem is the wood is usually garbage. Everything else I can find on-line but there is usually not much that I need or want. It does, however, have to have a free return shipping policy.

 

[sdtech]

After we got an EV Car we've found that most of our shopping - especially for food - revolved around adding a grocery stop after we bought gas. Now because the car is always "topped off" we don't shop as many times.

 

[pacergal]

During covid, we shopped online, which I had not done before. Now I am trying to do more in store--I simply like to look/feel/try on what I buy. I go to the local mall, but don't wander around. Simply go straight to the store I want, buy and leave. The only time I wander and people watch is during the Christmas Season.
Did on line grocery delivery once from Amazon in 2020, bad produce, not happy with substitutions. After that , did pick up at local Fred Meyer/Kroger and Safeway for a few years.

 

[Ronstar]

I buy a lot from Amazon - 33 orders so far this year. I leave our outside lights on for the driver now that he sometimes delivers at 4 am. And I spend a lot at Menards and Ace Hardware too.