ONLINE SHOPPING VS. IRL

The revolution of online shopping has changed the shopping game. It’s made it easier for shopaholics like me to shop which is great for them, but pretty crap for my bank account. Since the fall of some of the high street greats like House of Fraser and now HMV, it has got everyone thinking about how big an effect it could really have and how it has changed the game.

So I’m sure everyone has shopped online and irl but what do we prefer? I love the experience of going into a shop, seeing all the clothes and being able to try them on there and then without the hassle of having to send something back. That’s the thing though, online shopping has created such laziness in us that we complain if we have to walk round the corner to a post office to send something back. I mean we’d literally have to go to the shop to try it on in the first place. I think actually being able to go into a shop and try something on doesn’t get enough credit. Ordering clothes and not being able to see the size, fit, colour and whether it suits your body shape is such a pain. I have a very awkward body shape to shop for as well so I constantly have to read reviews and look at measurements which can be an absolute chore. Also, IRL you can see the quality of the product and how see through a pair of leggings or a dress is. Online shops can also get away with selling bad quality clothes for cheap because people can’t be bothered to send something back for a couple of quid but in a shop they just won’t buy it.

Although the care-free, ease and convenience of online shopping is such a breeze. You don’t have to go anywhere or elbow your way through a crowd of people and hangers and leap over the clothes that have been dropped on the floor of the sale section. Sitting in bed, in your pyjamas, drinking a cuppa, 24/7. Ah bliss. Who wouldn’t want to shop in bed in their pyjamas with a cuppa? It is just so accessible. You get to see all the stock and not just what’s limited to that store. The sales are a lot easier to navigate online and you tend to find better bargains rather than all the cluttered mess in store. But you do have to wait for it arrive which is such a bore compared to an instant purchase in a shop. Sometimes it can take more than 4 weeks and then can you have to pay a customs charge🙄 However, next day delivery is a blessing. You can get something by the time you get up without having to leave the house and if you have unlimited delivery you can really get your moneys worth. All these online shops now doing membership kind of things where you pay for a year of next day delivery is a great idea because i’m constantly shopping and thinking f**k it i don’t have to pay for delivery. Once again, not great for my bank account.

Both have the perk of a reward scheme where you get points however, not many clothes places do this. Two off the top of my head that do are Shein and Missy Empire (and they give you money off) and guess what they’re both online. How many IRL clothes shops can you name that reward card type things. More places should do this, I’d probably be more loyal. But, online shops you have no choice but to talk to bloody customer services. Waiting for an email reply or sitting in a queue on the phone, (hold music is one of my deep hatreds in life) is such a pain unless it is quick and efficient. Whereas in a shop you can actually speak to a human face to face and get an instant response. That’s another benefit of IRL retail, it gives people jobs. Jobs we need!!! With all these companies going bankrupt, shutting down stores and moving online, people are losing jobs. Maybe if they made parking free or even just cheaper people would visit stores more often. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I know I would. A main perk for me is shopping in store is so much more sustainable.

Even adverts are moving online more. Social media sites like Instagram offer a cheaper but effective outlet for companies to advertise their products. I’m currently on the hunt for a placement (please hire me) in marketing/PR and a key feature in most of the job descriptions is managing social media pages and running social media ads. How crazy is that? Some peoples jobs are genuinely paid to do social media. I’ll be getting paid to do something I love and run like my blog!!

So what do you prefer? Online or IRL?

Ngl, even with the risk of shops shutting down I will still be jumping on the bandwagon of online shopping due to pure convenience.