If I had full vision I would probably love going to brick and mortar
bookstores, particularly the local mom and pop shops that deal with used
books. I think those places would get me in a load of trouble. The same
is true for comic books as I would have likely gotten into those from a
young age.
David Goldfield, Assistive Technology Specialist WWW.DavidGoldfield.org
On 9/15/2019 11:30 AM, John Holcomb wrote:
The electronics I buy you won’t find in a physical store. They’re too expensive and/or not the stuff your local Best Buy would carry.
Food my mom uses PeaPod for the most part but she has got this deal with them so that explains that.
Clothe and shoes I want to go to a store.
I also like going to stores the specialty kind to find stuff you might not see such as in small towns and that kinda thing.
*From:*blind-philly-comp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <blind-philly-comp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> *On Behalf Of *David Goldfield
*Sent:* Sunday, September 15, 2019 1:19 AM
*To:* blind-philly-comp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Subject:* [blind-philly-comp] Re: Do You Prefer to Shop Online, on Your Mobile, or at a Brick-and-Mortar Store?
While my wife and I purchase groceries at our local grocery chain and our medications from our local Walgreens we do the bulk of our other shopping online. Obviously, books are now downloaded and accessed digitally and so books are acquired from Amazon, BARD, Bookshare, Learning Ally or from any other fine Web site where e-books are made available. ☺ Like so many other people we no longer buy or rent movies or TV shows from a video store but instead purchase them from Amazon or, in my case, from iTunes (soon to be the Apple TV store.) For other various household items we purchase everything online, including clothes. Shoes are the exception as I really prefer trying before buying. Online shopping definitely has its benefits, particularly for those of us who can't see, as we might often get more information about a product online than we could if we asked a local salesperson in a store for assistance. I first learned this many years ago when we needed to get a new phone. I'm talking about a phone for our landline service, not a smart phone. Anyway, there were certain requirements that my wife wanted for this phone as it would be located in a room which was pretty much her office. She wanted it to have a speakerphone and a few other features which I've now forgotten. Anyway, I found two phones on Amazon which were extremely similar and I was trying to figure out what actually made the first one different from the second. I was able to go through the product details for each phone and I eventually realized that one phone lacked a certain feature that the other one offered. This may have been in the late 1990s and it really illustrated to me how empowering it was to be able to research these products independently without relying on the assistance of someone else who might not have the time, inclination or knowledge to know what to look for.
However, Merv brings up a point that I was also thinking about earlier regarding the social aspects of shopping which are absent in the online world. Shopping, particularly at a mall, is a lot like eating a good meal. We eat a good meail primarily for the nutrition that the food provides us. However, eating a meal, particularly in a social setting, provides us with an opportunity to socialize and commune with others. These experiences can help facilitate bonding in our relationships with those with whom we're socializing, provide pleasant memories for us and they are likely necessary to ensure healthy human development. When I was in my 20s I would sometimes meet my younger brother on the weekend and we'd go to a mall, eat lunch, walk around and just hang out. Shopping online may have its conveniences and obvious benefits but I do wonder if we've lost something as things like malls, bookstores and video outlets are slowly disappearing.
David Goldfield, Assistive Technology Specialist WWW.DavidGoldfield.org <http://WWW.DavidGoldfield.org>
On 9/14/2019 1:18 PM, Merv Keck wrote:
I used to spend an entire day walking the mall and never buy a
thing. I still miss the atmosphere of the music an the fountain
and the happy kids. Not to mention the smells of pretzels and
cinnamon buns. Laughs!
That was when I could see to enjoy everything. Now I never leave
the house and the idea of even driving to the mall somewhat
terrifies me. sad smile!
Merv
*From:* blind-philly-comp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:blind-philly-comp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<blind-philly-comp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<mailto:blind-philly-comp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> *On Behalf Of
*David Goldfield
*Sent:* Saturday, September 14, 2019 6:41 AM
*To:* blind-philly-comp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:blind-philly-comp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Subject:* [blind-philly-comp] Do You Prefer to Shop Online, on
Your Mobile, or at a Brick-and-Mortar Store?
Make Tech Easier - Thursday, September 12, 2019 at 3:25 PM
Do You Prefer to Shop Online, on Your Mobile, or at a
Brick-and-Mortar Store?
The landscape of shopping opportunities continues to change and
evolve frequently. Twenty-five years ago if you dared to trust the
Internet with your information, there were certain stores that
were online, but for most shopping needs, you needed to hit your
local mall or grocery.
Just 25 years later shopping has completely evolved with online
shopping becoming more and more prevalent. And now with delivery
options being readily available with most stores, that landscape
is changing again. At this point in time, do you prefer to shop
online, on your mobile, or at a brick-and-mortar store?
Our Opinion
For *Elsie* it depends on what she’s buying. She prefers shopping
on her mobile for software, other digital products, and a few
other items she can’t easily find locally. She wants to physically
review certain things, like a car or electronics such as
headphones. She wants to /“physically review and try them for
myself, not just go with what’s been said online and hit the ‘add
to cart’ button.’ “/
She wouldn’t buy groceries online either, as she wants to pick her
own unless the grocer knows her preferences. Most brick-and-mortar
stores are within her reach anyway, so she’ll pop in and buy stuff
in bulk for the week, minimizing her movement.
*Phil* shops online for everything. These days shopping online is
reserved for things he needs to try on, enjoys buying physically,
or needs in the immediate moment. He’s been shopping online since
the 90s and /“surprisingly, few items have gone astray or not been
what I ordered.”/
Three online stores he frequents – eBay, Amazon, Aliexpress – are
interchangeably laptop/mobile experiences, and he has confidence
in the process. He does miss going to video and record stores but
/“increasingly hanging about in brick-and-mortar stores feels like
an old-fashioned experience.”/ The only ones he frequents are
computer game exchanges where he needs to be there in person to
get bargains.
*Andrew* typically shops online with his laptop, as he does /“too
much comparison shopping and bargain hunting to do a lot of
shopping either offline or on mobile.”/ Even if he’s physically in
a store, he still does a little product research when it comes to
price or making major purchases.
Grocery shopping is the exception. He doesn’t particularly like it
but just has to go wander the aisles and find what he needs. He
used to live in an area with online grocery delivery, but even
then he’d still go physically shopping at least once every two weeks.
The problem *Simon* has with shopping online is that much of his
entertainment and work has moved indoors, so he needs more excuses
to go out and get some fresh air, making him prefer to go out to
buy what he wants If he can find it nearby and at a good price.
Yet, usually online prices are cheaper, “/so if I can make a
substantial savings from ordering online, I’ll take it.”/
*Sayak *regularly buys groceries, clothing, and daily essentials
online. While he had relied on a laptop for this, recently he’s
been relying more on Android grocery apps. He also started using
mobile wallets to pay the tab at restaurants and bars. /“Before
this I was skeptical about them, but indeed they’re way faster.”/
While traveling, he’ll only trust cash, except for online
bookings. Additionally, he loves the color, commotion, and
bargains only a flea market can generate.
The only things I don’t buy online are groceries and drug store
items. I’ll get other items while I’m grocery shopping at a big
box store as long as I’m there. All else I buy online. Some
grocery/drug store items I can’t find in the store, so I rely on
Amazon, such as a sweet-tea-flavored tea bags for iced tea.
Between my daughter and I, the two of us order enough things that
we have things being delivered nearly daily. I no longer use a
computer and only use a mobile for everything.
Your Opinion
What are your shopping habits? Do you mostly shop online other
than grocery items? Are you still shopping in person for most
things or only certain items? Do you prefer to shop online, on
your mobile, or at a brick-and-mortar store? Chime in to our
conversation in the comments below.
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Comments (1)
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David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist
Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.info <http://WWW.DavidGoldfield.info>
