Many people ask “Should I Shop Online for Christmas?”.  In this article, we will look at the advantages, and disadvantages, of shopping online for the holiday season and how you can combine retail stores with online stores to get the best deals on the best products.

It is time to discuss shopping retail versus shopping online.  And, since we are on the subject of time, let’s discuss watches and my friend Brad.

Since I do retail for a living, Brad wanted my perspective on some items that he was going to buy this Christmas.  He wanted to know whether he should shop online or go to the stores and look for Christmas sales.

I asked him what he wanted to buy and he mentioned that he wanted a good watch.  He was still using the same old watch that he had worn for the last 15 years.  After many years of getting gifts for other people, he said that the one thing that he would like to buy for himself was a good watch.

“Should I shop online?” he asked.  “And,” he added, “if I shop online, how will I get the feel for whether I really like the watch?”

Brad had just asked the most common online shopping question.

If we shop online, without physically holding the merchandise and trying it on, how will we know if we truly like the item?

I told Brad to physically visit the store, try on watches of all varieties, note the prices, and return to tell me of his findings.  He did just that and came to my house directly afterward.

He found a Tag Heuer watch in the mall at a boutique watch store and said to me: “I absolutely have to have this particular watch.  It looked great.  I love it!”  I had rarely seen Brad so excited about a gift.

He mentioned that the watch was rather price-prohibitive at more than $1500 while his wife did not want him to go over $1000.

Thus, we set a goal of finding the exact same watch at a much better price.  We found a site called the Watch Store Online offering the very same watch for just under $1000, a savings of more than $800, or about half the price of the boutique store.

Feeling guilty, Brad called the boutique store to find out if they could come close to the online price.  They said that they could take $200 off but could not meet the online price so Brad bought the watch online.

In this instance, Brad combined retail and online shopping to get the perfect gift at a great price.

Often though, you do not need to visit the retail store to find out more. There are many items that receive stellar reviews, and are so well-known, that you know you are getting the best quality.  For example, if you are looking for the Best Toys for Christmas 2009, you usually do not need to visit the retail stores.  Toys receive hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of independent reviews and so you can know the product without seeing it.

People usually ask “Should I shop online for Christmas?” because they are unsure whether the online experience can match the retail experience.  As you can see, the two can be combined to obtain the best gifts at the best price.

Richard Mas
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