The new normal?

[MiniDave]

Since this thing descended on all of us, I've seen a marked change in my wife's shopping habits. She used to buy the occasional thing on Ebay or maybe Amazon, but now she's done an about face and she gets almost everything she can from an online seller.....

I'm thinking it's because she likes getting the packages delivered, and unwrapping them - sort of like Christmas every day!

I think a lot of people have gone this route - maybe using the pandemic as an excuse - as I see Amazon, FedEx, UPS and mail parcel post deliveries in my urban neighborhood all day long - every day of the week - including Sundays.

I wonder if this trend will continue after things are back to "normal", or if this is the new normal?

When it comes to durable goods, as long as you're getting what you ordered, it's probably a no brainer, but for clothing and such, she sends more back than she keeps, either due to size being wrong or simply not as nice in person as in the online pics.

We haven't gone the route of having groceries or meals delivered yet, like I see so much of advertised on TV, but that's about the only exception.

Interesting times we live in, aren't they?

[BruceK]

Yeah, I think online shopping is indeed the new normal.   I know I have not been to a shopping mall in 10 or 15 years.  Not even sure there's any still around.   There's still a need occasionally to go to Lowe's or Home Depot or Tractor Supply, for me anyway.  But that's only if I can't find what I want off of Amazon or some other site.  I'll actually look for something online first because I can order it while I'm watching a movie, or sitting in front of the computer and I know I'll have it in my hands a day or two.  Usually next day. It spoils you.  And returns, at least for Amazon, have gotten really easy. Just initiate the return and get a return code from Amazon, then take whatever item you're returning to the local UPS store along with the return code and they'll box it and send it off at no charge.

As for groceries, we've been doing it online for the last couple of years. Order online and then go and pick up locally the next day.  Just pull up, indicate what parking space you're in and pop the trunk.   We were definitely the outliers in doing this before the pandemic and it used to work really smoothly.  But then all the Johnny-come-lately's tried it first several months of the pandemic and the grocery stores couldn't cope with the volume – sometimes you couldn't get a pick up time scheduled for a week or more in the future because of the increased demand.  It's back to working real smoothly now.

One thing I've never warmed up to is ordering food to be delivered to my home. In my entire life I've probably ordered pizza delivery less than 5 times and those were only because we had guests or a party or something going on. I definitely haven't tried GrubHub or any of those other delivery options - doesn't appeal to me.

[MiniDave]

Yes - hot food delivery just doesn't appeal as it will be cold time it gets here.

I tried to get Rose to do the online grocery shopping thing but she still wants to just go and pick her own.

[BruceK]

We started online grocery just kind of on a whim because my wife did not want to manhandle 40 pound bags of dog food and out of the shopping cart. Then we started adding other stuff to the order because it was so easy and pretty soon we were hooked. It's really great if you know what you want to buy because you don't have to go looking for it. But I can see the opposite appeal of wanting to visit the store and see what's out there and comparing two items on the shelf against each other. Usually my wife will just make one quick trip into the store to look at and buy meat every couple of weeks and then buy the rest online.

[MiniDave]

Yeah, meat is the other reason.....she feels she has to go in to buy that anyway.

I wonder about the cost tho, with shipping getting more and more expensive (my last order from England shipping was twice as much as I'm used to paying), I'm not sure I understand how the Amazon model works..... or will in the short future. It just doesn't seem sustainable to me.....

Clothing especially - if it doesn't fit or you don't like it they provide a label and free shipping back again - how is this workable? I doubt I could buy anything clothing wise online, I need to know it will fit and that the quality is there - unless it's something I've been buying for years from an established store.....Rose buys things from Macys and other online retailers that have a brick and mortar store still, that way if it doesn't fit or whatever, she can return it for a complete immediate refund.

She says the reason she is buying more clothing online is that the stores frequently just don't have any inventory - even before Covid. I know this is sure true of hard goods like appliances. We joked about how 10 years ago the last time we bought a fridge - we walked into Sears, picked one out and they delivered it the next day. Try doing that now!
( We have been)

[BruceK]

Clothing especially - if it doesn't fit or you don't like it they provide a label and free shipping back again - how is this workable? I doubt I could buy anything clothing wise online, I need to know it will fit and that the quality is there - unless it's something I've been buying for years from an established store.....Rose buys things from Macys and other online retailers that have a brick and mortar store still, that way if it doesn't fit or whatever, she can return it for a complete immediate refund.

Well, all (or nearly all) the clothing name brands you may be familiar with are avilable online, and they are easily returnable. 

Take using Amazon for example, if you wanted to buy a pair of bluejeans, they will have Levi's, Lee, Wrangler, Izod, Carhartt, Dickies, etc.  And other brands too.   So you make an educated guess as to sizing and particular style you want to try, (or you read the label of clothes you already own and order that way).  You can also look at their fitting chart for that style and see what the comments and ratings say about the item.  If satisfited, you place your order.  It arrives in a day or two.  Most often, you have 30 days to try it on and if it doesn't fit you, or you don't like it for any reason, you initate a return online (takes 1 minute).   As soon as you visit the local UPS store and drop your unboxed return off (where they will package it and deliver it back to Amazon at NO additional charge), and your Visa or MasterCard is fully credited.  Immediately.  Before you get back to your car.   I'm set up to get a text message from Amazon telling me this.  No tracking numbers to follow, no waiting.

So there is nothing to lose in giving online clothing a shot.

Yeah, I don't know how their business model sustains the prompt delivery and free returns, but then again they aren't paying for the fancy brick and motar store at the mall, with the sales staff, cleaning crew, security squad, fixtures, displays, HVAC, lighting, etc. like Macy's is.

[MiniDave]

Good point!

We've had several local Malls go broke this year, one of which is probably the most popular mall in the most suburban part of the town, a few have been torn down already. One has been empty long enough to become an eyesore.....others seem to have been repurposed as training centers, call centers and such.

One very large mall was torn down  last year and became a Lowes - biggest one I've ever seen too! Anytime I've been in there it's a ghost town......so far at least. The 20 year old or more Home Depot right across the intersection seems to be still going strong.

[gr8kornholio]

Also 90% of Amazon is delivered by company owned vehicles.  They aren't paying to ship.  Another one around here is Kohl's will take your amazon returns.  Of course guess where the drop off is... yep, the back of the store.  So they spend a little to get stuff back to amazon but they get all those people walking through the store. 

Along with paying all that for brick stores you don't have the 15% loss due to damage or theft.  Hard to shoplift Amazon.  Unless you're a porch pirate.