Not anymore.
With online deals just as tempting and more convenient, I have gone the virtual route with increased frequency over the past couple of years, particularly during the hectic holiday shopping season.
On the rare occasion that I visit a physical store, I usually come armed with several printouts featuring intel and pricing about the products I am scoping out. It's a version of football's two-minute drill, maximizing every second to get the big score.
I'm not alone in taking this approach. According to a recent online poll by Accenture, 71% of Canadians indicated this year that they planned to browse and research online before stepping out to shop. It's a far cry from the browsing that Rodney Dangerfield and Joe Pesci made famous in the 1983 classic Easy Money.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal calls this new style of shopping "webrooming" -- a process in which a shopper researches products online and then visits the store to purchase the item and make a quick getaway.
Instead of fighting the tide, many savvy retailers have made major investments in the amount of data and functionality that their websites offer in an effort to cater to the webrooming crowd or ring in increased online sales.
Even venerable Canadian Tire -- which has been around since 1922 -- is making an effort to provide added convenience for customers who are attracted to their distinctive product mix. Whether you are in the market for a ladder or a lasagna pan, you can now select the 'Pay and Pick-up' option to avoid lines and guarantee your item is in stock and ready for pick-up within a few hours.
Meanwhile, some big box retailers such as office supply behometh Staples are reducing their footprint by closing or shrinking the size of their stores and guiding more shoppers to its website.
Before going cold turkey as an in-store browser, I decided to visit my local Walmart this week and check out the bargain bin I used to do some dumpster DVD diving in the past. It was always a handy place to find a DVD or two as a stocking stuffer, additional birthday gift or for a break from what was on TV.
After just five minutes of rifling through the various DVDs, I gave up, unwilling to part with $4.88 for a range of sub-par titles, including A Night at the Roxbury. Fortunately, I came prepared, breaking out printouts for two DVDs I had researched on Walmart's website, including Captain Phillips (with Tom Hanks) for $5.97.
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The bargain DVD bin at Walmart is
no longer the site of fierce interest
among shoppers.
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As I walked away from the Electronics Department after my purchase and prepared to leave the store, I took one final glance at the mountain of DVDs that were stacked in the bargain bin. What was once a fierce battleground with customers jockeying for position to lock in the best titles resembled one of the ghost towns in the westerns that were in the pile.
While I would like to tell you that seeing the bin brought back some fond memories and caused me to reconsider my focus on online browsing and purchases, I would be lying.
With retailers upping their game and directing more resources to their websites and order fulfillment, browsing for bargains from home has never been more convenient, enjoyable or affordable. To me, that's what a great shopping experience is all about.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------With retailers upping their game and directing more resources to their websites and order fulfillment, browsing for bargains from home has never been more convenient, enjoyable or affordable. To me, that's what a great shopping experience is all about.
Festive Holiday Gift List
In the spirit of the holiday season -- and to assist readers looking to fill out their shopping lists or provide a small thank you to a colleague at work -- I have compiled a list of four inexpensive gifts that I call the "Festive Five Dollar Holiday Gift List."
Enjoy, and I wish you all the best during the holidays and for a great 2015!
