In my experience, the retail shopping environment has been on an increasing rate of decline over the past decade+. Post-covid, it seems corporations have figured out how to maximize profit, in part, by reducing labor and tailoring towards online sales.
I grew up in a time when people would complain about salespeople pestering them by simply asking if they needed help with anything. Now, I would love to have someone help me with a purchase.
I recently bought some sneakers in a store and it turned out I probably bought the wrong ones for my needs. A knowledgable salesperson likely would have saved me from wasting my money on the wrong purchase. Most of the supermarkets in my area are self-check out only. These stupid things never work for me so it takes me forever to simply scan a few items. At some stores, items are locked up behind glass so I'm not even able to make a purchase - pushing me to buy from an online retailer instead.
I try to go out of my way to find stores that have humans working there. I try not to buy things online and try to support my local businesses. This is becoming increasingly more difficult and I fear the day will come soon where I'm not able to shop in a physical store.
Especially in this post pandemic world, I crave human interaction. I crave a brief interaction with someone who's a member of my community.
There's a small two-location food market I shop at weekly. It's a fifteen minute walk where I do at least 85% of my shopping. Most of the produce and goods are procured within a hundred miles. There are no self-checkouts. I've gotten to know the people who work there. We talk about produce and the neighborhood and the weather. I freaking love that place and legit do not know what I would do without it.
I imagine I'm in the minority. I imagine most people, especially younger people, desire not interacting with others. Some people find it difficult to engage in real life. Some people are fraught with the impact social media addiction has struck upon them - be it the fear of judgement or bigotry or simply not knowing how to interact respectfully with others.
I remember a time when people would say they trust online reviews more than salespeople who get paid on commission. Is this still a prevalent idea? I'll admit that I typically ignore reviews because reviews have become their own industry. However, there are times I've bought a product, found it to be trash, then saw some reviews, buried below the 'paid' ones, warning me to stay away.
I feel strongly, I am fearful, that as we shift more and more of our shopping online - easily enabled by [Click To Buy] buttons and mobile wallets - corporate capitalism is gaining ground on mom and pop shops. Never mind the rise of the likes of Temu. Moreover, the Walmartification of everything is diluting our sense of community.
It's because we only shop online and in warehouses, it's because we have no choice but to not engage with anyone, it's because we're increasing our reliance on 6" in-our-face screens, it's because we don't ever need to leave the comfort of our home that our neighborhoods and society are doomed to crumble.
Depends. I almost always buy clothes and shoes in actual stores, as shopping for them online is a wasteful hassle. There are also some shops that I enjoy visiting, like second-hand stores or Asian supermarkets, where it's interesting to just browse and buy interesting things I wasn't specifically looking for.
On the other hand, I always buy stuff like electronics online. Electronics stores are more expensive and have a way smaller selection, so I don't bother with them. Generally if I'm looking for something specific, buying it online is just more convenient.
I can definitely appreciate buying clothes in store https://lemmy.ml/post/17369601 What I neglected to include in this account was the incredible staff at the store who went above and beyond to help me find proper sizing when they knew I wasn't even making a purchase then and there.
On the other hand, I did buy sneakers in a store but there wasn't anyone to help me find the right pair. It seems like many corporations aren't willing to pay people to work in stores as much these days. Instead, they can just offer free shipping and free returns for less money than paying someone a living wage.
I can not tell you how many times I wish Radio Shack were still around. I'd gladly pay more money to solve a problem now than have to wait for something to ship over from China.
I used to work in a car stereo and home theater shop. I can tell you that online reviews, even YouTube videos done by "experts", are no where close to an in-person experience. It's sad and incredibly frustrating. I just bought another set of highly regarded headphones which I found to be severely overpriced and under performing. I've been around high end audio for over twenty five years - I actually know what I'm listening for.
I think the point you raise is that people who care about the things they're buying would generally prefer to buy that thing in person. Others who may not care as much or not be as knowledgable are content buying whatever the internet tells them to buy - regardless if it's proper for them to make that specific purchase. I have to wonder how many unsatisfied customers there are out there who either throw things away or have to keep buying replacements.