Who would have thought that we would see the day when you could go to the mall without even having to get out of your chair? Well, now it is a reality. Last Christmas, I made the mistake of trying to go to the mall to do a little window shopping in preparation for buying some gifts. I was lucky if I even saw a window though. Every turn I made, I was practically being run into by other people. Babies were screaming, parents were scolding children and then there were those people who just seemed to take forever to walk and were constantly in the way. It was nothing short of complete and total chaos. I couldn't help but think, “No wonder people just opt to buy everything online nowadays!



There is still something to be said for those people who like to pick up their gifts at the mall or at other stores versus online. If you are anything like me, you are a tactile person, relying on being able to touch or feel something in your hands before you commit to buying it. When you purchase something online (clothing-wise especially), you don't have the opportunity to try it on first. Then it becomes a whole production to have to mail it back in and get the right size. Going to the store and trying something on first-hand is a sure fire way to see if what you may potentially purchase later actually fits. Still, people choose to buy online because it is usually cheaper and sometimes faster than ordering something at a store and having to fight traffic and incompetence.

I was shocked when I saw some advertisements for people to purchase wedding rings on the Internet! Supposedly there is a huge draw to do this too because the prices are significantly cheaper than if you were to go into a store and sit down with a representative. I couldn't wait to entertain the idea of people buying their wedding gowns online-which I am sure that they already do! It really does seem like there is no limit to what people will buy online. With the emergence of sites like Craigslist and eBay to prove this point, it is becoming more and more obvious that increased numbers of people are using the Internet over the gasoline in their cars to get what they want from the stores that they want. But what will this mean for those employees who are trying to eek out an existence n dying stores?

Admittedly, sometimes I feel bad for those sales representatives who are stuck in the stores that people keep passing by. At the same time, I also cannot help but feel that sometimes store greeters as well as salespeople are a little too aggressive with customers. It's kind of like those survey people that you'll see at the mall; you avoid them. So, could these people be hurting business? I guess only time will tell. In the meantime, I'm going to go online and buy a cd that I just heard.