It has now been over two months since we've been able to go shopping. Regardless of where your goto place is, all stores have been locked-down meaning that the only form of shopping we've been able to do is online. Now, regulations are starting to get lifted in certain states on Monday, but I thought it would be potentially helpful to explain my approach to online shopping just in case your state's remaining locked-down.
Plus, when stores do open, they're most likely going to have all sorts of restrictions, and in all honesty, I think online shopping is still going to be ideal until at least midsummer.
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| Macy's Logo. I love how they use a start instead of an aphostrophe! |
My goto store for the past few years has been Macy's, so I don't really know how online shopping for other department stores works but I assume it's pretty similar. For the sake of this post, I'll be using the Macy's app.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of shopping online is how convenient it is. While the actual stores typically close around 9 or 10pm, the online store is constantly open meaning you can shop whenever you want. However, it's a double edged sword. Yes, you are able to shop whenever you want, but you miss out on several key elements of shopping in-person like being able to talk to an employee, getting to feel the material, being able to try something on, et cetera.
So in this post, I'm going to give you some tips and tricks to ensure your online shopping experience is as good as your in-person experience would be:
Tip #1: Kind of know what you want before you go online.
This first tip is perhaps the most important. If you just go online for the sake of looking, you are getting yourself into trouble.
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| Note how there are 721 options if you browse (S.A) |
So instead of aimlessly looking through Macy's entire collection of sport coat's, have some idea of what kind of coat you want, not necessarily the brand but I would say the material and even color.
After you figure that out, take a look at screenshots B and C. Click on the filter option as shown in B and select what category you want to filter out. So say you're looking for a black or brown coat, you would select black and brown and then click the view 143 items icon.
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| S.B |
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| S.C |
Now, let's say you know you want a wool coat, you would select price and choose the $100-$250 option because you probably aren't going to find a wool coat for less than that.
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| S. D |
And I don't know about you, but I think 46 is a much better number to sift through than 721.
Knowing what you want before you go online will save you time and potentially money.
Tip #2: Read the reviews but don't let them change your mind
Of course, if a product has 100 reviews and the all say it sucks then that's a pretty clear indication that it does indeed suck, but if you only see one or two bad ones, don't let that prevent you from buying something.
You see, a lot of times people will give a negative review based on their experience buying a product or something else that's irrelevant Sometimes the person's review is just unfounded. Take a look at screenshot E.
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| I'm not sure why they wrote this review, but I'm glad I didn't listen to it (S.E) |
Even more potentially problematic than clothes reviews are fragrance reviews. This is because everyone is going to experience a fragrance differently, so the words of others should always be questioned. For example, take a look at screenshot F. It's a review for the Dior Sauvage EDT. The person claims that it's watered- down, but guess what? I bought the EDT and it lasts me 12 hours!
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| I'm not sure what this person was talking about, but I hope no-one didn't buy Sauvage because of their review (S.F) |
How the hell would they even know it's watered-down?
Now, take a look at screenshot G. This was written about Dolce & Gabanna The One. It is an example of someone making the fragrance seem better than it actually is. Based on this person's review, The One is worth blind buying, but in my opinion, it really isn't. Sure, it smells great, but its performance is subpar. You should really do your research prior to buying it.
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| I would disagree with this one (S.G) |
But who know? Maybe it performs really well on them.
That's what I mean. Reviews can be helpful, but they can also complicate your shopping experience. I would say, ignore the reviews unless there are several saying that a product is bad.
Tip #3: Use the sort feature.
Sorting products can be incredibly helpful especially if you're looking to save money. Take a look at one of my most recent searches. I was looking for some new Ralph Lauren waistcoats, but I didn't want to spend a ton of money, so I clicked on the sort option, as shown in screenshot H, and choose Price: Low to High.
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| S.H |
Look what happened when the vests were reordered:
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| S.I |
I saw that there were about a dozen less expensive products than what was shown to me initially. $13 for a linen waistcoat is a steal! But I might not have seen that particular waistcoat if I didn't rearrange the products.
Tip #4: Pause before you buy anything.
One of the biggest issues with online shopping is how easy it is to buy stuff. After all, in most cases you're not even required to touch your credit card-- assuming your information is saved-- which means you can buy and buy and buy without even realizing you're spending money. And this can be even worse if you're just browsing through inventory instead of looking for a particular product.
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| Think before you select Place Order (S.J) |
So instead of orange I went with the cherry red color, which went with a lot more of the pieces I already had.
Let's face it, shopping can be an adrenaline rush for some people, but it's never a good idea to get swept away in that rush lest you end up buying a bunch of pieces you later realize won't work in your wardrobe.
Tip #5: Don't save your card information
I know that it can be extremely tough to think before you buy something, so if you find yourself really struggling to do so I would suggest you delete your card info. That way, every time you make a purchase you will need to physically get your card. This, for a lot of people including myself, could help you take that moment to reflect on the purchase because by holding your card the transaction becomes more real.
It's definitely worth a shot. The only site my information is saved to is Macy's and that's only because I have the Macy's credit card and I don't think there's a way to delete it. It makes purchases from Macy's a bit more hard, but everywhere else, I can easily prevent myself from buying stuff because my card info isn't saved.
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Well there you have it: five tips that will hopefully help you enjoy your online shopping experience and save you some when while doing so. Spending money online can always be tricky, so it's a good idea to have a game-plan before shopping.
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I'm really looking forward to actually being able to go to the stores, but for now, online shopping is a pretty decent alternative. As long as you stay attentive and don't get swept-up in the rush of adrenaline, you'll be fine.
Any questions, comments, or ideas for future posts?
Let me know in the comments.
Happy shopping!
-Ryan S.
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