Ever since lockdown began in early 2020, I have found myself having a hard time buying new clothes. Not only are many stores closed down or utilizing limited hours, I do not want to be going out as much into the community due to the virus. My grandpa is immunocompromised, which means that my family and I have to be very careful in how we shop and attend public places. The last thing I want to do is risk spreading the virus to him and risk him getting health complications because of it. In place of this, I have been spending a lot of time online shopping.
Online shopping is a very different experience compared to shopping in, say the mall or a department store. The thing about online shopping is that it’s very convenient, and most companies try to make it as easy as possible for you to spend your money. Growing up, I spent a lot of time going to the mall with my two older sisters who loved to shop. Prices can be very expensive and there are not always a lot of great deals on certain items; additionally, it can be hard to find the selection or size that you are looking for in an in-person store. However, online shopping is a whole different ball game. There are quite literally thousands of websites that sell all different kinds of clothing, apparel, accessories, and other similar items. Like I said before, they really make it as easy as possible to spend your money.
My favorite part about online shopping is the insanely broad selection that many stores offer. It is also really easy to find things in your size, or sort websites by filters that allow you to see only the type of product you wish to purchase. For example, if I was only in the market for buying Adidas hoodies, I could go to their website and set a filter that allows me to choose from their entire selection of hoodies all in the same place. You can even filter things by price range, color, size, style, and other various factors.
There are also, however, a few downsides to online shopping. One pretty big downside of online shopping is that you are unable to try your clothing items on like you may in the store. This can make it hard to ensure that you are finding the right size or color that you will like the look of. This is also a problem when shopping in a real store, however, with recent COVID restrictions forcing stores to close down their dressing rooms. In addition to this, there is always a possibility that the clothes you order might not arrive on time, or at all, if there are complications with shipping.
Companies have ways of addressing these issues like free returns, good package supplies like poly bags that ensure clothes are kept safe, and money-back guarantees for damaged or lost items. Like with everything, there are pros and cons to online shopping. Another con is that ordering online clothes a lot can be wasteful and harmful for the environment. Some shipping supplies that companies use, like cardboard, bubble wrap, and poly bags can be potentially harmful to the environment if not properly disposed of or recycled.
