Jay Cronley: Internet shops aren't homey
BY JAY CRONLEY World Staff Columnist
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
11/20/12 at 4:16 AM
A cup of something hot and sweet was to the right.
A good dog was stretched across my feet.
Candle reflections danced on the walls.
Music from decent speakers filled the room.
My finger was on the button.
Holiday shopping doesn't get much easier.
Pull up a chair: I had carts all over the place. One had clothes and appliances in it and figured to have been about the size of a bathtub.
This is one of the conveniences of Internet shopping: add, delete, move to a wish-I-had-the-money file, there's no lugging or hauling: All you lift is the first finger of your best hand to confirm the order.
Internet shopping is so easy to complete that it's unfair to local merchants.
Punch one button and: There's no waiting on a clerk splitting time between the refrigerator department and the socks department.
There's no traffic.
There's no parking in left field.
No crowds.
No tax.
No searching through piles of merchandise for the right size.
Push one button and: Somebody will put the box by the door on the front porch; might even ring the bell.
Your security is protected. If you're worried about Internet larceny, get a credit card with a limited balance just for online shopping.
Sit back. Relax. Browse. Watch the birdies out the window. See if halftime of the football game is over. Add to basket. Select method of delivery.
Have a cookie, have some hot chocolate, push one button and the shopping for the entire season can be finished.
Rethinking home shopping: What can be found in a local store but not on the Internet?
Well, art and other original products.
And women will always shop for clothing and shoes in person, as their bodies vary greatly in shape, and their feet are like fingerprints: no two are ever the same.
Men, you punch medium, large, extra large, order the one-cup coffeemakers for everybody, put the next game on television.
Shopping locally often comes down to matters of loyalty and civic caring.
So I took my finger off the Buy All That Stuff button.
And here's what we get in return for hometown shopping in an economy that's still iffy: Five bucks off and perfect service.
Original Print Headline: Internet shops aren't homey
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