Nothing can beat the experience of shopping at a brick-and-mortar store, where you have the convenience of actually seeing, touching and feeling the merchandise. The whole brick-and-mortar shopping experience can also have a relaxing effect on some people -- commonly known as retail therapy. But once you become a parent, you have to make so many adjustments. For example, I have switched from brick-and-mortar to online shopping, not entirely though.
This winter I bought clothes online for the first time. This is something I never did before because I always like trying on my clothes before buying them. The first purchase was a disaster, for I ordered all the wrong sizes. I had to go to the mall a week later to have them exchanged. Needless to say that the money I paid to have the clothes shipped went down the drain.
Another problem with electronic shopping is you often do not understand what the color or material of a clothing is like until you see it in person -- I too made that mistake with my first order. But I am learning, so now, I carefully read descriptions and reviews before placing an order. Nevertheless, you can never be 100 per cent certain of a product's size, shape, color and quality when you buy it online.
I have still switched to online shopping because going shopping with my daughter is not a relaxing experience. Sometimes, it only feeds my stress. We have never returned home from a mall without paying at least one trip to the mall's restroom to change her diaper. That often means waiting in line to find a vacant diaper-changing station or a family restroom. We always have to set aside another half-hour to feed her in the food court. Then there are also times when she refuses to be in her stroller, and when it happens, my husband carries her in his lap while I push an empty stroller all over the mall...
To avoid the stress of going shopping with a 15-month-old, I have ordered not only books, toys, clothes, shoes, jewelry and purses online but also little things like baby body moisturizer, shampoo and other things for everyday use. I even buy gifts for friends and family online these days because I do not have the luxury of going to a store to pick a gift. I have not ordered food yet but I might one day, if my daughter continues to dislike being in shops and malls.
But the best aspect of shopping online is that you can take your picks from an endless collection. Literally, the entire virtual world of shopping welcomes you with open arms. I usually dislike paying the shipping fee, but then I cannot deny that everything has a price tag attached to it.
Like I said in the beginning, parenthood demands so many different kinds of life adjustments. And one of the adjustments that I personally have had to make for my child is bid farewell to offline shopping.
By Wara Karim
January 21, 2014
The Daily Star link
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