Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube
I don't agree with the notion that retail is dead.
After a decade of buying almost exclusively online for everything and hunting for the best prices for < $2500 items, I've recently started shopping at retail almost exclusively instead out of convenience, getting the item right away, price matching with online, and liberal return policies.
The biggest problem and missing factor with online shopping is the hassle of returns and exchanges.
Certainly, for a vast array of items (smaller electronics, entertainment media, disposable goods, etc.) you are almost always better off online, but other more expensive items, complicated items, big ticket items, there needs to be a retail space.
Also, as has already been mentioned, shipping and availability is atrocious in Canada. Many good deals are U.S. only. When Canada improves in that arena, retail would be in even more trouble.
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These are definite limiting factors to online purchasing, but they are quickly changing. In the USA, overnight shipping, easy return mechanisms, etc.. are all very much in place with many online retailers. Canada is slowly coming around. It's just a matter of time until many of the gripes you have are ironed out.