Online VS Instore Shopping: The Best of Both Worlds
Christmas is coming, which has got us thinking about the nature of commerce and how there has never been a better time for buying ‘things’.
The collective sum of an entire planets’ design and production power lies at the touch of a button. Choice is no longer a luxury but endemic to the civilised world, a Universal Constant, stretching from your fingertips into infinity.
This is especially true for the still-a-bit niche that is the Outdoor Industry. There was a time not so long ago when it would be common practice to turn up to a ski resort with nothing, buying everything on the first day of your holiday. Or even driving half way across the country to one of the few specialist stores to get kitted out beforehand – particularly a pain if you just needed a new coat. Whilst the commitment of this is commendable, the now easily accessible online marketplace can all but completely remove the stress of this process. Access to information such as reviews and buying guides help make informed decisions in the comfort of your own home.
It has become very, VERY easy; point, click, and a few days later new toys arrive. No commute into town, no having to look at or talk to anyone. Ideal.
So the marketplace has become ethereal and non-geographic; it can be easier – and cheaper – to import an item from halfway across the world than buy it down the road. With the best will in the world, it can be difficult to justify forking over more of your hard earned beer-tokens when an item could be bought cheaper and easier elsewhere.
It is not all doom-and-gloom for good-old bricks-and-mortar shopping, however, especially when it comes to the glorious subject of ski and board gear. There are the items that really NEED physical interaction with people who know what they are doing, such as buying or modifying ski boots. As confident as you may be, modifying a £300+pair of boots using nothing but your clothes iron and a hammer will seldom yield as impressive/cost-effective results.
Secondly, despite our best efforts, humans are social beasts. There is something immensely galvanising about sharing a passion with a group of people who want to help you get more out of it. You can of course do the same via message boards and facebook groups, but the QUALITY of interaction is certainly lower. So do not rely entirely on home-grown knowhow – those in resorts will have a very specific skill and knowledge set which may be worth taking advantage of too.
This notion of quality lends itself to why buying in-store will never be fully replaced by the web; to purely shop online is to deprive yourself of the tactility of your activity. Every item of clothing, piece of equipment and social interaction has a materiality which is a significant part of the purchasing experience, and to negate yourself of these experiences too much deprives oneself of countless emotional and sensory connections.
Quite simply, its not as fun.
But what is the best strategy? Scouring the globe for the cheapest price regardless of geo-social factors? or fledge your unwavering loyalty to somewhere closer to home regardless of cost or retail experience.
Home grown stores are undoubtedly precious gems – of which we hope we are a glistening example – but who can always afford to pay through the nose, or withstand the hassle of traveling? The more savvy places, like LD, are usually keen to price match online prices, so perhaps the key lies in giving these places at least first crack at the whip. This would go some way towards creating a vibrant ecosystem for us all to enjoy.
So we say both have their place, and in an efficiency-driven world it sometimes pays to pay a little more – the returns will be more than face-value.
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