"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 4 Apr 2012 02:00:20 +0000 (UTC), "I'm back on the laptop"
> > wrote:
>
>>I could practically buy everything I need online...... apart from the fact
>>I like going shopping to see what's new around, and to smell/taste new
>>things.
>>
>>As stated in a previous thread, I just ...
>>
>>bought my BIL 3 cases of wine for his b'day ($129 delivered to the
>>door!!),
>>bought some more cheese making product,
>>bought myself a new pair of New Balance shoes ($80 delivered),
>>
>>All in the space of 15mins!!
>
>>The shopping is *endless*!!!
>
>
> Retail sales is undergoing drastic changes. Good for the buyer, not so
> good for the guy paying rent at a big store.
>
> In the past few weeks I upgraded my wife's coffee drinking. Retail
> stores carry the major brands and are mediocre. Going on like, I
> found dozens of appliances and brand I never heard of. I bought her
> an espresso machine, a grinder, and the drip coffee maker shipped
> today. Even the coffee came direct from the Kona grower.
> (Smithfarms.com)
>
> Even my tea comes from teatrader.com Good price, great selection and
> quality and just a few thousand miles away in another country.
>
> I'd like to buy locally, but they just don't have some of the items
> available. Rather than drive 50 to 100 miles, just a click and it
> comes to the door.

With the price of gas, it makes sense to buy online, especially if the
seller is offering free shipping. Which many do! I don't know how they can
manage to do that but I sure do take advantage of it. Also for gifts that I
send to other states, I try to order online and have the items shipped
directly there. The price I have to pay for postage is obscene! The only
exception I make to this is for my MIL because I usually buy her clothing
and it has to be labeled with her name. So I just suck it up and do pay the
postage for her gifts. I can't send her food items because she is on a very
strict, special diet. Her medical condition is such that she chokes on
regular food. And sadly she is not even allowed to be around regular food
because she will try to eat it. She almost died, choking on something she
shouldn't have. She does like to give out little gifts we used to take her
little packets of candies, cookies, crackers, little bottles of lotion and
the like when we lived close enough to visit. But we were asked to stop
bringing the food because she was sometimes eating it. I do send her
flowers once in a while though.