Online versus High Street Christmas shopping

Whether you choose to look for Christmas bargains online or along your local High Street is up to you. Both offer some bargains but both have pros and cons.

Local shopping

Along the high Street or local Shopping Mall

If you choose to shop locally you could grab a great bargain and help your local community. The main positives are:

• As shops currently go out of business all the time the Internet poses a real threat to city centres, shopping malls and high streets. As they say you do not know what you have till its gone. That's true of a vibrant city centre, high street or shopping mall. Once we have lost such options the Internet could monopolise retail shopping and push up prices.

• Shopping locally can have a positive benefit to your town or city.
• Many stores have pre Christmas sales ongoing.

• 50% off the price is bad news for retailers but good news for shoppers.

• You get to see and feel the goods before you purchase. If you want to try clothes on you can before you buy.
• Shopping can be a social event and include brunch with the girls or a pub lunch with the boys.
• If you have little idea what to buy for gifts a hands on approach can provide inspiration.

OK so now for the negatives about such hands on shopping:

• Unless you live in the heart of a shopping centre it will cost you to get there. Public transport could work out cheaper but be busy and time wasting. Using your own transport could leave you with hefty parking charges, assuming that you can find a place to park.
• It can be hard on the feet, trudging from one store to another. Using a shopping mall will be better but if it is a large one can still be tiring.
• Busy Christmas shopping days can mean that you and seemingly every other person on the planet is shopping. Long queues, crowds and more are a pain.
• There is always the risk that you could be robbed. Pickpockets abound in the pre Christmas shopping splurge.
• Bad weather may add to your Christmas shopping woes. After all it is Winter.
• With bad weather and the world and its wife shopping, accidents unfortunately can happen.
• You may find that your ideal purchase is out of stock and so a return visit will be necessary.
• Tempting offers could mean you spend and buy more than planned.

The Internet Christmas online shopping experience

So what about Christmas Shopping online?

Let's start with the positives again as there are many such as:

• ​A great choice of retailers and goods.
• No need to get dressed up or even dressed to shop. You can complete your Christmas shopping in your underwear if you want to.
• 24/7 shopping on the high street has begun but it cannot compete with online shopping on that score. Who wants to trawl a store at three in the morning? The Internet is a different matter.
• Easy price comparison at the click of a button is available, so that you can bag the best Christmas bargains.
• Access to the World's retailers.
• Delivery to your door which sometimes is free.
• The lowest prices available.
• Ease and speed of access.
• No crowds.
• Bad weather is immaterial.
• Your personal safety is just that, safe.

But much as online shopping is wonderful it does have some negatives such as:

• Goods may look better online than they actually are.
• There are still some rogue traders online.
• Late delivery could mean your gifts arrive after Christmas.
• Delivery and returns charges could make your purchase pricey.
• Internet security can be breached. Make sure that you use a secure payment.

Online or High Street?

Which would you choose?

The conclusion?
The pros and cons highlighted are just some of those associated with Christmas shopping online or in the City. The choice is yours. It could be that a combination of both will suit your needs.

Researching the Internet for gift inspiration and price checks is always useful. If you are not happy to purchase online at least you will then have the information necessary to make your shopping trip easier and more productive.

This writer tends to buy from both sources.

Much could depend on how financially sound you are right now. For most of us that is not very.

Therefore well planned Christmas shopping offers the best value for money. Plus of course the best gifts you can afford for your loved ones.