The Truth About Shopping In-Store

Hello dear gal! I’m so glad you’ve dropped by for some style inspiration. Today we’re turning our attention to shopping – all the hows and whys and whats! I’ve asked my daughter Abigail, who is a retail store manager at Madewell, to give us the truth about shopping in-store. And then I’m sharing five truths about shopping online. While we’re answering the broader questions, too, Abigail will also give you the scoop on shopping in-store during the pandemic.

I hope you enjoy today’s video. I cut this one in Georgia, at my mom and dad’s home. Doesn’t it look great in front of her pretty window with the white shutters? James and I joked about driving down every month to shoot videos there from here on out. Hahaha! Of course, my mom said, “Come on!”

I’m also pleased that Abigail agreed to join me for this one. You’ll be seeing her again in a couple of months. She’s an assistant manager at Madewell, so I thought it would be fun to get to the truth about all things shopping in-store, both now during a pandemic and all the time. I think you may be surprised at some of her answers to my questions.

Let’s watch the video!

Enjoy the video. Then head back here for my 5 Truths About Shopping Online. If for some reason the video player doesn’t load below, you can watch the video here.

By the way, Madewell, where Abby works, is offering some great deals right now. They’re having an Insiders’ Event. And if you’re not an Insider, you absolutely can be! It’s free! Insiders get 40% off Fall Favorites here and 20% off full price items that are not marked down here. Here are some of my current favorites at Madewell. (I just bought these leopard print sneakers and LOVE THEM!)

5 Truths About Shopping Online

#1 – You can sometimes get better prices online.

Almost all of my favorite stores, including Talbots, Ann Taylor, Chicos, Madewell and others are known to run online only specials. The best way to take advantage of these specials is to already have an account set up with your favorite retailers so that check out is easy. I like to shop at my leisure, adding favorite finds to my wish list (as I’m able to on most of my favorite retailers’ websites) so that when they have an online only sale, I can take advantage of it.

#2 – It’s very safe to shop online, maybe even safer than shopping in the store.

I know there was a time – long, long ago – when it felt very unsafe and risky to shop online. Would you credit card information be protected??? But now every reputable store has safeguards in place that making entering your most personal information online very safe. The only caveat I would add is that you need to be careful about your Internet connection. Make sure you are on a secure, private connection, not in a public place or on a shared WiFi server.

Because you don’t risk losing your credit card (as we sometimes do in a brick and mortar store), shopping online can actually be safer than venturing into the store.

#3 – Many stores offer Free Shipping and even Free Return Shipping.

Shipping and returns are some of the biggest drawbacks to online shopping, but these days more and more retailers are offering free shipping, especially to their most valued customers. So join the rewards programs, as that is often the pathway to such perks. And if they don’t offer free return shipping, I’ve found that a simple call to their customer service department explaining why you need to return the item and how you hope to continue shopping with them can result in free returns. Of course, if you live near a brick and mortar store, you can often return to the store, as we mentioned in today’s video.

#4 – You might be a more thoughtful shopper if you learn to shop online skillfully.

When I shop in-store, I tend to make impulse purchases I later regret. But when I shop online I’m more prone to shop thoughtfully, deliberately and slowly. I often “gather” merchandise in my “shopping cart” and then leave it, coming back to adjust my purchases later before actually hitting the “purchase” button.

I’m also more likely to look at important information like care instructions, fabric composition, customer reviews and fit guidelines online.

Tip: If you ever remove the care instruction tag from a garment and later need help knowing how to wash it, check out the online listing. You’ll find all that information and more!

#5 – Shopping online helps support small businesses.

Yep. It sure does. Shopping online through my affiliate links or those belonging to other bloggers helps support our businesses. So while I’m all for you getting out and supporting the stores in your neck of the woods, just keep in mind that you’re also supporting someone when you shop through our links. Either way, it’s a win! And it’s definitely a good idea to give each other a hand during this economically challenging time.

Anytime you would like to support my work at Dressed for My Day or my YouTube channel by shopping through my links, you can just return to my website and enter your favorite retailer through any of my links leading to their website. In fact, I have a list of all of my favorite stores in the right margin (on the computer) of my blog posts or at the bottom of the page (on tablets and phones). Thank you for shopping my links.

Thank you for stopping in!

Thanks so much for stopping in today. I’m off to the dentist today and then I think we’re shooting pictures. So I don’t know how fast I’ll be responding to comments today. But I always read and appreciate each and every one. Have a blessed and lovely day!

Don’t Miss a Post:

If you like what you’re seeing here at Dressed for My Day, I invite you to subscribe to my email list. You can receive an email each time I post (about 6 times weekly) or just on Saturdays. You choose! But you’ll also receive the password to open up all the subscriber freebies I offer.

---

Blessed for My Day

Make no mistake about it, Jesus claimed to be God. You can either believe that He is who He says He is or you should believe that He was crazy. He either blasphemed God by falsely claiming to be sent from Him and, indeed, to be God in the flesh, or He spoke truth. Jesus should either be trusted and followed 100% or He should be shunned. There is no middle ground.

If you find yourself straddling the fence about who Jesus is in order to fit in with your friends or family or the culture, you’ll eventually find yourself sitting alone. I encourage you to bravely choose for yourself this day who you believe Jesus is. In John 4:26 Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, the promised one, when He stated simply, “I who speak to you am he.” But scholars say that His simply worded claim also implies that He is the great “I AM.” I believe Him. Do you?

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” ~ John 4:25-26