Shopping experience
When comparing the online and offline procurement of a product I find it easiest to use books (nothing specific, just in general). As this is the product that I buy most myself through both ways.
When shopping for books in Belgium you often go to stores such as Fnac, Paard Van Troje, Standaard Boekhandel and many others. These all together have a fairly wide range of books concerning all types of different subjects. If you're looking for something specific your search could take a while as you sometimes have no idea which store offers which books and even then it's possible that the book is in the wrong language or it simply isn't in store. If this happens you have to order it through the store and will often times have to pay an increased price simply because they have to special order it for you. This increases both the amount you have to pay and the time you have to wait before you can start reading your book (often multiple weeks).
When shopping online for a specific book the easiest way if Amazon (mostly use the German version). I can't even start counting the amount of books I've bought through this website and never have I had any issues. They probably have one of the biggest libraries to choose from and within 3 working days the package is on your doorstep ready to be read. Without any subsequent hastle. So if you're looking for something specific I highly advise the online procurement simply because if you know the title you can look it up and have it with you within 3 days often at a cheaper price than in retail stores. There is mostly no need to look around on different websites, or compare prices. This one site has pretty much every book you'll need (definitly English never tried it for other languages) and always at a reasonable price. Furthermore I have never had any issues with damage or being sent wrong products, it has always been fast and correct.
The above text is about looking for a specific book, however when you're simply browsing for books I highly prefer a brick-and-mortar shop simply because you can read a paragraph and all that stuff. Browsing online will often times be influenced by the opinions of others as you have countless reviews and reading a segment is often impossible. This does give you a widespread and objective look at the book. But personally I sometimes enjoy taking the plunge into the unknown when I look at books. This way you can always be pleasantly surprised (or sad) by the quality of the book. And that's what first got me into reading, the joy of finding something new that you think nobody else has found before you. The innocence of the discovery.
That's why I believe both types of procurement have their ups and downs, but if you're looking for the most budget friendly, well informed (reviews, star rating); fast and easy way to do it? That means online procurement is for you. There are of course dangers when buying from certain providers, but it's your job as a consumer to inform yourself on the different possibilities and dangers of online shopping, so stay with something that is well-known instead of trying possibly dubious sites.
When shopping for books in Belgium you often go to stores such as Fnac, Paard Van Troje, Standaard Boekhandel and many others. These all together have a fairly wide range of books concerning all types of different subjects. If you're looking for something specific your search could take a while as you sometimes have no idea which store offers which books and even then it's possible that the book is in the wrong language or it simply isn't in store. If this happens you have to order it through the store and will often times have to pay an increased price simply because they have to special order it for you. This increases both the amount you have to pay and the time you have to wait before you can start reading your book (often multiple weeks).
When shopping online for a specific book the easiest way if Amazon (mostly use the German version). I can't even start counting the amount of books I've bought through this website and never have I had any issues. They probably have one of the biggest libraries to choose from and within 3 working days the package is on your doorstep ready to be read. Without any subsequent hastle. So if you're looking for something specific I highly advise the online procurement simply because if you know the title you can look it up and have it with you within 3 days often at a cheaper price than in retail stores. There is mostly no need to look around on different websites, or compare prices. This one site has pretty much every book you'll need (definitly English never tried it for other languages) and always at a reasonable price. Furthermore I have never had any issues with damage or being sent wrong products, it has always been fast and correct.
The above text is about looking for a specific book, however when you're simply browsing for books I highly prefer a brick-and-mortar shop simply because you can read a paragraph and all that stuff. Browsing online will often times be influenced by the opinions of others as you have countless reviews and reading a segment is often impossible. This does give you a widespread and objective look at the book. But personally I sometimes enjoy taking the plunge into the unknown when I look at books. This way you can always be pleasantly surprised (or sad) by the quality of the book. And that's what first got me into reading, the joy of finding something new that you think nobody else has found before you. The innocence of the discovery.
That's why I believe both types of procurement have their ups and downs, but if you're looking for the most budget friendly, well informed (reviews, star rating); fast and easy way to do it? That means online procurement is for you. There are of course dangers when buying from certain providers, but it's your job as a consumer to inform yourself on the different possibilities and dangers of online shopping, so stay with something that is well-known instead of trying possibly dubious sites.