How much effort would you do for shopping?

[CoolToned]

Do you go to outlet stores outside of town having clearance sales?

[BackforGood]

This will depend where you live, how much shopping you need, and how much the discount is, surely. Plus what transport you've got and how much time you've got. Plus, what it is you are shopping for.

Do you want to give us anymore context for your question?

[CoolToned]

Actually not asking for myself, but just generally curious about how much effort people would go for to shop. Say one poster says she lives in the city, but goes to the outlet store 30 mins away, etc.

[Gruach]

We have the Internet nowadays. You can shop from pretty much anywhere in the world.

Btw, not asking for yourself rather suggests journalist fishing to fill a column.

[UterusUterusGhali]

I live 25-40 mins from nearest towns.
I do go in occasionally, but prefer to shop online and wear wellies.

[CoolToned]

Gruach - lol I'm definitely not a journalist. Just curious what lengths people will go to to shop.

[PedantPending]

I hate shopping. I love online shopping, which I can do when I want or need to.
If I happen to find myself in town I can last in shops for about 30 minutes before I find it tedious or I am going for a specific item, usually not clothing or shoes.
I do, however, adore food shopping, but then I live in Europe so there are far more markets etc. to browse. For dull stuff I can usually do a supermarket dash in 20 to 30 minutes.

[barefootbird]

I CBA with outlets anymore, our nearest is so busy that you have to queue for the really expensive car park (nearly £7 if you stay 4 hours) and once in there it's all a bit of a disappointment. I'd rather buy less but buy things that I love or shop the sales in the shops (gap were virtually giving jeans away when I went this week).

If/when I go back to a smart job I'd probably shop the online outlets.

[chanie44]

I love shopping. I'm quite a targeted shopper in that I know what shops I like and what suits me.

I remember going to the Boxing Day sales in my late teens/early 20s and rather enjoying the 'frantic' atmosphere. Nowadays, many shops start their sales before Xmas, plus you can buy online, so there isn't much need to go when it busy.

[PNGirl]

It's not really effort if you enjoy it. It's my birthday tomorrow so I've booked Monday off and my husband and I are going to our nearest McArthur Glen which is about half an hour on the train (we have a car and both drive but it's 70 minutes by car). I'm looking forward to a nice coffee on the journey, seeing what they have in my favourite shops, searching for a particular pair of jeans and some new Vans. I've never been a shopper of necessity.

[Floisme]

I love shopping. In real shops. I like to feel the fabrics, see the colours properly, try on immediately, ask a friend, have a laugh, go and eat cake. I also like trying stuff that's out of my comfort zone. Normally I take it straight off but just occasionally, something unexpected looks right.

Unfortunately the real shops aren't great where I live so I use the internet a lot. It gives me way more choice and I'm grateful but nevertheless I find online shopping solitary and rather joyless. And, because returning stuff is a pain in the arse, I don't take many risks and get set in my ways.

I'll sometimes travel - about an hours drive - to a nearby city that has much better shopping but I don't travel to retail outlets. When I think about it, that's strange but I've called in on a couple when passing and never got that 'I really must do this again' feeling. Quite prepared to reconsider though.

[specialsubject]

I hate.shopping. when an item of clothing wears out and needs replacing it means a boring day in stuffy smelly shops with no actual choice, just endless racks of the same impractical clutter.

[carrie74]

I used t love shopping but now it's just another chore. I like clothes and I'm careful about how I dress, but I don't shop much. My nearest shopping cities are 30 mins drive away, maybe pop in once a month if doing something else or there's something specific. Most shopping I probably do online. Our nearest outlet is about 45 mins away and I go there to buy the kids' school shoes, also there's a good outdoor pool in the town so might pop in if we've gone swimming.

I very rarely just mooch these days or go into town just to look for clothes. I don't have enough free time!!

[Passthecake30]

I hate shopping. I'm 6ft and nothing in the shops actually fits (apart from underwear or shoes), it's so frustrating so I just shop online- and send 99% of it back.

[carrie74]

Oh and actually I'm forgetting- we tend to go to the US once a year and I do A LOT of shopping when there, so for the few months beforehand I tend not to shop to wait until we're there, and a few months afterwards don't shop as have had such an enormous spree while away. Free time + good deals + shops I can rely on = shopping spree!

[BackforGood]

Timewise, it can take longer to drive into the centre of the city I live in, park, and walk in to the shops, than to drive out to an 'out of town' outlet.

[IJustLostTheGame]

I hate shopping.
Shops are full of lovely clothes that won't fit me and I end up in tears in the changing room.
I cried in bravissimo yesterday in front of the sales assistant. Nothing in there fitted well and I lost it.

[hiccupgirl]

I live in a city with pretty decent shopping so tend to look in the shops every week or so. Our nearest out of town outlet is a 30-40 min drive away and I only go if we're going to the cinema there or I'm driving past for some reason. There are a lot of stores I would never bother with and I can wait to look in the couple I like.

[Whatthefoxgoingon]

The only outlet I've been to is Bicester village and occasionally they will have a high end bag I like but it's not worth a specific visit. I sometimes stop if I'm on the way back to London as its open late.

[WhooooAmI24601]

I have DCs, a full time job and weekends filled with horses, judo and rugby. Online shopping is the only way any of us are clothed and shod.

I do love to pop into Touchwood (about 15 minutes drive) but that's torture on a weekend so only do it when absolutely necessary.