Shopping, how much do you go out and buy?

[Itisnoteasybeingdifferent]

I went to Lakeside last week. And noticed a number of empty units. Just now Sir Michael Rose, chairman of Argus was on R4 talking about changes in shopping. February was the worst on record and that people are buying less which made me wonder.

How much is down to being more careful with money?
And how much is because people just don't want to simply buy stuff because they already have everything they need?

I buy clothes online as I am not stock size. I went shopping last week to our major centre and came back with nothing....No shop appealed to me.
I want quality , not throwaway clothes or household items.

I do almost all my shopping online, except clothes. And I don't often buy clothes.

15 or so years ago, I'd go to Lakeside, once/twice a month & several times in the run up to Christmas.

I've not been there now for over 3 years, the thought of "going shopping" now seems alien. Do everything online & have done for a while. Just seems like a waste of time, effort & energy these days & I think that is what retailers have to face into.

Probably a combination of lots of reasons.

Some people may have realised that there is more to life than buying crap they don't need with money they don't have.

Online shopping - why battle the crowds when you can order at home and have it arrive next day?

Already having too much debt, so have to cut back?

Crisps. I'm a completely middle of the road average sized 12/14 woman and most of the time I can't find anything in the shops that fits either as things are often completely the wrong shape, nice fit but awful colour, or just 'wrong' in some other way.

Both,
Are you buying to replace worn out clothes or buying because it's a pretty dress and you just want it? ... even though you already have lots of dresses?

As happens we came away without spending anything from our visit to Lakeside.

I only tend to need to buy clothes at the start of a season, so I needed to buy a few new jumpers in October and soon I'll be wanting a few new summery bits but generally I make any clothes that I want, not to save money but because I enjoy it and like the satisfaction. This isn't in anyway cheaper than buying clothes, I just now spend my money in fabric shops instead of clothes shops. And generally any shopping I do is online.

I've never understood the appeal in "going shopping". If I genuinely need something, ( and I'm talking clothes literally have holes in) I buy online if I possibly can. May go to real life shops maybe once a year. I really don't have the need for stuff. i have everything I need, and anything that may break i order online

I only ever buy stuff I need anyway but haven't been into my local city shopping for about 3 years now. I might pop into a shop as I pass if I'm there for a meeting but only for a very quick look around.

If I really need something specific then I buy online and if I really must go to a shop I go to a retail park because it's easy to park.

This does come back to bite me on the bum sometimes. I am going out tonight and whilst I have three perfectly nice going out outfits they are the same going out outfits I have had for the past few years and so its becoming very obvious to my close group of friends that I don't really buy new clothes very often.

My DM (baby boomer) finds this an alien concept. She goes shopping every saturday without fail whether she "needs" anything or not and invariably comes back with loads of new things.

I do like a wander around the shops sometimes, but tend to go to an out of town shopping park rather than city centre - call me old but I find that all a bit hard going now! I buy online a lot because it is so easy, and paying delivery is cheaper than going to the shops especially when they haven't got what you want in stock - which I find is quite frequent.

I do tend to buy stuff just because I want it and not because I need it, which is not something my Mother would have done. We used to go shopping twice a year and get winter and summer clothes (all spectacularly unfashionable from M&S at the time).

I think there was a period of high street explosion of shops where people had more disposable income and no other way to shop.

Saying that if I do ever venture into the city there never seems to be a shortage of people in the shops!

I live in the arse-end of nowhere so do most of my shopping online.

I find actual shopping so frustrating and I have no patience for it - too crowded, hot, queues, parking.

I took my DD to a huge shopping centre a couple of weeks ago and hated every minute of it. Place was absolutely packed, nightmare to park, I got sick of being bumped into every 5 minutes, queues everywhere

I don't mind if we're going for something specific (I look online first) but absolutely hate mooching.

Plus I just don't want a lot of 'stuff' and I'm quite crafty so tend to make something rather than just go out and buy it

I spent two years paying off debts, which meant I kept away from the temptations of shops. I do buy some new stuff each year, but I buy so much online now.

The only thing I buy on the high street is clothes. Online is more convenient. I thought I'd have to go out and buy an oven in store yesterday so I'd have it quick but they did free next day delivery so I went for that. I even get birthday cards online.

I had to buy a couple of jumpers as it got cold last nov.. £8 each from george, wash a dream and look good and are warm.. they look very similar to a fat face white stuff one. Classic design. apart from them not bought any clothes for i dont know how long. I do need to replace my trainers soon as they wearing out. Dont have money or storage for excess clothes, nick naks so buy as we need. Think alot of people are doing that now.

Loopyhead,
It's not people in the town centre that counts. It's people with carrier bags... having just bougt something.

That's the other thing I notice. A lot of folk are in the high street but not carrying anything.

I only physically 'go shopping' about once or twice a year these days, there are so many other things I'd prefer to do with my spare time

I buy most things online and definitely buy less clothes than I used to

The only time I actually go shopping is when I need something urgently and haven't got time to wait for delivery from buying online.

It was ages before I realised that people went round the shops as a day out/for something to do, without actually having a list of things to buy. I didn't believe it at first, it just seemed such an odd thing to do.

But then people who do that probably think I'm weird for walking to the top of a hill, having a drink and a sandwich, taking a couple of photos and then coming back down again. Each to their own.

I have at times just bought stuff because. Since November last year (DH lost job) I've bought nothing apart from presents for people, food and some seeds for the allotment.

My bank balance is looking brilliant!

There was a switch in my head - I can look at it and think - 'got something similar at home' or 'don't need'. Rarely go to the shops at lunchtime.

Cut right back on food shopping - no more drifting round M&S food hall thinking 'that would be nice for tea' when I've already got a freezer full at home...

I took to singing 'everything is starting to look like clutter...everywhere I go...' around Christmas time [mainly in my head].

I do still enjoy walking into our local town and picking up a few needed or at least purposefully wanted bits from the stationers, ironmongers, butchers, bakers, pharmacy etc but have little interest in browsing the lifestyle/gift/clothes shops most of the time. If I go to a larger city type shopping centre then it is generally for a specific reason.

Most of our non-local town type shopping is done online now.

I never just 'go shopping' or for a browse. I go food shopping to Lidls mainly which is the only regular store we shop at...everything else is online.

Occasionally one of us will nip to a cheap shop like BMs...for a lightbulb or cable ties or something equally random. But everything else is online.