I needed a new pair of Dr Martens recently,
So I drove to a large shopping centre to buy them.
Got in the shop, asked for some Doc martens size 9.
Low and behold, they dont carry any stock but they can order them online for me and get them delivered.
So I thought I would buy some timberlands instead, so went to the Timberland shop.
Again I asked for a pair of Timberlands my size.
and fuck me. same story. they carry no stock but they can order them online for me and get them delivered.
High street stores have turned into internet shops.
I hate buying online. you see what you want and the price you want to pay, cool. you add it to the basket, then you suddenly see 20% tax added, no mention of that on the previous page. So you think OK, I wont use this shit site again. You relent because what you need is important. so you click through to pay. Then there is the poxy delivery charges.
So your £20 item is now £30-35
If I wanted to order online, I would have ordered online in the first place, but I don't. Ordering online is more hassle, often more expensive, and I don't get the item immediately. And if I'm going to order a thing online, I'm going to order it directly from the manufacturer, not through some retail company's website.
A store telling me to order it online is exactly the same as the store telling me not to buy it from them.
But if retailers hate when people buy using a laptop, then they'll be OK with me. I don't have a laptop anymore. I replaced it with a tower.
"People often prefer bigger screens and keyboards for pricier purchases—but merchants have more levers to pull on mobile"
For example if I want a specific tool it's not that uncommon that Screwfix doesn't have it in stock same day, and they are basically a warehouse with a checkout at the front.