Do you ever miss real shops?

Your friend might find this article interesting:

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/what-is-temu-and-is-it-safe-to-buy-from-a7BUb4k5fBFH

TheCatWoman said:

ambush salesperson.

So true and accurate 

I used to hate being accosted by shop assistants too, there was one where I told her that her coming up and bugging me all the time had actually put me off going in there and buying anything and I would only go in there now if I didn't see her hanging about outside the door like a an ambush salesperson. There has only ever been one clothes shop that used to try and do that, it was one that I didn't like anyway so the predatory ambush sales tactics never really got to me, either that or all shops did it and took one look at me and decided that none of their clothes would fit me anyway and left me alone. There was one really old fashioned dress shop in Lampeter where they had almost no clothes on show and you just went in and said you wanted a summer dress or something and the assistants would get a selection to show you. I remember going shopping with my Mum when I was a very little girl and this being how clothes shops were. I've been herded out of a few shops too, I don't know if the assistants were just embarassed to have someone like me in their shop or if they thought I was going to steal something, it was very uncomfortable though.

Yes, or in my case customer assistants attacking me at the entrance and trying to offer me something. I know it’s their job, but I like to take my time to see something and sometimes I tell them, thank you I don’t need help now if I have questions I will ask. I don’t want to sound rude but it’s really annoying for me but I know some people like it. Usually if I know that I’m this particular shop the customer service is so “invasive” I don’t go there anymore. 

Amerantin (former member) said:

this shop isn’t for people like you”

I actually get that feeling in many shops,  the saying just comes into my head and I leave of my own free will.  The trigger is either the piped music, the other customers or just the general atmosphere. 

I enjoy both physical(Real) shops and Internet shopping.  It depends on the shop and my mental state of mind.

If I find a shop uncomfortable, I leave very quickly.

For shoes it has to be a real shop because virtual/Internet shopping doesn't make sense.  I have to try on the shoes to make sure they fit and are comfortable.  Very often I fancy shoes but when I try them on, they just don't fit and I go off them.  My feet are very wide and high.  Most shoes are just painful.  

I get that too!

I tend to avoid shops now, as I’ve noticed that generally store assistants don’t uphold best practices, integrity or kindness in their roles anymore. It’s different compared to stores I know in the US, particularly ones I know where all 3 are drilled in from the start, stores like Boot Barn, Cavenders and brand boutique stores like Tecovas, Lucesse etc, western stores, all get results in their practice, which is always memorable, which has instilled a sense that whenever I visit, I’m guaranteed a great and supportive experience! My top faves are the Tecovas store in Nashville and Boot Barn on I Drive in Orlando, both which have store assistants who are particular allies of the autistic community, which I’ve found particularly rare, especially in the UK!

i miss having game and gamestation. 

i always remember going to one then the other... i didnt even wanna buy anything i just liked looking at the different games. sometimes buy something if i saw a random game that looked cool i didnt know of. it was more exciting than the souless online buying. you had excitement, you had joy, you then buy a thing and are excited to get home and play it. online cannot match that feeling. online is souless and dead without feeling.

My Artist friend discovered TEMU. And now he's buying tons of clothes, and nik-naks for his artwork, from there.

I never had an issue with 'normal' shopping. However, I'm quick; and to the point.

Of course, I'm now more wary about ingredients. However, I'm generally wise enough to know what's what.

I only ever used online shopping during Covid lockdowns to buy my iPad and my iPhone because normally, living alone, getting things delivered to my flat in the post or by other delivery services is a real pain as the infrastructure is not there - I prefer to do food and clothes shopping in person where possible - these days, paying bills has to be done online in many places - I’ve been trying to change my broadband provider and my mobile phone service but because this involves a foreign call centre outside of the EU, this is very difficult 

Real shops are important in my opinion. Dealing with returns through internet retail can be a pain. There's a lot to be said for buying food fresh and picking it yourself. I think regularly going food shopping makes living in a community, whether it's a city, town or village, more interesting as you're getting outside and interacting with people, even if only briefly. Seeing what is on offer brings novelty and some excitement. You don't know who you will bump into which can also be fun. I wouldn't like to get all my food delivered like some people do because that's usually a once a week deal and that means the better foods will perish before the end of the week. If I'm buying clothes I also like real shops because like you I'd prefer to try something on as sizes aren't always reliable indicators and it's easier to tell if I want something after looking in a mirror. It's also nice to keep high streets as alive as possible as if they go, then places become more empty to live in. 

TheCatWoman said:

I think I just miss having dept stores to browse around, not just for clothes, but for interesting plates and mugs and stuff

I used to find it a bit of a drag walking around department stores until they no longer existed.

Now, I do on occasion miss them - where are you meant to buy underwear nowadays, for example?

I've found a couple of independent ones that still exist but since I now don't have a car, they are sadly out of reach.

The John Lewis that was reachable by public transport closed and all the Debenhams stores.

I hate shops and I do shopping only if I need something and it has nothing to do with any fun or pleasure. At the front door you can hear constant “peep-peep” from the scanners, the shopping trolleys being pushed, people talking, laughing, radio playing, often some stupid ads, children crying the worst thing is tantrum if parents don’t buy something (I’m not saying they should buy it just because the kid is throwing tantrum) but it’s generally a hell. Plus smells plus led lights that make me either squint constantly or wear sunglasses indoors and then I get stupid stares and comments. It’s also annoying that I often can’t find the things I want. It’s so full of everything, I feel like the full shelves all at once fall on me. I like to go only shops that I got used to, so I can do the shopping quickly. Enter the shop, pick the item (try on if clothes/shoes) quality price acceptable? Direction cashier, direction exit till the next time I need something. I laugh that if all the customers were like me, the big companies would go bankrupt. So I definitely don’t miss shopping but if I have the choice to buy in a shop or online- I prefer shop. I can see the stock and I don’t have to wait for the delivery plus get angry if it’s lost, delayed or delivered to wrong address. 

Use old bed sheets and dye them.

But then you'd have to buy new bedsheets.

And so it continues...

I tried and my sewing machine hates me, I can no longer knit or hand sew as my fingers are to wonky. The other thing is where would I get the stuff from? We have a sewing shop nearby, that mostly does patchwork and crossstitch stuff, very little proper fabric. I can't get a good idea of what I'm buying online as I can't feel the weight or drape of the fabric, or what colour it really is.

Like I said before it's not just clothes its everything, from undies to gates and fencing.

Learn a new skill and make your own!

I don't visit shops much now and do like to do my browsing online, but that's only since the pandemic. However I do miss the days when I could browse in Department stores for Christmas presents and small shops where you could find presents that were a bit different as long as they weren't too busy.

I often feel like clothes shops aren't for me either, I'm too big to be a proper girl has been the message I've had from to many clothes shops. I rarely get anything from charity shops, our local one seems to have stopped selling books or at least has cut down on the numbers they sell, so theres even less reason to in now. I very rarely get clothes from charity shops as everything is too short.

I think I just miss having dept stores to browse around, not just for clothes, but for interesting plates and mugs and stuff. I miss haberdashery depts too.

The nearest place with biggish shops is Llanddudno, which is horrible, as well as being full of tourists, its really spread out and all the shops are in little enclaves with loads of similar shops, often behind high walls facing onto a central car park, there's nothing to really tell you whats there. I miss little independent shops too, places where you can get interesting jewelery and art.

We have loads of hairdressers, barbers, tattoo parlours and beauty salons, a few of the charity shops have closed down. We did/do have some independent shops in Bangor, but the council have whacked up the rent and rates and many are closing.

I think the internet has ruined shopping, it feels like you can get anything you want as long as its the same dozen or so things. I get sick of going into shops and asking if they have an item in my size only to be told I can order it online, I ask them what's the point of them being there if they don't actually hold stock or only in a few sizes?

I've never heard the word schumtter before?