Search Locally First

That is very true. But nowadays well known shopping sites like Amazon maintain their own local stores in various countries. That is why they can offer goods at fair prices. Earlier I used to be a regular customer on eBay but nowadays I switched over to Amazon due to this. They offer goods at very good prices and the speed of delivery is also up to my expectations. I could buy some electronic gadgets through Amazon at a discount of 25% when compared to other shopping sites. I also think that their buyer's feedback system is really helpful in finding a proper, genuine seller.

 

You stated a great point. If you find a discounted item you might end up paying the same price as local items since shipping is expensive. Before shopping we must have different options and see which is more convinient. Like you mentioned most local shops offer free shipping which is a plus.

 

I agree. Whenever I would want to buy an item, I see to it that I look everywhere near my place before deciding to get it online. There are times that buying online can be cheaper but adding the shipping fee will make it more expensive and will cost you more than it can save you. That's why it's important for shoppers to search locally first before looking elsewhere so they can save more time and money as well

 

Shopping locally is the concept of patronize your own to mean that you save on the cost when the product is available nearby. Obviously, the delivery has costs especially if the goods travel to other countries. Another issue in buying goods from abroad is the delivery time and cost as well. I have been given a tip so many times to buy from Amazon but I prefer the local online stores because of the issues above.

 

For me, buying local products depend on what I need to buy. There're items which I know are home grown but costlier. Being a customer then I won't choose it. These days it's a global market. Almost everything is available everywhere. And the online platforms have made it even easier for the buyers.

 

I always start near by and then go far away as I know the shipping charges would getme another item easily if I were to buy locally.

This is a good advice.

 

We erase that mentally that imported goods are better than those locally made. In reality, local goods or products are even better that those originated from abroad. Let's take it categorically. The materials, the craftmanship, the finished products are comparable with those of local made items. Now, the cost is where the native products outranked those imported ones. There's an instant that the imported product bought by a Filipino traveler from a foreign country. To his dismay, he later found out that the company tag was from our country. He thought it was made abroad.

 

Even if the items are really cheap in China, over here you have to pay fees to be able to claim your item to the post office, so whatever you have saved will be in vain. That's why I just now prefer buying stuff locally, since it will not have to pass through customs anymore. I would only buy online if the item that I'm looking for can't be found locally.

 

I often think so too that items from far away probably from the manufacturing countries are cheaper. Somehow this may hold true but when the cost of shipping is factored in one may just discovered it's more convenient and cheaper getting it locally.

 

You pay less when you buy from local online stores based in your country. You pay even less if the store is in your city. When I am buying online, I look for the items in the online store based in my city. Then I look for the same item in international online stores. I make the comparison of cost price as well as shipping charge. I buy from the store where I have to pay less.

 

Even though online shopping is amazing you can save a decent amount of money by looking around locally first, as some less known vendors can give better offers then the ones you get online. Also you usually get a warranty when buying locally if you are buying electronics or machinery.

 

The normal practice for most shoppers is to check for that particular item locally first before looking it up online. My main driving force to shopping online is in a bid for reduced prices but then cost of shipping is another financial hurdle.

 

At whatever point I would need to purchase a thing, I see to it that I look wherever close to my place before choosing to get it on the web. There are times that purchasing on the web can be less expensive yet including the delivery charge will make it more costly and will cost you more than it can spare you.

 

I see your point. It's always best to check your options before deciding. It takes a lot of time for me to buy certain things because I still need to weigh out the pros and cons.

 

Sometrimes there are other things to consider than cost. I buy my vegetables at the farmer's market, which costs more, but the taste is so much better than the supermarket's ones, and they often last longer. The other thing is that by supporting the local farms, I get the joy of walking through their fields at a weekend, rather than over yet another housing estate.

 

It does makes a lot of sense to look for an item at a local online site before heading off to sites that are based abroad. Support is so much more convenient with local online shopping sites. You will also likely find the item you're looking for as most suppliers would want to explore all business possibilities and penetrate the local market. I realized that while the distributors are local companies, most products sold in a popular online store in my country are actually sourced from countries/places such as China, Taiwan, and Korea.

 

Before I go for online shopping I always search in my nearby local stores for the products. When I really don't get it even after a thorough search I go for online shopping then.

 

To think that items bought online will be cheaper than the ones in the local shop is not always correct. Recently I bought a power bank from a local shop but before then I checked up the price at different online stores. To my surprise the price at the local shop was cheaper with a few cents. Well that was for that particular item, other products maybe cheaper online or same price both online and at local stores.

 

I don't really go and search for items locally. I'm presuming you mean like a few miles away from my house when you mean local right? I do however only purchase items that are in the UK. I have never bought anything online that is being shipped from another country because it just takes a lot longer in terms of delivery time and then there are problems with items getting lost. Most of the time items are much more expensive locally than if you buy the same thing online which is why I don't really buy electronical products locally.