Salvation Army and Good Will 8^)
Posted on 03/19/2016 11:06:31 AM PDT by PROCON
It isn’t just the higher prices or distance; how many times can you go to a store and find out they either don’t stock something or just don’t have any currently available?
That was what first drove me to test the waters of online shopping, and I’ve never looked back. Except for clothing/footwear (which I prefer to try on before buying), there is simply no reason to buy anything in a store. Last year as Christmas approached I bought items, paid standard shipping, and still received them in a couple of days.
I’m not a fan of second-hand clothing (especially since our cheap foreign-made clothing doesn’t cost much more), but I have bought clothing at flea markets specifically for hiking/camping. I don’t want to waste the money on clothing I fully intend to abuse, so it just makes sense.
Salvation Army and Good Will 8^)
the SA in Ithaca is amazing! the stuff from those brats at Cornell and IC are mostly like new and as a previous poster said, many have the price tags still on them and never worn i've bought four leather jackets and a leather parka over the years for under $100 total and that's about 1/2 of the cheapest one new
Price and distance are the most important factors for me-I work in construction and jobs are scarce for yet another year-ever since the economy tanked and stayed down-this rural area is very dependent on snowbirds for income in winter, but they can no longer afford the trip from up north in their RVs, or the rent of a cabin for the winter-no snowbirds means no money for owners of RV parks and cabins, restaurants, guest ranches-and that means they can’t add that patio, paint that room or put in new tile, so we are all screwed...
I wear jeans and boots to work-they get rough use-I can buy all the jeans in my size that I need online for $10.00 a pair, and shirts for even less-so why drive to a discount chain store where I might find one or two pairs of jeans my size for $12.99 if I’m lucky? I do buy good brand name work boots, but I get those at overstock.com for at least 1/3 less than retail-I’ve done all my shopping for presents for several years online, too...
I’d like to visit a SA store, but in my area they seem to be in dangerous areas. Sounds like good deals!
Smart; I don’t know how retailers will ever win you back. They face a very basic dilemma in how much they can stock, given that some stuff will just sit there.
Years ago I went to a new Army Navy store on our main avenue; I was curious as to how much they could fit in what was really a small storefront. Inside I asked about some gear I needed for camping, and the owner plopped down some catalogs and said she’d order whatever I needed (they had very little inventory - both variety & quantity. I politely told her I’d order it myself and left; within a year they were closed.
It might have more to do with the economy than you think; many of the available jobs in my area are not the type that require suits/ties. Those jobs (often related to the financial sector) are the ones leaving for Manila & Mumbai.
I don't even know why we talk about unemployment rates that make everything look peachy. The real story is the underemployment rate; losing jobs that one could support a family on and replacing them with jobs where one can't.
“I live in a rural area, and the nearest town with a chain store other than a dollar store is 40 miles away-”
—
Unlike you I am very close to big-box-stores and upscale malls.
I do most of my shopping on-line because I have always DETESTED shopping.
I even shop on line for groceries and have them delivered.
It’s like dying and going to heaven for me——and I’m sure there are many more who feel the same way.
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that's too bad, there are three around here and they are far enough away from the bad areas for them to even walk to i know a couple people that go in the spring and the fall and drop off clothes they got the previous season while picking up stuff for the new season
40 years ago, if you wanted to buy insurance or stocks, you talked to a guy in a suit who made a very good middle- or upper-middle income selling you products or services that lined his pockets but weren’t a good deal for you. If those are the kind of jobs that are gone, good riddance.
I’ll have to search online for ones in safe areas; sounds like a flea market open every day.
Thanks!
You would have a good point if the jobs around now didn’t involve showing up to work in a convenience store in stretch pants and a bowling shirt complete with logo...
Many professionals used to go to work in suits; this country has declined since many of them have lost their jobs.
LOL
ping
Not to mention having to park almost in the next county if you don't arrive early enough. And then meandering through 6 acres of building to reach your destination.
except Sundays... 8^)
I do a lot of hiking-there are plenty of trails out here in woods and near the river-one is right behind the fence on this property-my 1st husband and I were into camping, especially when the cub was growing up-we especially liked Big Bend.
There was a great warehouse type sporting goods store in the outlying burb we lived in-we got all our stuff there, from ammo for hunting to hiking boots-it was great-but the place has been closed for at least 15 years...
Isn’t that the truth! When I lived in a burb and had a kid at home, I shopped the stores in the burb, only driving the 7-8 miles to the dreaded mall to shop at Christmas, because the cub enjoyed seeing all the decorations and stuff-between parking in the next county, meandering through crowds in an area the size of several football fields and going up and down the escalator two stories to find the store you were looking for, then finally carting your bags and packages through the parking lot to the truck-it was an all day affair-get there at 9 AM and leave with a sigh of relief by 3-4 PM, if you were very lucky...
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