My experience was the opposite. A few years ago I wanted to by a lawn mower, and looked online. Walmart had one, and other suppliers as well, but the choice of actual lawn mower seemed to me to be limited.
I actually went to our local Walmart Superstore, and looked around and didn’t see one. I asked an employee on the floor, and she DIDN’T KNOW WHAT A LAWN MOWER WAS! Honest to God.
I went to Menard’s and they had a really beautiful lawn mower display, chest high with tilted lawn mowers on it, you know, maybe a dozen different kinds, most of which I hadn’t seen on the internet! The internet is evidently dominated by high level corporate deals, locking out many brands ... just an observation.
I bought a “Brute”, because it satisfied my eye, and I’ve been happy with it. They do have a website, if you look up “Brute”.
Something like a lawn mower I would never buy sight unseen off the web. I would go to the stores & look one over.
Ditto for furniture, computers, etc. I recently bought a queen-sized mattress -- one that I personally tested for firmness at the store (during a sale).
I find the internet (read: Amazon) good for generic purchases, when I know exactly what to expect. But certain shopping is a visceral experience, which involves hands-on.
I don't even find Amazon that much cheaper as far as deals. They'll sell in bulk (i.e. paper towels, toilet paper) but jack up the shipping costs. A certain brand of coconut oil which cost $21 locally was available on Amazon for $30.
I prefer to shop locally to support my community. And, I can just as easily go there & buy paper goods in bulk for the same price, or less, than Amazon/online. I limit Amazon to either emergencies or hard-to-find items.