You only came in for a sale—you didn’t expect the store to be this busy. People crowd around you on every side. The line for checkout trails out the door. Every shirt you see on the rack looks the exact same, made of the same itchy cloth, for the same exuberant price. The flowery scent of candles and perfumes clog the air, making your head ache. Why did you drive an hour for this? The six-pack of socks you wanted could easily be bought online for half the hassle. 

Perhaps that’s just the point. Online shopping has come a long way since it was first thought up in 1994. Almost every store is online now. And yes, there are some losses—you can’t feel how soft that sweater is, or exactly what that lip gloss smells like. But, is that so great a loss? If you don’t like it, you can just send it right back. 

Shopping no longer has to be a dreaded chore. Ran out of dog food? Don’t worry, you don’t have to make a trip to the store after work. You can just order it online and it’ll be home tonight. You don’t have to spend hours searching through a maze of aisles. You don’t have to dread a crying baby in a long checkout line. Everything is made easy.

And even then, how many options will you find at Target? A few variations of the same design? When, online, you can get anything from anywhere. Want to look like a fairy princess? There’s a beautifully made sparkly dress on Etsy. How about a mourning Victorian? There’s an online shop that specializes in historically accurate fashion. You could never find these things in person. Maybe they’re just a bit too niche, maybe they can only sell online, or maybe their store is located in New York. 

But, it doesn’t matter! Whatever you order will be here tomorrow. No creeps, no cash, no crying. Simple and efficient. Even though scams do exist, they’re easy to avoid when you know what to look for. “I haven’t experienced scams. I read the materials, look at the overall rating, and if it’s below a 3 [stars] I won’t buy it,” Kelsey Donaldson (9), said.

Through just the click of a button, a tap on a screen you can get almost everything delivered to your house. However, there are many things you can’t achieve through the screen. After that tap you are powerless to control how your product gets handled.

You can’t smell a candle through a phone. You can’t try on that hoodie or pair of sneakers. On top of that, you can’t control if the package will get tampered with, damaged or lost. 

“There’s so much AI in scams out there. You might not be getting what you think you are,” Abigail O’Connell (10) said. When you shop in person, however, you can smell that scent, try on that hoodie and check the thing you’re buying to make sure it is not damaged. While one day delivery is great, immediately getting the product can be even better. You can use it right away without worrying about why it is in California instead of with you.

The fact of the matter is that humans crave connection. 

“Social connections are important to our mental and physical health,” according to the CDC website. In-person shopping helps to create a connection for consumers. Whether it be thrifting or just shopping, offline shopping helps to strengthen the bonds between friends. “A major part of my friend group is to go to thrift stores together,” Tyler Bugg (12) said. 

Another important aspect of offline shopping is the physicality of it. “It’s important to buy clothes in person so you know what they look like, what they feel like,” Gabby Young (11) said. You cannot feel the material of the new hoodie you are buying. Nor can you try it on to make sure it fits. Not only does this help the buyer to pick out things that fit them, but it also creates a connection to the product. A candle smell could bring you back to your childhood. You cannot do that through a screen.

Whether it’s the way a candle smells or the way the clothes fit, offline shopping is better. No more worrying about whether or not one day delivery is actually one day. The product is here in your hands instead of on the doorstep.