Concrete vs. Abstract Thought

[ysabetwordsmith]

... influences preferences in buying offline or online.  This study suggests that concrete thinkers prefer shopping offline where they can touch things, while abstract thinkers prefer shopping online.

It misses some other factors, though.

* If the desired item is not widely available, that pushes people to shop online.  So online sellers can capitalize on this by offering things that are hard to find.  They'll have a harder time competing with common items.

* If the desired item has a tactile component, or reveals more information when closely examined, offline sellers have the advantage.  Take the example, a mug -- if I can see it, I can tell whether the appearance pleases me and estimate the weight.  That's enough to tell me whether or not I'd probably want to buy it.  But for clothes, I have to try them on, because texture and fit are paramount.  For a book, if it's by an unfamiliar author, I want the freedom to flip through it; and I want the opportunity to browse items on a shelf.  Online suppliers can't meet these needs.  However, if all I need to know is that a favorite author has released the next book in a series I enjoy, then I can buy online.  Offline sellers can capitalize on these aspects by emphasizing traits that don't carry online, such as the texture of fabric or the smell of leather.

As you can guess from the above, I'm fluent in both concrete and abstract thinking, but I tend to use them in different contexts.

Comments

[caera_ash]

Buying really specific things (ex: a particular scent of handsoap by a particular brand) in bulk can be a bit easier online too. And there's stuff that you can only buy online, like merch from particular youtubers/artists/etc.

[(Anonymous)]

How efficient are computers vs other options for the person shopping? Computers would be more efficient for people who cannot hold a book, but books are better for people who dont have access to tech, or get headaches from usong it, for example.

[viciousladybug]

This is interesting to me! I think I am a concrete shopper but as you say, the lack of available items locally can push one to buy online. It's especially true for me living in a small town because buying things like clothes just isn't possible.

[snippy]

I would much rather order clothing online, try it on at home when I have the spoons, and return what doesn't suit me; I've been doing that so long I don't actually remember the last time I went to a store to shop for clothing. A big advantage is that most places have easy and usually free returns. Of course, being large sized means I fall into the exception you note about items that are not widely available--many stores that have brick-and-mortar presences only sell their plus size items online.

OTOH, shoes. I have bought shoes online, more than 10 years ago, and was extremely dissatisfied with the experience. My local shoe store, which is the only one that carries shoes in my size, has salespeople who are well acquainted with how the shoes fit: this one has a larger toe box, that one doesn't have arch support. They bring out only the shoes they think will work for me.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

For me it's food. I can get clothes locally, but many foods require either driving or ordering online. >_

[gatheringrivers]

Welcome to the club! hehehehe. :)

I don't fit average women's things. I can buy men's stuff online for me and be *reasonably* certain it'll fit (yay standard sizing!) but rarely women's stuff. I *must* try on ladieswear in person, poke and prod and test the fabric, and see if it's ACTUALLY washable (because so much says "dry clean only" on the women's side of the rack.)

(Or I can make it myself. But I'm no tailor, I can screw up a medieval pattern, and they're pretty simple...)

[erulisse]

I'm in the same boat with clothes - even places like Lane Bryant and Torrid only carry a limited selection in my size in the store (if it's still in stock....) so the compromise I have come up with is that Torrid at least lets you ship your order to the store. I try it on there and then anything that doesn't work gets returned immediately so I don't risk forgetting about it and finding it in the back of my closet six months later with the tags still on but the receipt long gone to the great recycling bin in the sky.