Question of the Day, Saturday, July 1

[Winchester]

Happy July! 2023 is flying by!

Have your shopping habits changed at all since the pandemic is over and things are back to (semi)normal? Are you shopping a lot online? Back to brick and mortar? A little of both?

We used to go for groceries every week. Now, we go once a month to either Sam's or Costco and supplement milk and produce at our local store as we need it. I've made more of an effort to bake my own bread, English muffins, etc. Unfortunately, I've become rather addicted to the convenience of Amazon Prime and use it often for books and such. For larger purchases, we use B & M stores, but smaller items are usually bought online. Why? Because we lost so many stores that I used to shop at that I don't know where to shop anymore. I loved Bed, Bath and Beyond and JCP. Loved our local Staples store. All gone now. Our malls are pretty much empty at this point.

What about you? Where do you shop? And how do you shop?

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We really didn’t alter our shopping habits that much so they didn’t have to be altered back either. Stores that closed locations just don’t get our business. My kids are growing too much to depend on online shopping and that hassle. We already used Amazon and other online retailers too. So overall; no big changes.

 

[artiemom]

I am using Amazon a ton, since the pandemic. It just seems so much more convenient.

 

[sivyaleah]

I'm still having groceries delivered but that's more due to physical reasons. I've been dealing with a frozen shoulder for nearly 1-1/2 years now so it's just easier (albeit more expensive) to let someone else do that task, bundle bags and schlep it up our front steps.

I've always shopped online a lot even before the pandemic so I still do that for nearly everything; home goods, clothing, miscellaneous odds and ends. Anytime I can avoid walking into a large store is a good day. Even my small town pharmacy is happy to drop off prescriptions.

 

[susanm9006]

They are about the same post pandemic. But I do keep less on hand than I did before because I ended up throwing out so much post pandemic, I prefer to buy it now as I need it.

 

[Lari]

I use amazon probably more. I used grocery pickup during the height of the pandemic, went back to shopping in store, and now I'm back to using it for most big trips because I can't really take both kids and fit all the groceries in the cart, so if my husband's busy, it's just easy and convenient. So the fact that curbside pickup really started being a thing has been amazing as a wrangler of tiny humans.

 

[Mia6]

i've always shopped on line.i will continue grocery sopping on line

 

[Jem]

Still shop pretty much the same. During lock down, I wasn't buying anything except necessities and would try to only go to the grocery store every 2 weeks. I didn't get into much online shopping...and it's still the same. I basically only buy online around Christmas and very randomly throughout the year. Due to inflation, I'm still trying to only buy necessities and have kept up with only doing groceries every 2 weeks...as much as possible. But overall my shopping habits haven't changed that much.
I still prefer Brick and Mortar for shopping, I like to touch what I'm buying, especially clothes and shoes...I'm picky about the feel of things. And you can't see/get all the deals from the clearance sections unless you go in, and I'm very much a clearance shopper.

 

[denice]

Most shopping has stayed the same. I used to occasionally go to the supermarket late at night or in the wee hours of the morning but stores are no longer open 24 hours. I do buy skincare products online. I don't use a department store brand but it is one that my usual supermarket doesn't sell. There are some stores close to where I live that sell it but I start checking online and they are out of stock for what I need.

 

[neely]

My shopping habits are close to the same as they were during the pandemic. I always preferred to shop in-store and pick out my own groceries especially fruits and vegetables. During the pandemic I tried to shop at odd hours and wore a mask. I don't particularly like grocery shopping so I get in and out as fast as possible. As for other items, e.g. clothes, shoes, kitchenware, linens, etc., I also shop at brick and mortar since I like to be able to see and feel the product or if it's clothing try it on to avoid returns.

 

[kashmir64]

Everything is the same as always.
Up here on the mountain, it was almost as if the pandemic happened to other people. I know what you're thinking and I've personally had Covid 3 times, not bad though. But we never had a lock down and almost no one wore a mask, no business closed or shut the doors. Only Federal Govt' buildings seemed to be affected. So no changes here.

 

[strider rose]

my husband is the one that goes and buys the food for everyone ... i am not able to walk that far

 

[misty8723]

I still shop online for the most part, but I do go to the grocery store and occasionally target. I don't do that much shopping in general.

 

[misty8723]

Everything is the same as always.
Up here on the mountain, it was almost as if the pandemic happened to other people. I know what you're thinking and I've personally had Covid 3 times, not bad though. But we never had a lock down and almost no one wore a mask, no business closed or shut the doors. Only Federal Govt' buildings seemed to be affected. So no changes here.

Seems if you had covid 3 times the pandemic did happen there.
I haven't had it yet, don't want it. Personally know at least one person who was vaxxed and nearly died from it. And I'm a senior with diabetes. Why take chances?

 

[denice]

I think most of us have had COVID at least once, the experts believe so as well. It's a matter of whether someone knew they had it or not. That is why it became endemic rather quickly and is still around. It is now like the two other corona viruses that cause the common cold for most people.

 

[lizzie]

Ours haven't changed much at all.I still shop locally for what I can,but I do shop online from time to time.I know several people who do the shopping online thing for their groceries and then go pick them up.I would rather make my own choices,or if I don't go,then hubby does a great job.Sometimes I'll check stuff out in the store and then buy online as it's cheaper,trying to save where I can.

 

[Kat0121]

It never changed really. I still buy my groceries at the store. I have always used Amazon a lot and still do.

 

[maggiedemi]

I used to order everything online or grocery pickup. But now that I'm driving again, I do most of my shopping in town. I go on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Get coffee, lunch, and hit a few stores each day. Then I stay home Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs.

I still order shoes and jeans online, since we only have JCPenney, TJMaxx, and Maurice's and they don't carry a lot of jeans in my size and style. And my vitamins, since the stores don't carry vegetarian vitamins.

 

[Winchester]

We still do any shopping during the week and, for the most part, stay home on weekends, largely because of all the people. Tuesday is a good day for grocery shopping. During the pandemic, we'd grocery shop early in the morning when our grocery store was open for older people. Same with Target; they were open early for people who were older. We took advantage of that. In and out as quickly as we could.

The only groceries I shopped for online (Amazon) were things that I could no longer find in my store. King Syrup, for example, that I use in certain recipes. Temptations Indoor Care for the girls. But that was it. I don't trust somebody else to choose produce; I'm really picky with lettuce.

I think we wore masks longer than anybody we knew.

 

[kashmir64]

Seems if you had covid 3 times the pandemic did happen there.
I haven't had it yet, don't want it. Personally know at least one person who was vaxxed and nearly died from it. And I'm a senior with diabetes. Why take chances?

Oh I know and I agree with you. I was just telling you how this stupid mountain thinks.
Everyone in my house (except me) is vaccinated. I haven't been because according to medical professionals the base for the vaccine is made with a steroid. I'm actually safer going without the vaccine than I am having an anaphylaxis reaction.
I've been lucky so far.

Edit: should have said the medical professionals I've talked to.