Granted, I don't do a lot of shopping, and when I do, it's rarely in person. First off, there are people in stores and human interaction while shopping is never fun. Second, well, there are a lot of other reasons, but they all mainly stem from the "there are people out there" sentiment.
Online, however, all you have to deal with is fraud, phishing and a sticky keyboard. Personally, I'll choose the latter over people any day.
Luckily, yesterday was what has become known as "Cyber Monday," the Monday following Black Friday that represents the start of online holiday shopping. This means there is a smorgasbord of deals out there for the savvy online consumer. If you don't like shopping across the buffet of online retailers, I understand. It increases the risk of a security mishap and generally makes you go "oh snap" once the credit card bills come around.
Generally, I stick with only a select few large and reputable online retailers.
Almost too obvious to mention, but too useful to ignore is Amazon.com. Weighing in at 50 million users per month, it's hard to go wrong with this retail goliath. It's extremely rare that you will find something not offered through Amazon, including bootleg copies of import movies and television series.
Hell, they still sell VHS copies of Steven Spielberg's "Hook," albeit used.
But Amazon's inventory isn't limited to movies and the like, it also offers pretty much every book you would ever want to read and then some, as well as a caboodle of toys, board games (might I recommend Ticket to Ride), video games, computer hardware and software, home and car electronics, furniture, appliances, clothing, groceries, tools and pretty much everything else under the sun.
If you want it, it's there.
Obviously, you won't be finding stuff like bulldozers or human organs, but anything you could reasonably want is on Amazon and it's all usually offered at a pretty good price, if not the best.
Amazon's layout is pretty slick, too. Everything is easy to find and all the pedigree information for a product is at the very top for quick perusal. The best part of the top half of a product page is the suggested or related items bar. For "Hook," I was shown a grappling hook, which can be bundled together with a ninja-climbing-hand claw and foot-spike set, a combination whose necessity cannot be put into words.
Upping the related-items feature that rivals even Wikipedia as an incredible time-waster is the user reviews. With these puppies, it's hard to buy anything that you will regret. Though anyone can submit a review, these product critiques can themselves be commented on and rated by other users. Users who choose to display their real names are generally the most trustworthy, so you know if someone is either just bashing a product for fun or an author is trying to hype his or her own novel.
Best of all, Amazon is pretty darn secure.
As far as controversy goes, Amazon's problems are limited to copyright infringement and patent use. So if you're square with that sort of tomfoolery, you'll find the site's secure connections a comforting sign of protection in this age of online malice. Also, the ordering process is pretty quick. In fact, regardless of whether you're a returning customer or not, the whole procedure from after you click checkout to your final confirmation page will usually take under two minutes.
After Amazon.com, there's really no other mass online retailer I like to mess with. Maybe Barnes & Noble because I like their layout and checkout procedure (it's Web 2.0!), free delivery, and solid holiday deals, but definitely not Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart, as far as I'm concerned, is a catalogue that I browse but never buy from. The only thing Wal-Mart's site has going for it is its free site-to-store shipping and mobile alerts for special offers. Also, it sounds petty, but there isn't even much holiday-themed action going on with the site.
If you go to B&N, Amazon or even Target, there's no doubt in your mind it's the holiday season. Wal-Mart doesn't even offer gift wrapping.
So, allow me to sum it up: Amazon.com is the place to shop online.
If you really need to go to a specialized site for electronics like Newegg or a first-party retailer like Apple, then go ahead. I'm just saying Amazon will probably fulfill your needs for most items that you could otherwise find by wandering through the mall. It will save you time and energy, and, most importantly, prevent any unnecessary face time with people to avoid going "Anne Heche" crazy this holiday season.
Because I doubt Amazon is anything new to most of you, here's a bonus: If you do find yourself on-foot this month, use your phone and Pongr.com to text a product name or barcode. It will send back a text message with the best prices and where you can buy your item from.
And if you're looking for some goodies that you'll absolutely have to own once you see them, then check out perpetualkid.com and thinkgeek.com. You won't be sorry.
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