I’m a very selective online shopper. As in – I only buy office supplies and books from Internet stores. For everything else (which, for me, mostly consists of shoes and clothes), I only shop at stores that I can walk into. Though a click of the mouse is much more convenient (and much less expensive than driving), shopping is more of a hobby to me; I enjoy browsing racks and stacks of retail items.

There are a few reasons why I’m not a big online shopper. The fear of stolen credit card information, lack of Internet connection in my apartment (because I refuse to give Charter another penny), and missing out on prime people watching time are just a few.

But the biggest reason why I’m more of a “go to the mall” kind of gal is because “touch” is one of my favorite senses. I like to know how things feel and how they fit. I can’t buy something like a dress or a couch online without first trying it on for size. Online shopping doesn’t exactly give me that option (touching my computer screen is nothing like touching my couch cushion). Words and pictures can only take you so far. Plus, if something doesn’t fit, I have to deal with returning it – and usually on my dime.

So now you may be wondering, then why shop online at all? In which case my answer is: Books are great online shopping items because even if the cover doesn’t look the same from store to store, the content doesn’t change. Plus, I can find books (usually secondhand) for much cheaper online than in stores. I shop for office products online for very similar reasons – they’re less expensive and usually, what you see is what you get. Also, these two product categories usually include great shipping deals. So I can’t go too wrong with shopping for books and office supplies online.

What kinds of products are you more willing to shop online for? Send your reply to: Amanda.Goedken@NextDayOfficeSupplies.com