Shop 'til you Drop, or Drop the Shop?

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I was explaining to a friend (okay, it was Celia) that I had run out of my Glucosamine Chondrate (if you are above a certain age and have creaky joints, you will recognize this product) and hadn’t bothered to swing by a drug store to get more. She asked why I didn’t just order it on Amazon, and I didn’t have a good answer. For me, shopping at Amazon is sort of a special occasion thing, for birthday gifts and Christmas presents or replacing the TV.

But I have friends and family members who do a lot of their ordinary shopping via online services. Youngest gets everything from Amazon; I know because we share an account and I get notified every time something is delivered. (I always tell Alexa to thank the driver.)

Victoria, aka the Maine Millennial, has all her heavy stuff delivered from Target: giant bags of dog food, jugs of detergent, stacks of TP. Many of Celia’s sundries are dropped into her packages box via US mail as well.

But I… don’t. Is it because I like to comparison shop? I’m very frugal, and am the sort of consumer who still reads the weekly sales flyers that come in the Sunday newspaper. Living out in the country as I’ve been for decades, I’ve also gotten used to planning my shopping trips with drone-strike precision, purchasing exactly what I want (on sale, with coupons) while using as little gas as possible.

And there’s a deep-rooted New England puritan ethic in my soul. I feel a little guilty making someone else lug my paper towels and face cleaner.  What am I, the queen? I’m not too good to hoist my own kitty litter.

How about you, Reds? Order, deliver, or shop in person? 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, it depends. I used to shop for clothes in stores all the time, now the thought makes me cringe. It takes SO much time! And I don't really need any clothes.

For stuff? Again, it depends. Amazon is SO easy--file folders? Here tomorrow.  The right pens? Click click. Printer paper and bird food on subscription, and it just shows up.

Groceries. I know you all are going to sneer at me and tell me oh, no, you need to SEE every tomato and what if you miss out on something you might love? And I think grocery shopping can actually be fun. 

But if , instead of spending two hours in total including driving,I can get get perfect groceries delivered by clicking for five minutes, then that's wonderful and efficient. (I have also rationalized that it's giving people doable jobs and they get big tips from me.) 

I have been Instacarting since Covid, and ONCE in all that time did I ever get something that wasn't perfect.

I probably have a worse record when I shopped for myself.

Funnily, we do NOT do door dash or any carryout food deliveries. If we carry out, we just go get it.

RHYS BOWEN: Ever since Covid we've been addicted to Amazon. I order my British cereal and it arrives next day. I need shampoo, or socks, and they show up on my doorstep. I know this is bad for real brick and mortar stores but these have become so difficult recently. I go to Walgreens for eye drops. They are in a locked case. I walk around the store to find an employee. Twenty minutes later someone shows up. Or they don't have a good selection. 

I don't enjoy shopping for clothes online. Too many returns... not the color in the picture, too small/big and the fabric was not as silky as it looked. And I too don't need any more clothes! I must work my way through what I have.

We don't order food online. I like to feel my produce and inspect my meat, and John enjoys shopping so he does most of it. Strangely enough the only thing I like to buy from a real store is books (and wasn't that why Amazon started?) I enjoy the comfort of a real book store and since I have Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale and Book Passage in Corte Madera, two of the best, I'm quite happy to give them my business.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Oh, confessing to addicted to Amazon here. Although I do bundle the deliveries for the most energy saving option (and therefore getting my bonus Kindle rewards.) I feel a little guilty, but how is my driving all over town to pick up things from lots of different stores better for the climate or my time?

We do Instacart, too. We started, or course, during Covid, and it's really hard to go back, especially on the use of my time part. But I do usually shop at Trader Joe's in person (they don't deliver, but I think I would do it anyway,) and at the farmer's market, our local bakery, and our local butcher/veg shop every week. It's the social interaction as much as anything.

LUCY BURDETTE: I do my own grocery shopping--just can't quite give up the need to pick things out myself. I have certain habits left over from Covid days: Who Gives a Crap tp and paper towels made of bamboo (isn't that the worst name ever??), Butcher Box meat, Chewy for pet supplies. We do use Amazon though sparingly--though they make it irresistible don't they? And never for books! Luckily we have two good book stores in Key West and my favorite ever in CT so I am well covered!

HALLIE EPHRON: I got hooked on grocery delivery during covid and I still use it some of the time. Though I LIKE shopping at the market. And our local Stop 'n' Shop has wonderful staff, many of whom have been there for ages, which is how long I've been shopping there. For a store with a large footprint it feels surprisingly cozy. SHOUT OUT to the Stop 'n' Shop in Wollaston!

Otherwise my wardrobe is in dire need of updating but I won't buy clothing online because of the nuisance of returns or the annoyance of keeping what I don't sufficiently like.

Other than that I love a good long walk at our local mall and you never know what will catch your eye.

JENN MCKINLAY: I do my own shopping--well, Hub does the grocery shopping but I do everything else such as the Target, Costco, and hardware store shopping. 

I only order online when I can't get the item I need locally such as the only brand of dog food that keeps our schnauzer from having the runs (thank you, Chewy). I only use Amazon for books (mostly, research books or items not carried at the Poisoned Pen or Barnes and Noble) and, again, the occasional item I can't find locally. 

I have a very complicated relationship with Amazon, so I prefer to buy local and support small businesses whenever I can.

JULIA: How about you, dear readers? Shop, or drop?

My Name is Ingrid...

"My name is Ingrid, and I'm addicted to Target."

I did not say those words!

They were spoken to me by the sweet concierge who greets me when I enter my hi-rise home in Seattle.  I wish I could deny this assertion, but it's true.  I may have a Target problem, but let me explain.

Living in the heart of Seattle, I do my grocery/housewares shopping in two locations.  The first is the phenomenal Pike Place Market where I get produce, meat, fish, flowers and a host of other items like thick balsamic vinegar and interesting spice mixes.  But the bounty doesn't end there!  Thankfully, a few years ago, a City Target opened half a block away, and I can't imagine life without it.  Anything I can't get in the Market, I can find in Target.

This is kind of my Target motto

City Targets are a slightly different breed than the superstore you may be used to way out in the sticks.  The stores are much smaller, and in an existing building.  They tend to sell items that in smaller packaging to fit in smaller urban households.  They don't play music—do they play music in the suburban stores?

We have lots of colorful shoplifters!  Just the other day, I witnessed a man heading for the exit with a large bottle of Johnny Walker protruding from his sweatshirt.  It looked as if he were suffering from an unusually-shaped goiter, which did not fool Security, as you can imagine.


Where else can I find workout shirts for my husband, pork loins, candles, and ear buds.  In the market for a pool float?  I can't imagine why you would be in the downtown shopping district, but Target's got you covered.

Feeling virtuous?  Pick up a yoga mat and some steel cut oats.  Feel like breaking some dietary guidelines?  Look no further than aisle three on the first floor.

Another reason to revel in the warm glow of Target?  The store is inclusive (after some rough patches in the early years), both in its merchandise and in its hiring practices.  Want to know what America really looks like?  Come to my Target where the employees span races, ethnicities, religions, and gender.  We're all together, getting along!

My one bone to pick:  The book section of my store keeps shrinking, and I suspect this is true across the country.  It's tucked away in a corner on the third floor, where there is no foot traffic.  If you're looking for a padlock or a fishing lure, you might stumble upon it, but otherwise, it's a sad little spot with few visitors.  Come on, Target!  More books!

So I've admitted my addiction in a very public way, and I already feel better.  So good, in fact, that I may just have to wander over to Target later today and pick out a new nail polish.  Or a bottle of wine.  Or a shower caddy...

What about you, Reds and Readers?  Do you have a store that is your happy place?

And a little housekeeping: Brian Vincent, you've won a copy of David Joy's book!  Denise Ann, you've won a copy of Christine Carbo's latest since the first winner was a no-show!  Please send your mailing addresses to ingrid@ingridthoft.com.