Sometimes just the idea of having to go to the store is cause for a deep-gutted groan. For all you know, the store will be crazy busy and the item you want will be out of stock. Might as well just order it online. No! Don’t do it!
Why shouldn’t you just order what you need from Amazon or Wal-Mart? Because it doesn’t give you the immediate satisfaction of having the item in hand. Ordering online, despite its convenience, is a waiting game. Once the item arrives on your doorstep, it could be a complete bust. This (and the four reasons below) is why shopping in-store will always be better than shopping online. Shopping in-store is an experience you can’t get anywhere else!
- Quality Customer Service
Have you ever unexpectedly run out of something and paid mucho shipping to get it the next day? Have you looked for a particular item online, found it, only to see that it’s no longer available? Maybe you’ve had an electronic correspondence with a customer service rep, and instead of making sure you were satisfied with your order, they ghosted you. BLURGH! Why is shopping online such a hassle? Isn’t online shopping supposed to be easy? It’s not easy, it’s frustrating; but there’s a way to avoid the huge nasty mess of it: shopping in-store!
Before you hem and haw about having to get in the car, drive and find a parking spot, just think about it for a sec. Once you’re in the store, all you have to do is ask an employee where the item is, and they’ll take you to it. Sometimes they’ll do you one better and bring the item to you!
If you buy all of your crafting supplies at craft stores (as you should) you’ll find helpful sales associates who will show you (and in some cases teach you) the differences in certain brands and relay to you the supplies other crafters like you prefer to work with. And you know what, for being such a good customer, they may even work to get you a discount on top of the coupons you’ve already brought in. Craft employees look out for their crafting customers; every crafter should know this!
- Your Own Crafting Community
Though there are plenty of chat groups online to join, hanging out with people IRL and talking about your latest projects and learning how to hone a new craft is a million times better than watching a YouTube video and leaving a comment.
Craft stores usually host or sponsor local crafting circles and offer classes for the whole group. Answer this: of the 500 friends you have on Facebook, how many have you actually met face-to-face? Being part of a crafting community will introduce you to new people and tricks of the trade. Are you a knitter looking to meet people with like interests? Join a knitting circle! You can see other people’s work and learn how to create bold new knitting patterns. And who knows, you might even meet your new best friend.
- SALES! SALES! SALES!
Yes, when you shop online, you’ll find sales. You can cross-check between different websites to try and find the best deal, but the thing is, it’s not a better deal. You’ll be paying extra for shipping and handling, putting you at the original cost of the item, or worse, above it.
When you shop in-store you’ll be rewarded with in-store discounts and rewards. On top of that, sales associates at the front register typically have an additional coupon waiting for you. So it won’t matter if you forgot to clip the coupon from the flyer or download it to your phone, they’ll have you covered.
- BRANDS! BRANDS! BRANDS!
We all have a favorite crafting brand that we like to use, and fortunately for us, craft stores usually carry several to choose from. Liquitex, Utrecht Studio, Winsor & Newtown, Bernat Baby Blanket Yarn, Lion Brand Yarn…there’s just so many! Don’t like the way a certain type of charcoal pencil moves across the page; you can choose from a wide-selection of charcoal materials at your craft store. All of the materials will be in the same area of the store giving you ample opportunity to compare price, quantity and quality.
There’s plenty of fun to be had getting in the car and zipping to your local craft store, heck, you can make a day out of it! You can meet up with your quilting circle for supplies and then head out for lunch. What’s not to love about crafting and food?!
