The Big Benefits of Online Shopping

Geared up for a shopping trip with the kids this weekend? According to the HowStuffWorks website, you may want to rethink your idea.

Online shopping, especially for kids’ apparel, may be your best bet. The website also explains that one day of the week in particular is the best for online deals for children’s clothing—citing a survey of more than 100 retailers, HowStuffWorks indicated Wednesday as the best day for online deals for kids’ clothing, with discounts of up to 40 percent.

While you avoid transportation costs and save time, online shopping for kids comes with its own drawbacks. You won’t be able to have your child try on the clothing, and you may not be able to make returns with free shipping.

To avoid returns, HowStuffWorks recommends zeroing in on one or two retailers to gain a good sense of the sizing, its uniformity and quality of the apparel.

In addition, you can rely on retailers’ online reviews for an overview of sizing and quality. For example, if 20 reviews about quality rank it four out of five stars and only one of those reviews is negative, you can typically trust the majority. Within the reviews, you usually can spot problems with the company’s return policy as well.

Zappos is among the retailers that pays for shipping both ways, which can save you plenty of money if you have hard-to-fit or finicky youngsters. And, you can check with RetailMeNot for special shipping deals and coupon codes.

Don’t forget that there are agencies to help consumers. If you think a return policy is too restrictive or if the company didn’t follow its own policies, you can file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission or Better Business Bureau.

Once you’ve safely and economically made your purchases, it’s time to think about what items your children no longer need or have outgrown. Gather them up and give us a call. Your donation will help our veterans!