Make your mark, Primark

Occasionally in my spare time I do market research to generate some extra cash. Every little helps right? I usually apply for the ones I like / am eligible for however this time a lady approached me: how would I like x amount of pounds and free clothes from a well known high street store? Er… yes please!

They swiftly sent me some vouchers asking me to go forth and spendeth. At a later date I would need to attend a focus group where we would need to do a show and tell on our purchases and talk about the brand.

So far so good.

I then learnt that the well known high street store was in fact Primark and had mixed feelings about it. On one hand I was happy as I knew the vouchers should go far there - but then on the other hand, I was a little disappointed. Primark isn’t one of my favourite stores. The crowds and queues just kill me.

Another kick in the proverbial balls was that I had been told to shop in the London Oxford Street store. The stuff of nightmares. The crowds, the queues… and not all that impressive stock wise considering it’s a flagship store.

So one Saturday morning, I got up at the crack of dawn, gritted my teeth and got my game face on. I was amazed at how expensive Primark seems to be getting. It’s not crazy expensive but it’s pricey for the quality you’re getting. I found it so hard to make my vouchers stretch. In the end I had to fork out a little bit of my own money just so I could afford my basket(!)

Here’s a sneak peek of my purchases:

I didn’t even stop to think about the bag. It was tan. It was fairisle. DONE.

The top I initially loved but am considering returning as I’m not sure about the keyhole neckline. Maybe I’ll do a bit of DIY and cut the neckline lower.

These stacked heels were an absolute bargain for a mere £18. 

Boohoo, Topshop and New Look sell similar ones but they are quite a bit more.

I got the royal blue ones but they also had some in burgundy. I tried them on and had quite the audience of women around me ooh-ing and ahh-ing. After being told numerous times that they looked incredible on me, I couldn’t ignore that voice in my head screaming “buy them!” any more. Those bad boys went back into my basket and that was that.

I must add that later after having paid at the tills, I did spot some of the aforementioned women clutching the very same pair of shoes and heading to the tills. It did make me laugh! I'm a terrible influence! ;)

The actual survey was fine. The last minute kick in the teeth was that they paid us in Primark vouchers rather than £££ :( I found that the heels and bag I purchased helped me get over this annoyance very quickly. Here they are in action:

Next time I’ll be heading to a far quieter branch me thinks!   

Online shopping vs in-store shopping

Shopping. We all do it. Clothes shopping, food shopping, present shopping… the list goes on. For centuries shopping has involved visiting a store, picking out your items, exchanging these items for currency of some sort and leaving with said items. The act of shopping was then revolutionised in the 1990s when it first became possible to shop online. Amazon appeared in 1995 and then a year later, hello eBay.

But is online shopping all it’s cracked up to be? 

Or has it done us more harm than good?

You are enticed

It is only too easy to be lured in by offers and discount codes. All reason goes out of the window. They want me to pay £5 for postage? Ludicrous! But look here… spend an extra X amount of pounds and get free shipping… bargain! I’m guilty of falling victim to stupid things like this. But the way I look at it, if I paid for postage, I’d never see that money again. However if I spend an extra £20 on something I’m unsure of, I can at least return it for free and get my money back. It makes sense.

At the moment, online January sales are a big danger for purses everywhere. This is the time of year when you find something a bit ugly – yet oddly intriguing – and think “hey, it’s in the sale and it’s only £5. Who cares?”  And despite the sales, I will still end up buying non-sale items. In fact most of my basket is suddenly full of non-sale stock. How did that happen? Boo.

Online shopping is addictive

It really is. In fact it can be compared to the addictiveness of gambling. You see all these bingo adverts announcing “only £10 to play – and get a free £20 from us on top of that as a thank you”. And it is exactly the same with online sites. Spend £75 and get free shipping. Spend over X amount and get X percent off. They encourage you to spend more and more.

 

Shopping online can even become a little bit of an obsession for some of us. You find something you like but they don’t have your size. I’ll check again tomorrow you say. But you don’t just mean tomorrow. You check back every single day. And several times each day may I add?

Lazy or convenient?

One bonus of online shopping is that if it’s tipping it down outside, you don’t have to go out. You don’t even have to get dressed. Order naked if you like. No one cares. No one can see you. Bloody brilliant. But let’s face it, it is a little bit lazy. No physical activity whatsoever is needed other than some wrist action (for the mouse) and finger motion (typing). It is obviously a lot healthier to go out shopping and get the exercise… but staying home is just more convenient. You don’t have to lug all those heavy bags back home. Instead you have lovely Mr delivery man (or woman as the case may be) to do that for you.

It’s too easy

You can add many things to your basket – it can’t hurt right? You don’t have to buy it all. Decisions can be made later after all. When you’ve had your fix and finally decide to view your basket, you faint momentarily over the total it’s reached. How did it get to three figures?! The “removing from basket” stage is a painful one. It’s like giving up one of your children.

The whole process is just way too easy. There are even options to save your card details for “next time”. And it never feels like you’re spending money. It doesn’t feel real.

But nonetheless enjoyable

Yes, online shopping has its annoyances but it also has its good points. It can be quite an enjoyable experience. You can put your feet up and sit comfortably with a nice cup of tea. You don’t get all hot and sweaty like you do racing around the shops. 

And my favourite bit? No queues! You don’t have to get up ridiculously early to avoid the queues as these sites operate 24-7.

How do you prefer to shop? Online or in-store?

And me? I can’t decide. I shop online more but that’s just a convenience thing. Plus some of my favourite brands are only available online.

I think that when you physically go shopping, you feel more satisfied walking out of a store with a pretty bag. The bag itself is the statement.  You are saying I have been shopping. And everything within this bag now belongs to me. There is also the mystery of what is inside your bag. No one else knows but you. I often wonder what others have bought.

By shopping in-store you have handed over your card / cash at the till. You physically have your goods straight away – no waiting involved. It feels more real.

For the last month or so my biggest obstacle from hitting the shops has been the snow. Hence I have done most of my shopping online. Here’s a little taster of some of the things I’ve ordered lately. Enjoy!

Topshop

I saw Ellie Goulding on TV wearing this blouse and I fell in love with it. I don't think that the Topshop website does it justice - the detail is so much more incredible in reality. My only disappointment is that it's quite see through so I'll need to pick up a vest to go under it.

I love kimonos and bed jackets. Nicole Ritchie's Winter Kate range does some lovely ones but sadly, they're a bit out of my budget! This one from Topshop is so airy and comfortable. Again, it is a little see through for my liking (it doesn't look transparent online) but it looks lovely with a lacy black camisole.

ASOS

I got these in the ASOS sale and they were an absolute bargain! Words cannot describe how lovely they feel - the outer material is so soft, I can't stop stroking it!

Urban Outfitters

I love photography and my dream is to get a DSLR one day. I have been lusting over camera necklaces for ages now but I find a lot of them are too "big" and poorly made. This necklace from Urban Outfitters is small and dainty - perfect!

These cut out trousers really caught my eye. And they must have caught many other peoples' eyes too as they're now completely sold out!!

Office

A steal at £10 in the Office sale! They arrived today and I have never had flats like them before. The insides are very cushioned and padded - walking in them is such a delight!

Rocket Dog

I am a fairisle / nordic / alpine (whatever you call it) fanatic. And I really struggle whenever it snows. I salute those of you who go out in heels! These looked so comfortable with the fleecy insides and they have a good grip on the soles. I hope I can rely on them if it snows again!