Dear LPG readers,

Can you remember how particular we all used to be when it comes to shopping.  Perhaps I am approaching this question from an older lady’s point of view when I cast my mind back to when you would go to the local market for fruit and at least have a feel before choosing which of the ones on display suited you best.  Even when I go to the supermarket these days, I see the shoppers picking up this and that packet and making a choice.  When we shop for clothes there was something important about looking at the finish and checking the details of a dress or an item of underwear, or even a pair of underpants gentleman.   In fact, how many times have you had a friend buy something for you only to smile, but think, I would have chosen a greener, shorter, fluffier, smaller, better fitting, riper or more colourful one (depending on the item in question). 

...but then there was Covid-19 which has taught us all so much more about internet shopping which made sense while we avoided the bug.  I think that it taught us to make do with what our eyes can see in a picture and what the seller chooses for us.  Don’t get me wrong, competition is still the seller’s  watchword and they do their best, but shopping on the internet is becoming a gamble that we are all much more willing to take, and quite often what is delivered is not perfect, but we will make do rather than go to all the trouble of complaining or sending it back.

Have you noticed how many more things are available to buy online these days?  But the other day I saw an advert that informs you that you can now buy a car without leaving your sofa.  I am a car driver, and I am sure that there will be many older drivers who have had to get a newer model because of the ULEZ restrictions.  I suppose that when you buy a brand new one you pick the model and hopefully get a car with no problems, but for the rest of us the preowned ones each come with their idiosyncratic qualities and imperfections.  

I found some statistics which tell us that more than three times the number of used cars are sold as opposed to brand new ones, but would you really buy one after just having seen a picture or two?  The only thing left is purchasing a sight-unseen new house online and I was quite shocked to learn that you can do that too!  

HW, Crofton Park

 HW shares something she found and the advertisement which got her thinking …