If lines of people packed with screaming children and too-close bodies irritate you, then online shopping might be a solution.
    Online shopping is on the rise nationally as an alternative for those who prefer the quiet of a home or for those who don’t make it to a store before all the good holiday gifts are gone. Regardless of how shoppers feel about the holidays, there are plenty of reasons to examine online shopping as an option for everyday life.
    There are certainly pros and cons to shopping both in stores and online.
    Julie Haynes, co-owner of The Palace boutique in Aggieville, said people save time and energy by shopping online. And when customers shop online, they don’t have to worry about parking.
    Ashley VanSickle, junior in elementary education, said she has shopped online for DVDs of the 2006 K-State vs. Texas football game as Christmas presents in the past.
    “Lots of times there are better deals if you order something online,” she said.
    Both Haynes and VanSickle said the Internet offers a greater variety than Manhattan’s smaller range of stores.
    “It’s easy to get clothes from stores that we don’t have here in Manhattan without driving all the way to Kansas City or Wichita,” VanSickle said.
    However, clothes are not the only items you can order online. Shoppers can buy just about anything, including books, furniture and jewelry, or they can even be the sellers of such items using Web sites like eBay, which are designed for individual seller-to-buyer transactions, or customer bidding. VanSickle said she is even considering looking online for textbooks in the future.   
    Unfortunately, while the Web offers a plethora of stores and goods, there are still steps that need to be taken to be cautious. Haynes warned that objects purchased online cannot be touched or tried on before paying for them.
    “I like to see the quality of something,” she said. “That includes how it’s constructed and made and even its true colors.”
    Another aspect of online shopping that can be easily overlooked are shipping and handling fees. These are left to the buyer and are often nonrefundable. Buyers often pay shipping for both directions if something purchased needs to be returned.
    As always on the Internet, buyers need to be wary of the reliability of some sites. Retail sites should offer an 800 number to call and require only information that is necessary for the purchase.
    The Palace offers shoppers a selection of items that you can’t usually find in chain stores. Haynes said they look for one-of-a-kind and handmade items, all of which are also posted on the store’s Web site, thepalaceaggieville.com.
    “We just got the Web site started this year,” Haynes said. “It’s a constant work in progress.”
    The Palace does boast a wide variety of pajamas, robes and fleece wear of high quality, which Haynes said make great gifts.
    “They are easy to ship and have less variation in sizes to worry about,” she said.
    The Palace also offers gift cards that can be purchased online and mailed to someone or used electronically with a code.
    The local mall also offers online shopping for interested buyers. Its site, www.manhattantowncenter.com, contains a directory of all its stores, and retail stores that have Web sites provide links to their home pages.
    Buyers also can purchase gift cards to the Town Center, both online or in person, which can be spent at any store in the mall, making them a popular and useful gift.
    With an unsteady economy, many are hesitant to spend their money. In fact, Haynes said that their sales have decreased 5-6 percent as a result, adding that those figures seem to follow the national trend.
    She said if you are concerned about the holidays, then stay in town and shop or shop online.
    VanSickle said she plans to continue shopping online, especially through the holidays.
    “It’s easier than fighting all the crowds in the stores,” she said. “People can be so crazy while shopping during the holidays.”

Cool sites
Many Web sites are dedicated solely to coupons, deals and codes for online shoppers. Both of the sites dealcatcher.com and couponcabin.com provide online coupon codes for specific stores.
Another page, fatwallet.com, offers deals, coupons and price comparisons for shoppers, and mahalo.com offers shoppers a tutorial on how to set up a Paypal account, which is an easy way to pay for online purchases.
Most retail Web sites are very user-friendly and willing to work with buyers. The convenience that is offered by shopping online is an interesting alternative that allows shoppers a whole other world of venues.

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