What makes more sense to you? I guess it depends on how often you shop and how close you are to stores? Going to several might make sense from the point of view that it's a better way to get what you want but it might not be good financially if you have drive pretty far. We don't shop at the mall often for that reason as it's a bit of a drive.
If I know I can get something from a nearby shop at a cheaper price then I will go to the nearby shop for it. I won't go so far as to travel half way across London to buy a cheap loaf of bread like my aunt does though. That is why I like living where I live, there are shops for pretty much EVERYTHING I need.
I shop at whatever store has the cheapest prices. I usually research all of the stores in my area online before i actually visit them in person. The only loyalty i have is to my wallet. The store with the cheapest price will get my business.
Most of the stores I shop at are in areas where there are other stores nearby, so this isn't really a problem for me. One time, I really needed a black cardigan for work. I went to a store, found a nice one for $12, and bought it. I left the store, and walked right across the street to another store just to browse for good deals. There, I found an identical cardigan for $9. I went back to the previous store immediately to return the one I'd just bought. That's why it's good to sometimes shop around!
With the use of the internet, it makes comparing prices very simple. There are many sites out there with that specific purpose. I make all of my purchases with the exception of groceries online.
I do a lot of shopping online, but when I do go shopping at real stores I always shop at a bunch of stores and not just one. I mean there are stores that I am exceptionally loyal too, but I just can't seem to ever find what I am looking for in just one store. That is why I like to shop in more than one store rather than one.
I only shop at a couple stores because i'm not a fan of going to much places the same things. I have a few stores that I shop at that have things that I like and at a reasonable prices. And once I find a store with clothes I like, I usually shop there for a good time!
I usually buy my things at the nearby mall and that's it. I don't think it will be worth it to be driving around just for shopping. I can easily find what I want in the nearby mall anyway. I will only end up going to different stores if there is a particular piece of clothing that I need for a special occasion that I look for. For example, I need to wear a rare color because that's the motif of the occasion. In that case, I always find myself spending more time to canvass around.
If you go to a far-off place where you can buy things at a much cheaper rate, then it doesn't make sense as the transportation costs will not financially redeem you in any way. If there's a nearby store where you can buy items at a medium price range - not too high, not too low - then better go for it. Choose stores that give you the best bargain if you're on a tight budget. If budget isn't an issue, then shop at as many places as you want.
I normally visit several stores before buying anything, if I go to a store and I really really love something I definitely buy it there, but if I have seen the same item in several stores then I would go for the cheapest option and buy it, I personally think that it is all about the item you like and its price as well.
Sometimes I can go to several stores and sometimes only one or two- it all really depends on what I'm looking for and how fast I find it. If I find what I'm looking for in the first store them I won't spend time and effort going to other. But more often than not I can't find what I'm looking for very easily. Them I need to go to a few stores.... But it gets frustrating if I have to try several without finding anything.
I always do some window shopping a day or two before I go shopping so I know where I'll get the cheapest prices for anything I want to buy. If I find out that I'll have to visit several stores in order to save money then I most obviously will buy from different stores. If the savings will be negligible I'll buy from the closest store.
I think the only way you get to save more by shopping at only one store is if you have some sort of rewards or discount card or if it's a boutique store and you know the owner and can get a special price that would put it way beyond the retail price of any other big retail store. Otherwise I think it's always much better to get items from different stores because they will all tend to be different in prices with each item and some might be cheaper in certain stores so getting them each at their cheapest prices at each store would probably be the most beneficial. As for driving long distances I guess that's the part where it gets hairy as it's not really worth the savings to just spend the difference on gas plus effort and time.
If I am trying to buy something at the lowest price then i will shop around and there is no way I am going to just check out a couple of stores. I guess that answers your question. I always shop around at several stores instead of just a couple. I like to shop a lot of stores online too.
We have lots of malls here and there is one near my place of work. When I go shopping for clothes, particularly for office wear, the mall is my haunt because there are countless of stores to choose from. I enjoy shopping by myself because I can take my time unlike when my husband is with me, he is always asking if I still have to choose or telling me that I've been in a store for 10 minutes already. It's always a joy to shop in the mall for the many stores there.
The malls here are large, and they have lots of different clothing stores inside, so you really don't have to tire yourself and go from one store to another. I know in the US that is the case, and I think that it's a hassle.
