Would you consider shopping for bulky goods online? Suppose you have found a bargain of an item thats available locally but then you find that it can be acquired cheaply online though the challenge would come knocking if the shipping is not free and this means that its cost would proportionally increase. For my part, I would consider ordering an online delivery if the product is unique in quality in addition to affordability.
There are lots of things that could happen in transit. Unless that is covered by the retailer I wouldn't buy a product that will probably be damaged by rough handling en route. That's why I always say there are some things which one should never buy online. Anything bulky and fragile, get it from a local store because shipping fees for such items always is exorbitantly high.
I only would do so if the store offers a guarantee that I can return the item if it gets damaged in transit. Also I'd only consider it if it's a hard to find item that I can't find anywhere else physically or if it's much cheaper to buy online and the shipping is free. Otherwise if I'd be paying more for shipping than I would just buying it from a nearby mall and driving it home then I'd probably just buy it myself since I am not entirely against buying offline anyway and I even like getting my items immediately.
Usually when I shop online, I buy goods in the amount that makes me eligible for free shipping. Sometimes I also buy more just because I will have an extra item or discounts. Apart from these conditions, I don't buy bulky items. I believe there is a risk associated with transaction that involved big money.
I'm a fan of buying some items in bulk, mainly from one of the local wholesalers that allow the public in. I shop online a lot, but it has never actually occurred to me to buy in bulk, except if I'm buying for my 'part time' small clothing business. I guess because I'm such an avid online shopper, buying bulk online wouldn't be a problem if I needed the stuff and I knew the retailer was reputable. So if I needed to, I wouldn't hesitate to buy in bulk.