Christmas Shopping Online: What Are The Best Products to Buy Online?

You can buy almost anything online these days.  But should you?  In this article, we will take a look at online Christmas shopping and the items that you should absolutely buy online and those gifts that you should first review in a store.

Let me tell you a little story about a barbeque pit.

I was visiting with my parents this summer and I noticed that my dad was out of the house for about three hours for three consecutive days.  I asked him where he had been and he said, "I'm out looking for a new barbeque pit.  Our old one is not functioning very well anymore."

I then asked, "Have you tried searching online?"

He looked at me rather funny, as if I was a tad crazy.  My father is someone who is fairly new to computers.  He still takes quite a long time to compose an email, but he did purchase a computer online and he checks his stock portfolio online everyday.  But, other than that, he is still somewhat a stranger to the online world.

He questioned me, incredulously, "I can buy a barbeque pit online?"

It turns out that many people are in my father's situation, unaware that virtually every item is sold online.  From clothes to faucets to technology, you can find everything including a barbeque pit.  In fact, we bought the barbeque pit online and my father saved $500.

But does everything lend itself to being purchased online?

There are some items that you should definitely buy online.  Technology, music, and books should nearly always be purchased online.  The best LCD televisions, iPods, and digital cameras are all sold for less online.  On stores like Amazon, these items have tens if not hundreds of independent reviews that provide much more information that any store representative could provide.  Similarly, music is always less expensive online and can be downloaded to your iPod in seconds.  The same applies to books if you have the Amazon Kindle.

For many people, this is where their online purchasing ends.  But there is a whole world of goods that await you online and the prices are nearly always better.  For example, at a watch store online, my friend recently saved over $900 on a Tag Heuer watch, which was a savings of over 100%.  Fragrances, perfumes, and body products are all available online at terrific prices.

How, though, do you get a sense of the product if you have not touched it and seen it up close?  This is where you combine store and online shopping:  Take a look at the product in the store, compare the prices online, and then you will always find the best price.  (I always ask the store if they can beat the online price since I experienced the product in their store.)

The bottom line is this:  If you want to do get the same items at better prices, you should always do your Christmas Shopping online!