Jordan Alcasas
Staff Writer
A recent informal survey on campus revealed that out of a group of 25 students, all 25 would rather shop in person than online for a variety of reasons.
With the explosion of online shopping platforms, such as Shein and Amazon, along with the myriad brick-and-mortar stores across SoCal, people have more options than ever to shop and compare prices and experiences.
The survey taken outside of The Spot dining hall asked students their preferences and why.
“I like to shop in person,” Jillian Molloy, a freshman education major, said. “I like to try stuff on (and) see it on a person.”
This was a common sentiment among the students surveyed.
Going out and shopping in person, they said, allows them to make sure that what they buy is what they really want, rather than being unpleasantly surprised when a package arrives.
“I shop in person because I like to touch it,” Reid Prince, a biology and anthropology major, said. “Especially in clothing I like to check the texture.”
Among students, there were a few favorite stores and shopping experiences, including Target and thrift stores.
“Target is probably where I spend the most amount of time,” Prince said. “I buy everything there. I get my school supplies, my clothes and my snacks there.”
When thrifting came up, students were most enthusiastic.
“I mostly buy clothes when I shop,” Maya Morrell, freshman criminology major, said. “I try at the thrift store usually, but when I’m not there, I’m at Target (or) Old Navy.”
Other favorite places named included Tilly’s, Plato’s Closet, and Five Below.
Students surveyed discussed shopping for clothes most of all.
For many, if they did not have go-to stores for everything they needed, they would instead have a selection of a few stores that carried various different things.
“If I am shopping for myself, it’s usually for clothes or makeup,” Victoria Quintero, a freshman business administration major, said. “So, my usual go-to stores for that are the ones like Sephora, Pacsun and some smaller boutiques I can find.”
“I do like to shop in person, that way I can try things on before I get them and make sure it is something I like,” Morrell said.
Jordan Alcasas can be reached at jordan.alcasas@laverne.edu.
Jordan Alcasas is a sophomore journalism major with a concentration in print and online journalism. He is the news editor for the Campus Times, and previously served as social media editor and a staff writer.
