Rachel Cruze: Online Shopping vs. In-Store — Which Is the Best Way to Save Money?

On an episode of “The Rachel Cruze Show,” the Ramsey Solutions personality discussed online shopping and in-store shopping, exploring the question of which one is best and which one saves you more money.

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Below is an overview of the pros and cons Cruze mentioned in her video. See whether her insights can help you decide which shopping method is better for your budget.

Also see how much the average American spends online shopping.

Online Shopping Pros

According to Cruze, here are some of the pros to shopping online.

Online-Only Deals

Some retailers offer exclusive discount codes for online purchases during promotional periods, allowing you to buy items for less than if you were to purchase the same items in a physical store.

Tip: If the retailer you’re shopping at is local and you don’t want to wait or pay for shipping, see if the store allows in-store pickup for online purchases so you can still get the online-only deal without the delay.

Easy Price Comparisons

The internet lets you easily compare prices across multiple vendors. A little research can help ensure you don’t pay more than necessary.

Tip: Online price comparison tools like ShopMania and Price.com can do the work for you.

Convenience

Cruze said she likes shopping online because it helps her avoid parking lots, crowds and long checkout lines.

Tip: Despite its convenience, online shopping can be costly if you frequently pay for shipping. If your goal is to save money, pay attention to how much you’re paying for that convenience.

Customer Reviews

Cruze touted the benefit of reading customer reviews before you buy anything online, and most online retail sites display these reviews, so they’re easy to find.

Tip: Cruze also recognized that some online reviews are fake, but if you read through several, you can still get a good sense of whether you should buy something. According to PIRG, a few tips you can use to determine whether reviews are fake are looking at the dates to make sure all the reviews weren’t made at the same time and looking for similar language across reviews.

In-Store Shopping Pros

On the other hand, here are some pros to shopping in person rather than online.

Hands-On Shopping

You may not need to touch a new blender before buying it, but you may prefer to touch and try on clothing.

Tip: Cruze recommended shopping for clothes in person unless you’re certain a style works for your body.

Easier Exchanges

Exchanging an item online usually involves a return and another purchase. The ease of an in-person, in-store exchange is usually more convenient.

Tip: Whether you shop in-store or online, it’s wise to make sure you know the company’s exchange policy before purchasing to avoid getting stuck with an item you don’t like or can’t use.

Instant Gratification

Not all retailers can offer same-day shipping like Amazon. However, when you shop in a store, you never have to wait days or weeks for an order.

Tip: Unless you need an item immediately, it might pay to wait for a delivery if the online price is significantly lower than you’ll spend in-store.

Confident Purchasing

When shopping in person, you have a better idea of precisely what you’re buying, with confidence you might not always have when shopping online. According to ICSC research, the return rate for online purchases is three times higher than that of in-store purchases.

Tip: You can also speak with a human when shopping in person, so take advantage of it if you have any questions.

Online Shopping Cons

And now here are some cons to shopping online.

Extra Fees

Online shopping can have several fees, including shipping, delivery, return and restocking fees. According to USA Today, 31% of retailers charged a fee for returns in 2022, and that grew to 40% in 2023.

Tip: Pay close attention to all possible fees associated with an online transaction to avoid a costly surprise.

Less Control

Although Cruze is an online grocery shopper, she admitted that some of the “shoppers” who pick out her groceries don’t take the same care she would — control you give up when shopping online.

Tip: If you’re not okay with the occasional blemished tomato or moldy strawberry, you may want to buy produce and other perishables in person.

Decision Fatigue

Sometimes, the internet provides too many shopping options, which gets overwhelming. Consider Cruze’s example of shopping for a black sweater online. You’ll find thousands of choices.

Tip: When presented with too many products, start with sale and clearance items. A great price could save you time and money.

Complicated Returns

Many online returns require a complicated, multistep process. On Amazon’s website, for example, it provides a seven-step checklist for completing a return.

Tip: Always review a retailer’s return policy before buying. You may decide not to take a chance with the return process.

In-Store Shopping Cons

Alternatively, here are some cons to shopping in person.

Time

There’s no question that driving to and from the store, walking up and down the aisles, and waiting in the checkout line will take far more time than online shopping.

Tip: If available, self-checkout can considerably cut down your shopping time. You can also spot pricing errors more easily when ringing up the items yourself.

Crowds

When shopping in-store, you may experience frustration with dressing room lines, register lines, and crowds of people trying to get up and down the aisles.

Tip: If you dislike crowds, you might avoid in-store shopping regardless of the money it might save. Try shopping early in the morning or late at night, when the store is likely to be less crowded.

Clever Marketing Tactics

Retailers use many tricks to get you to spend as much as possible when you walk into their stores. Falling prey to their tactics can lead to overspending. Take grocery stores, for example. “Supermarkets are purpose-built labyrinths. A customer is destined to cruise the endless aisles from right to left, filling a huge shopping cart,” per Erply.

Tip: A simple way to avoid retailer marketing tricks is to shop with a list and avoid buying anything that isn’t on it.

Out-of-Stock Items

Cruze pointed out that both online and in-store items can be out of stock. However, driving to the store for a sale item only to find a bare shelf is particularly frustrating.

Tip: Many stores will give you a rain check for out-of-stock sale items, so be sure to ask so you can get your savings.

Online vs. In-Store Shopping: Which Is Better for Your Budget?

Cruze didn’t take a concrete stance on whether shopping online or in person is better, but you can refer to her pros and cons to decide whether one method could save you more time and money.

You’ll likely need both shopping methods to get the best deals. But some savings tactics — such as shopping with a list to avoid impulse purchases, using coupons or coupon codes, and doing price comparisons — can help you save no matter how you shop.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Rachel Cruze: Online Shopping vs. In-Store — Which Is the Best Way to Save Money?