Why battle the crowds when you can shop at home?

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Though the advent of the internet marketplace hasn’t exactly spelt disaster for the high street, it certainly has given people a lot more choice when it comes to shopping; particularly those who are immobile or just can’t face the idea of traipsing up and down the street, in and out of shops, and waiting in interminable queues to try things on.

target="_blank">Home shopping catalogues have always been popular and there is something very relaxing about sitting down with a cup of tea and a catalogue to browse through the latest fashions. You can circle the things that catch your eye at your leisure and there’s no real danger of making a rash purchase as you’re in a relaxed environment and under no pressure to buy.

The advent of the internet has made the home shopping experience even better. Whereas traditional printed catalogues relied on flat 2D images to show off the clothes, nowadays you can get a much better idea of what an item of clothing will look like thanks to technology that allows you to zoom in and out of the photograph and pick up a lot more of the detail. Many sites also have 3D imaging so that you can see what the piece looks like from all angles with the click of a mouse. And of course video has added a whole other dimension as well. It’s now possible to have your own personal catwalk show and see what the clothes are going to look like on a real moving person. Of course that real moving person might not be quite your size, but you can still get a much better idea of the cut and flow of the garment on a model.

When it comes to customer service, things have also improved vastly in the last decade. Whereas previously you might have had to wait a week or two for your order to be delivered, in this new on-demand age where people want instant gratification many stores offer next day delivery and very convenient returns options as well. So if you do have your eye on something that you’d like to wear out at the weekend, you may be able to order it as late as Thursday or Friday and have it delivered to your doorstep in time for your night out on Saturday. Returns are quick and hassle free too, so there’s no danger that you’re going to end up spending money on something that you then can’t wear.

In the run up to Christmas, when streets and shopping centres are going to be their usual hubs of mayhem, a home shopping expedition is certainly worth considering.