And while sometimes those great deals actually worked out to my benefit in the end, the biggest winner is often the local charity-run thrift stores because eventually I end up donating the sale item to them.
Usually though, I find myself choosing not to purchase an item I thought I really did want or need, just because the price seems too high. Whatever the scenario, pricing plays a huge role in most purchase decisions. Whether we shop onsite or online, we as consumers want to get a good deal. We'll talk to our friends, we'll clip coupons, we'll scour the sale flyers that fill our mailbox, and we'll wait for the price to drop before we buy.
But while price provides a compelling, even irresistible reason to buy, the safest buying decisions aren't necessarily based on price alone. Quality of the item, guarantees and warranties, and no-hassle return policies should also factor into the decision. Ultimately, the happiest shopper is a well-informed shopper; consumer websites and publications, friends' recommendations and your own previous experiences can all help make your shopping experience more satisfying.
And so, for your online shopping convenience, enter the shopping robot. Like a personal shopper, the shopping robot will search the web for you, providing you with comparative prices from several different retailers for the items you're seeking. And although most of the sites offering shopping search engines only provide online comparisons, U.S. residents can access Sales Hound.com and find the sales at major retailers in their area.
Some shopping search engines specialize in a particular type of merchandise. For book lovers, AddAll Book Search and Price Comparison will scout over 40 retailers for new and used books, and also includes shipping rates and currency conversion with their price check. AddAll and its sister site for online music AddAny, are both free to use and do not require that you register before using their services.
For general online shopping, BottomDollar.com has a shopping search engine that searches a variety of online merchants, whether you live in the United States, Canada, France, Germany or the United Kingdom. U.S. shoppers have the most merchandise categories to choose from; other countries are limited to two or three product categories.
Some sites require you to register before using their shopping search engines; others may only search one or two retail sites for their price comparisons. eLowest.com offers a one-stop shop to help you locate the best shopping robot for your particular needs.
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