Diary of a Nobody

In a shop? By telephone? Or online?

If in a shop, locally? In the city? Or on the coast?

Unlike in times gone by, the ways to buy stuff in 2026 are many and varied.

[© Barcelo]    

Since Covid-19

Since the lockdowns, going to a shop to shop has declined. At that time we got used to ordering our groceries online or by phone and having them delivered by our local supermarket the same or following day.

My daughter in England, who is in her 40s and a busy career woman and single mum, still orders her main shop from Tesco or Sainsbury's.

[© Tesco]    

In Spain we were allowed to shop for groceries - alone - during lockdown, so I guess there are fewer home deliveries here than in the UK.

Bookshops in Spain were out of bounds, so we turned to Amazon, Goodreads or other similar websites to order our books.

What's more Amazon and its collaborators also sell most things, from water filters to coffee beans, and usually cheaper than in shops. Delivery is often free (eg with Amazon Prime), or very cheap, and quick.

    [© El Cronista]

A personal note - part 1

Over the last few years I've turned to Amazon for a range of products and, until recently, have been pleased with their service. The various delivery drivers know where we live.

All of a sudden Amazon seems to have lost the plot. They've started to not meet deadlines or to not deliver at all. I am currently awaiting two separate products - no delivery and no messages from either Amazon nor the suppliers / delivery company.

    [© Espacio Furgo]

Pros and cons

A personal note - part 2

Where I live in Ronda (Malaga) - pop. 34,000 - certain products are not available or there is insufficient choice. Whilst we have two Mercadonas, a Dia, an Aldi, a LIDL and a Supeco (Carrefour), we don't have a major DIY store like Leroy Merlin or Bauhaus.

So, occasionally it's off to the coast, to Marbella or Malaga.

    [© Leroy Merlin]

This is fraught with complications, eg the distance, fuel costs, delivery charges if the item is too big for the hatchback and returning faulty or unwanted goods.

So, how to shop?

I guess a mixture of approaches.

I enjoy the personal aspects of shopping in a shop, yet I am attracted by online prices and the range of choices available on the coast.

[© Adobe Stock]    

So, I shall continue to do as I do now, although .....

..... I need to sort Amazon out!

© Diary of a Nobody MMXXVI

Pictures:

Adobe Stock, Barcelo, El Cronista, Espacio Furgo, Leroy Merlin, Tesco

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Adobe Stock, Aldi, Amazon, Barcelo, Bauhaus, bookshop. Carrefour, Covid-19, Dia, Diary of a Nobody, El Cronista, Espacio Furgo, Eye on Spain, Goodreads, Leroy Merlin, LIDL, lockdown, Prime, shop by phone, shop online, Supeco, Tesco,