Bra Shopping: Is It Better In-Store or Online?
Let’s face it – bra shopping is an inherently intimate experience. All women do it, and they have their own personal preferences about the when’s, the how’s, and the where’s to shop. They also tend to fall into one of two categories: they feel better shopping for their lingerie in a store or online.
Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Do you care about knowing exactly how things fit and feel more than how much variety is available to you at a given time? If so, you may prefer to shop in a store. Do you value convenience, privacy and having more of a variety to choose from? Then you probably prefer to shop online.
Today, there seems to be fewer and fewer physical lingerie stores. This phenomenon is happening for several reasons. Lingerie inventory is a heavy investment, so stores don’t usually have as many sizes and colors to choose from. The average bra comes in 24 sizes – so if a store wants to carry three colors of a bra, they’ll need 72 bras. That’s a lot of inventory to carry just one bra in your size and color. Also, if a customer goes to a store and they don’t have their size or preferred color, they’ll likely leave and go somewhere else before placing an order at the register.
In contrast, online stores can take an order for an item that wouldn’t normally be available in a store and fill that order immediately. This saves the customer and the retailer significant time and effort.
Understandably, people have their reservations about buying lingerie online. Let’s break down the most common three concerns women have and discuss how to overcome them.
1. You can’t try items on before buying them.
This is an obvious one. When shopping for clothes and lingerie in a store, we can get into a dressing room and try things on before we buy them. That said, most of us have purchased underwear before. We already have a favorite bra or panty, know what we’re looking for, and know what styles and features we like and what we don’t like.
For women who aren’t sure about their size or whether the bra they’re looking at online is true to size and fit, the best online lingerie stores now have customer reviews, specific sizing charts for each brand, and detailed fitter’s comments on each product page to help guide customers in the right direction. At HerRoom, we even have the Know Your Breasts™ Bra Finder to help you find the right bra for your size and shape, as well as the Universal Cup Sizing® System to help you find your universal cup size.
2. There’s no in-person customer service.
The absence of face-to-face customer service can seem like a huge loss when it comes to having a positive and successful shopping experience. Many of us feel better when there’s a professional there to help us make fit and style decisions instead of having to fend for ourselves online.
But online lingerie retailers have come a long way in providing easy-to-use resources to help you make educated purchase decisions from the comfort and convenience of your own home. Now, you can learn more about a piece of lingerie online than you normally could from a sales associate in a store. These features are like having a silent sales associate there to help you, but instead of having to wait in line or for an associate to finish helping other customers, you can get the information and assistance you need on demand – without having to sit through a sales pitch.
3. You have to wait to receive your purchase.
Having to wait for your purchase to be delivered can be frustrating – especially if you’re excited to receive your items, try them on and start wearing them. However, waiting a few extra days is worth it if you consider how much time you can save by shopping at home – not to mention the much larger selection offered by online retailers. Of course, if you’re in a time crunch and you need something same-day, it’s understandable that you would choose to go shopping in-store instead.
The good news is, online shopping for lingerie can be easy, enjoyable and educational.
Check out the helpful tools at HerRoom – all created for at-home shoppers – to help you choose the best fit, style and size for you at the Lingerie Expert Center.
You can also watch Expert Videos to learn about everything from how to measure yourself for a bra, how to find your perfect bra size, how to layer your undergarments, and more.
Find a better fit,
Tomima
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