That’s it; I’ve finally had enough. Eventually, I think that everyone reaches the point on an issue when they have to do something about it. Individually we may not be able to change something, but collectively, there’s just a chance we can get things done.

My issue is all about home shopping and the intense frustration that I feel with some of the resulting delivery problems. I despise going to the shops – the driving, the parking, the crowds, the wasted time, and so on - give me ten minutes on a high street and all I want is a coffee. The out of town stores make me feel even worse – toy-town identikit stores fronted by a sea of cars and a couple of fast food outlets (or quick-service restaurants as they like to be known) – talk about an urban desert!

Whence, I take the opportunity to shop online from my PC (which I bought online) whenever possible. Most of the shops are always open, I get to control the temperature (not some crazed hypothermic store manager) and I don’t play Christmas music in September. Actually, there’s a point, why do so many shops have hot air blasters right by the store doors that are always open? I can almost hear the polar bears drowning as I walk past.

I know I can’t buy everything (quite) from sitting on my backside in front of the PC, listening to some music, but there’s a lot that I can buy.

Just look at the progress that has been made over recent years to make home shopping via the internet easier and more reliable
- Broadband connection and download speeds mean you don’t have to “plan” your logon to avoid peak usage times and browsing through images and catalogues online is just about as fast as you need it (unless it’s a site completely besotted with images, animations and all sorts of other incomprehensible “flash” blurb – yes some still exist),
- The ability to search for, and quickly find exactly what you want is something you can just about take for granted now,
- Most sites give you a good view of your shopping cart and make it easy to add and remove items,
- Sites don’t crash, well mostly they don’t. But a recent reminder when trying to get a car insurance quote online when the system crashed right at the end and all my information was lost, reminded me of that hollow feeling one gets in the stomach at the complete and utter waste of time. But it’s rare now.
- And I could go on. But the fact remains – the buying process is a billion times better than it was, say five years ago.

But the picture is not yet complete. Later I’ll explain what I think is missing. But feel free to let me know why you shop from home and what you would like to see done better.