No! Not The Mall Again... (or, How To Enjoy Christmas Shopping)
Written: Dec 27 '01

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Christmas shopping brings so many things to mind. There are pushing crowds, disgruntled Santas ringing bells in front of stores, kids screaming to run around as their parents drag them through the mall. Yes, the joy of the season seems to bring out the worst in people…especially at the shopping centers around the country. That is what has lead me to do more and more of my shopping online. This year, I used Eddie Bauer’s online store for the first time, and was very pleased with the results.
Eddie Bauer has established themselves as one of the better clothing stores in America. With fashions for both men and women, Eddie Bauer offers a great selection that will appeal to a broad range of customers. They have the latest styles, along with some more conservative stuff, so that people of all ages will be pleased with what they find. I like their brick and mortar stores for the nice atmosphere and the variety. When I saw the website, I was simply blown away! It is like the best of both worlds.
The website is very well organized and easy to use. Along the top of the screen you will find several categories to choose from, such as men, women, children, etc. When you make your selection (in my case it was “Women”, as I was shopping for my wife) you are taken to a complete menu for that category. There you will find specific items listed, such as sweaters, dresses, and accessories for Women, and polos, pants, and shoes for Men. When you get into the more specific items, you will be able to see pictures of the products themselves, the selection of colors, and the sizes available. There are plenty of pictures to allow the customer a chance to see the product and make an educated choice. I found that the descriptions were very good as well.
The online store has specials that are much better than you would find at the mall. There is a Clearance section where you can find deeply discounted items that may be out of style; this is a great place to hunt for bargains! In addition, Eddie Bauer online has several daily specials that are a few dollars cheaper than you will find them in the store. The store is also very good about including coupons for the website in your email or catalog. When you combine these coupons with the web specials, you can save a good deal of money. For example, I used a coupon for $20 off of a purchase of $20 or more. They were having a free shipping special as well. So I found a sweater that was regularly $36 but was a daily web special. Using the aforementioned coupon and free shipping, my cost was less than 6 bucks…gift-wrapped!
The checkout section of the site is pretty generic. When you find an item that you like, simply click on the icon to add it to your shopping cart. Enter the shopping cart area and select checkout, and you will be taken to a menu that asks for your payment information (ie, credit card or Eddie Bauer gift certificate). When this information is entered, you will be asked to enter the shipping and billing addresses, and select your shipping method. Shipping usually runs around seven dollars (or more if you choose expedited shipping or have a large order). If you are uncomfortable with using your credit card online, there is a special Internet order toll free number where you can call in your order. That makes the ordering process extremely easy, and that is the route that I chose to take.
All in all, I was very pleased with Eddie Bauer online. My order came in about a week, and the process was very easy. Their selection online is excellent, and there are some items there that I have never seen in my local store. I think that you will be very happy with the Eddie Bauer online store, and may decide that the trip on the Web is a lot better than the trip through the mall.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Location: Jackson, MS
Reviews written: 570
Trusted by: 124 members
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