I think that convenience is a big factor in online shopping, but I agree with the parent that it's a bit of an overstep to say that saving time is "the" reason

I think that convenience is a big factor in online shopping, but I agree with the parent that it's a bit of an overstep to say that saving time is "the" reason to shop online. Personally, I tried to put it off because I like the idea of shopping local and supporting local businesses. Plus, shopping in person was familiar and a skill I already had. In retrospect I think the thing that really pried me away from in-person shopping and into online shopping was that online shopping (Amazon, in particular) serves as a "universal backstop" for whatever I'm looking for. Like, if I try and find an item in a store and I can't find it (or it's too expensive) then I can always find it online. So I throw a request at my local store(s), they miss, and an online retailer catches the request behind them. Once my now-ex got us a Prime membership this got even easier, and now I start most of my orders online (except food, obviously). I have no idea how typical my story is but the point is that there's more than one road that leads to online shopping, for sure :)