• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Interiors Addict

Heart Your Home

@interiorsaddict on Instagram   @interiorsaddict on Facebook   @interiorsaddict on Pinterest  
Subscribe
  • Job Board
  • About
  • Before & Afters
  • RENO ADDICT
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Kids Rooms
  • Bedrooms
  • Living Room
  • Shopping
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipes
  • Parenting
  • Travel
Interiors Addict
  • Job Board
  • About
    • Our Story

      Australiaโ€™s largest interior design, styling and renovation blog for the everyday Aussie. By former journalist and magazine editor Jen Bishop, the original interiors addict!
      READ MORE

      Weโ€™re big on Instagram!
      @interiorsaddict

      • About
      • Contact Interiors Addict
      • Work with Interiors Addict
      • Advertise / Find a job in Interiors
      • Press
      • Get Your Free Ebook

        This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • By Room
    • Browse by Room

      Where you can search for all our posts about a specific room. Only interested in kitchens and bathrooms? We got you!

      • Kitchens
      • Bathrooms
      • Kids Rooms
      • Bedrooms
      • Living Room
      • Home Office
      • Dining
      • Laundry
      • Outdoor & Exteriors
      • Renting
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • Before & Afters
    • Before & Afters

      Who doesnโ€™t LOVE a good before & after? If you want to be inspired by the whole reno process, and not just the shiny photos at the end, this is the place for you!

      View Articles

      • Before & Afters
      • Jen’s reno
      • Real Renos
      • RENO ADDICT
    • AFTER lounge80’s beach shack now an eclectic, retro-inspired holiday home
    • Tv-Removal-2_a-1Before and after: how to make the most of compact living
  • Reno Addict
    • RENO ADDICT

      Looking for reno inspo? Find it all here, from other peopleโ€™s projects to the latest trends, tools and products, whether youโ€™re DIY-ing or employing trades.

      View articles

      • Reno Products
      • The Block
      • DIY
      • Reno Trends
      • Before & Afters
      • Real Renos
    • AFTER lounge80’s beach shack now an eclectic, retro-inspired holiday home
    • AFTER kitchenKitchen reno proves space planning just as important as finishes
  • Shopping
    • Shopping

      Want to know where to buy the latest furniture, homewares, rugs, art and more? Weโ€™re always sharing our latest finds and telling you where you can buy them.

      View Articles

      • Furniture
      • Homewares
      • Art
      • Smart Home
      • Appliances
      • Reno Products
    • Greg Natale accessoriesGreg Natale debuts new lifestyle collection at Maison&Objet Paris
    • Joan BlondNew Aussie original art collection inspired by our endless summer
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      While Jenโ€™s a legitimate interiors addict, sheโ€™s no design professional, so she calls on an army of the countryโ€™s best to share their expertise with you. Be inspired by their stories too!

      View Articles

      • Decorating 101
      • Interviews
      • Expert Tips
      • Before & Afters
      • House Tours
      • Designers
      • Styling
      • Renovating
      • Real Renos
      • Covet my coffee table
    • Screen Shot 2023-01-23 at 4.05.25 pmTerrazzo and character are in and grey is out, says designer
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle

      Weโ€™re mostly about the home but Jen also likes to share other things she thinks youโ€™ll love, like food and travel.

      • Recipes
      • Travel
      • Parenting
    • 0Q7A5539Foodie Friday: Confit salmon with preserved lemon & pomegranate
    • Burrawang HouseNew Hamptons style luxury retreat in the NSW Southern Highlands
  • Jobs
    • Advertise on our job board
    • Job Board FAQs for advertisers

The case for shopping local in our online world

November 12, 2015 3 Comments

FacebookPinEmailTweet

By Sandy Cash

There is definitely a place for online shopping in my world. There has to be โ€“ most days Iโ€™m here behind my own counter serving, selling, being shop girl. On my days off (not that I am ever totally off, such is my obsession) Iโ€™m out and about scouring, sourcing or picking up stuff I have bought online.

We all live and work in a busy world where it seems a perfectly reasonable and sensible use of time to multi-task shopping, on the lounge with the laptop and glass of wine nearby while husband controls the television. I donโ€™t watch that much TV anymore, my channel is the Wide Wide World of Web as Joy once called it in My Name Is Earl. Iโ€™m not always shopping, Iโ€™m also browsing, comparing my prices, looking at ‘pinteresting’ ideas. Iโ€™m trying to cut back though.

Sandy's shop, Urban Rustic
Sandy’s shop, Urban Rustic

So whatโ€™s a bricks and mortar store got over the online shopping experience? Well very importantly, you know exactly what you are going to get and when, the condition (it is what it is) and itโ€™s right here, right now. Things are not always as they seem online.

I bought something on eBay once (a fabulous retro resin sculpture) which was great only it turned out to be half the size I was expecting. So not quite the bargain or the delightful unwrapping. Huh? Wha?โ€ฆ The glass of wine nearby may have been a factor in the lack of attention to detail. There is definitely something to be said for shopping with the object in hand, and said object not being alcoholic.

Sandy Cash
Sandy Cash

Come on, who hasnโ€™t done this? Come to your senses people. Go outside. Pick it up. Feel it. The touch, the texture, being able to see the exact colour, the fabric, the fit, the weight, the scale, the smell. All the tactile senses which are not activated by pixels.

I started my shop, Urban Rustic, online and it still functions online, but my passion is for the reality; the walls, the shelves, all my collections coming together. I get so much more enjoyment from serving a contented customer, trading the stories and memories that come with vintage pieces. You donโ€™t get that opportunity with an online transaction. All I get is anxiety until I know that one-off item is delivered safe and sound.

The big players have created an expectation that postage should be free; fine if you’re posting necklaces or books but for me vintage Pyrex (some patterns I canโ€™t even find anymore), art glass and fine china? Nightmare. Forget about it. By the time Iโ€™ve weighed it, photographed it, described it, calculated postage and uploaded it, some lucky person has walked in, grabbed it and is on their happy way out the door.

urban rustic_hawaiin_lamp stool industrial filing

I like being local too. As mentioned before, I sell one-offs. Iโ€™d rather see it safely out the door. Iโ€™ve met so many wonderful people who I now source things for, customers whoโ€™ve become friends and a complete change of pace to my once stressful busy life of broadcast design where I was glued to a screen and had to outsource most of my parenting.

Local businesses offer support, a discount if youโ€™re nice and deserve it, information about an item’s origins and how to care for it and what might work well with it etc. In a nutshell, we offer the humanity. Itโ€™s a hard slog though, competing with todayโ€™s savvy internet shoppers.

So should bricks and mortar stores drop their prices to stay in line with online? Well, yes, if you can. But itโ€™s a tough one. Obviously real stores have rent, electricity, multiple insurance policies, staff wages, superannuation, etc etc. There are so many expenses before you even stock it and open the door, that someone working out of their garage or warehouse doesnโ€™t have. But are you getting exactly what you want, or think you want?

This has been bothering me for a while after a Facebook ‘friend’ had a rant about an overpriced crystal item in a local boutique homewares store. She says she went home and found it for half the price on the interweb. I kind of hope it was not exactly the same or arrived broken. The important factor people forget is the intellectual property this lady is putting out there. She is a very talented stylist and has, to use a now overused phrase, a โ€˜carefully curated collectionโ€™. You are being showed something lovely that you would not have come up with on your own. On the lounge. Looking at pixels. Alright, yes there is Pinterest but youโ€™re not looking closely, touching, sensing, being in the zone. Knowing exactly.

We are all guilty of seeing something we love in a beautiful shop and going home to look for a cheaper version online. How clever we are. And I get it, we live in an expensive world. I do it too. It’s crazy how much stuff we seem to want and need to have and even more crazy how much it costs. As the saying goes, ‘a penny saved is a penny earnedโ€™.

But I like to think that my time is worth something too. My free time. Donโ€™t you? That time spent googling to save a few dollars could be otherwise spent offline, being present in the world. Having extra time with family. You know. Life.

And let that local shopkeeper have the extra dollars if you can (rather than a faceless business who knows where) so they can still be there the next time you want to come strolling the streets for inspiration and a dose of retail therapy. If they call it retail therapy, surely itโ€™s better to get immediate treatment rather than having to wait four-to-seven working days for your remedy to arrive?

Without getting too preachy, I hope that as we people of Earth get more and more homogenised and universal by the virtual world, that we will still value small, family-owned businesses who are working quite often out of sheer passion, rather than for profit, and encourage them to keep going for the greater good of the community.

Otherwise? Have you seen Wall-E? One global store, no competition. The local shopping strip which is so great to wander down of a weekend could die a sad, lonely slow death. You may not be able to look at beautiful decorator shops and get ideas for things to go home and google.

This is perhaps too black and white; online shopping opens up a virtual wonderful world for people in remote areas or have limited access to the shops and of course not everyone behind that PayPal account is in their pyjamas in the garage.

So how do bricks and mortar shops stay relevant? Be as competitive as you can afford to be. Offer the best happy, smiley service you possibly can and hope and trust that there will always be enough people to just be in the moment and get their retail fix immediately or just hate paying postage. And if they do have to go home and think about it well then, I guess that website wouldnโ€™t hurt. Iโ€™ll be honest, I have bought things from Lee Mathews online when her store is across the street. Sometimes I just canโ€™t actually get back there.

So yeah, I have to add that I will be working on reinventing my website soon, because even though I would like to host a technology rebellion where typewriters and Dymo labellers rule supreme (yeah right!) I want to be part of this real brave new world, browsing and swiping my life away. Itโ€™s #totesawesome.

–Sandy Cash runs Urban Rustic. She’d love you to visit her store in real life at Shop 1/ 371 Barrenjoey Road Newport Beach, NSW 2106.

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Primary Sidebar

Popular This Week

  • Australian kitchen dimensions: standard sizes for every last detail
  • Palette Cam 15 apps to help you build your dream home
  • IKEA hacks Australia: DIY built-in HEMNES cabinetry how-to
  • The best places to buy Australian bed linen online
  • AFTER kitchen Kitchen reno proves space planning just as important as finishes

Follow us on Instagram

Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial family category and they're a special gift. So ends three weeks with @danisteve81 who left her husband and son in the UK (I'm forever grateful they lent her to me!) to come and cheer me up and help me in the most practical ways after I spent Christmas and New Year in hospital. There were tears and I miss her so much already but how amazing to have had all that time together as adults. Such a rare treat and would never have happened without having been through something so challenging. Silver linings and all that. So many other friends have also been incredibly thoughtful and kind. There aren't many times I'd say this without cringing but I am 100% blessed!

I still cannot believe we have been friends since we were 12! 12! Are you still close with your childhood besties?
The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_ho The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_house is a work of art and while almost every surface was updated, the decision to keep the original slate floor was genius if you ask us. 

Owner @clarehillier__ says: "With its purple, pink, red and brown tones, the slate was the starting point for our interior palette."

Come and check out the before and afters via link in bio now and read the reno story. It's a real beauty.

And you can book it for your next holiday too!

Blair Smith Architecture @kateshanasy

#slatefloor #slatefloors #80shouse #80sbeauty #camillohouse #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #realreno #holidayhousesofinstagram #morningtonpeninsulahomes #morningtonpeninsula #morningtonpeninsulasmallbusiness #blairgowrie #blairgowriebeach #airbnbstyle
Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’— Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’—
Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for thr Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for three decades going out for a child-free dinner ๐Ÿ’“๐Ÿ˜
Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damia Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damianfrancis 

This doesn't happen often these days!
Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks since leaving hospital and I'm doing much better than I expected to be at this early stage. A long recovery road ahead but making progress in how much I can move my arm and although I drag myself through some days non-stop yawning, others I can go for a little walk or out for lunch before collapsing on the couch! I can now tie my own hair back and put on a real bra which is very exciting ๐Ÿคฃ Having my bestie here to help us with the boys, drive me places and just be brilliant positive company is the best thing I could have asked for not to mention the many Dinner Ladies vouchers from friends! Thanks for all your kind messages, cards, flowers, gifts and offers of help โค๏ธ
I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping to raise some awareness off the back of my misfortune (and also very lucky escape).

@newsouthwaleshealth have just put out this warning about a rise in serious bacterial infections. iGAS (invasive group A streptococcus) is what caused my necrotising fasciitis and sepsis.

Apparently there's similar happening in VIC too.

It's extremely rare but very serious nonetheless so please have a read and be aware of symptoms. I've linked to the article from a button via my link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #jenbishop #necrotisingfasciitis #groupastrep #groupastreptococcus #sepsis
While new technologies continue to shape the inter While new technologies continue to shape the interior design scene, one that has been getting a fair bit of traction of late isย marble-look porcelain. A cheaper alternative to natural stone, the latest printed porcelain tile technology makes it difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

Founded by husband and wife duo Anton and Rita Bourtsev, Sydneyโ€™s @kaolintiles has a unique offering in this space with over 100 different marble-look tile designs in small and large formats.

More via link in bio now.

#porcelain #porcelaintile #porcelaintiles #largeformattiles #largeformattile #marblelooktiles #bathroomtrends2023 #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #heartyourhome #realrenovations #goldsink #brasssink #jenbishop #kaolin #kaolintiles #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger
Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I'll post and I hope to be home and with my lippie back on by Monday. You know it's serious when I'm lipstick free, right?!

This was about a week ago in intensive care. And although my arm is still bloody sore I'm now on a normal ward and no longer attached to any drips, drains or a catheter. I've come a long way.

This has been the most physical and mental challenge of my life but I'm through the worst. I kept my arm. The doctors saved my life.

I cannot say it enough times. If you're worried about your health, don't hang around. Things can change so quickly. 

A huge thanks to my amazing husband @damianfrancis We've had the hardest year yet and our marriage has never been stronger, even if my rings did get cut off my finger in hospital ๐Ÿ˜œ

As great of a job as he is doing at home with the kids, I cannot wait to get home now. Countdown is on to a new year and a fresh start.

And I can't say enough just how overwhelmingly grateful I am to all the medical professionals involved in my care, from the @healthdirectaus nurse who sent me to Emergency to the exceptional surgeons, doctors, nurses and support staff.

Happy New Year, everyone. Remember you never know what's around the corner and this is not a dress rehearsal!

And huge thank you for all your kindness here. Has been amazing while stuck in bed.

Xxx

For those who missed it, I was unlucky enough to get necrotising fasciitis. You'll have to Google it.
Follow on Instagram
Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

Get Your Free Ebook

Ebook cover

Never miss the latest renovating and interiors products, news and inspo again! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you the best bits from the blog, direct to your inbox. Plus you'll get our latest eBook: What Made The Biggest Impact in Jen's Own Reno.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Avatar

About Guest Poster

If you have high quality, original, relevant content to share, we might be interested in publishing your guest post on Interiors Addict. Please email [email protected] with your submissions.

More from Shopping

Greg Natale accessories

Greg Natale debuts new lifestyle collection at Maison&Objet Paris

Joan Blond

New Aussie original art collection inspired by our endless summer

Absolutely everything at Freedom is on sale: Our top picks!

Affordable flat-pack furniture brand focusses on Millennials

Win a world first in vacuum & mop combos from iRobot worth…

Pantone Viva Magenta

Pantone Colour of the Year 2023: Viva Magenta

Save 20% on a major reno expense with Kustom Timber’s sale

Interiors Addict Christmas Gift Guide with discounts up to 25%

Ten things under $40 that we’re loving at Typo

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarGeorgia Madden says

    November 12, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    Great feature!!! Can’t wait to visit Urban Rustic – love Sandy’s instagram feed and have heard amazing things about her shop!!

    Reply
  2. Avatarurbanrusticblog says

    November 12, 2015 at 11:08 pm

    Thanks Georgia, and Jen and Olivia. I’m chuffed to be here. Cheers Sandy

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. interior addicts high | urban rustic says:
    November 13, 2015 at 8:53 am

    […] Check it out if you haven’t already. The case for shopping local in our online world […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Footer

Interiors Addict

Interiors Addict

  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Jen
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Browse

  • RENO ADDICT
  • Jen’s Reno
  • House Tours
  • Real Renos
  • Interviews
  • Styling
  • Designers
  • Bedrooms
  • Covet My Coffee Table
  • Expert Tips
  • The Block
  • Art
  • Furniture
  • Recipes

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RENO ADDICT

Copyright © 2011–2023 Addicted Media Pty Ltd
Website care by ClickWP ยท Log in

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!