Seriously, some days like today, I really really despair over the lack of good retail websites in this country.  I’m not talking all of them, but seriously, the really big brick and mortar shops should have a better presence online by now.

I suppose it’s a chicken and egg situation, where they’re not getting enough traffic and clients from their websites so they’re not prepared to jack them up… but I swear if they were better… they would get more online orders… especially if they were clever about the costs of delivery.  The old excuse about the size of the web audience in this country doesn’t make sense anymore, based on the recent stats I’ve seen… retailers should do their homework again.

Take this evening for example, I’ve been trying in vain to update my “stuff” page (my page with stuff that I want in the hopes that Lance will get me a surprise for my birthday).  I’ve been trying to get a link to a site for a steel colander.  Now that’s quite a basic thing to have in a kitchen (even though I don’t have one, and Pierre melted my Tupperware one when he steamed the rice in it one night), so it shouldn’t be difficult to find. Well, now… Woolies have them in the shop, I saw them today, yet their online store doesn’t list them.  Home Etc and Boardman’s websites are truly pathetic… what’s the freaking use of a brochure ware site for a retailer?! And that actually goes for most of the brick and mortar shops locally.

I ended up having to link to Amazon… it’s just really useless.  I would love to shop more online, but the retailers here are just so freaking backwards.   I’m not surprised more and more people are shopping overseas and importing stuff.  I, for one, don’t have the time to wander around shops anymore, I’d much rather buy online.

It’s time the local retailers caught a wakeup, seriously!