Over the course of the pandemic, it has become clear that online shopping has experienced phenomenal growth. Online purchases of clothing, food, garden and building materials, and entertainment have skyrocketed.
According to Statistics Canada, the difference from February to September 2020 in online purchases was anywhere from 42 per cent to 140 per cent depending on the item.
Of course, buying something online – while convenient – also comes with possible disadvantages, such as not getting exactly what you thought you had ordered. While most online retailers have robust return policies, many consumers wish they’d had better product comparison and information before purchasing.
Well, Airdrie Public Library (APL) has a solution for you.
Under the eResources tab on the APL website, you’ll find a nifty little item that could save you a bundle of cash and weeks of head-thumping buyer’s remorse.
We’re talking about that champion of marketplace transparency and fairness known as Consumer Reports (CR).
This independent, non-profit organization has been working with North American consumers since 1936 to provide “reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reports and results from its own in-house testing laboratory and survey research centre.”
According to its website, the organization “accepts no advertising, pays for all the products it tests, and as a non-profit organization, has no shareholders.”
For this reason, CR is recognized as a trusted source of useful and objective information on a huge variety of consumer products and services, making this resource essential in evaluating products before ordering online or venturing out to a store.
Being informed and knowledgeable before any purchase will save you not just money, but frustration.
Consumer Reports and a bevy of other eResources are free with your APL library card.
Who knows, maybe you’ll find the perfect handheld fan for the coming hot days of summer without a single twinge of regret.
For more information on APL eResources, visit airdriepubliclibrary.ca, call 403-948-0600 or drop by our location just off Main Street.
