Do you "showroom" shop then buy online?

[IPA]

The B&M is 30 to 40 minutes away and run by a passionate and knowledgeable owner. I made a visit a few weeks ago and was ready to make a purchase but left empty handed with a great deal more knowledge. However, at that time, I have some grandiose ideas for a pond and because of his help a lot of them were being flipped on end.
That said, I wound up buying everything online, mostly from Amazon, no gas, no traffic, and best of all a package waiting for me when I get home. I don't want to have to order my fish from Amazon so maybe I will go this weekend to buy an air pump and the rest of what I might need to get moving on installing my pond.

 

[PowerUp]

I find myself doing the opposite of showroom shopping for certain items (big and bulky, or need it today). I'll be standing in the aisle looking at several options, and using my phone to read Amazon reviews or Q&A on the product to decide what I should buy! Often times the price is a wash.

My big, huge, never-go-back annoyance with specialty brick and mortar is when the salesperson gives me incorrect or misleading info on an important purchase. Even worse, the salesperson gives the bad info to my wife, and then I have to walk it back without openly being a jerk to them. By the time I get to the store, I have probably done at least some basic research on specialty items.

My always-go-back is typically for fully informed and invested employees who truly love their stuff. If I learn from them, I will pay sticker price no problem. Onsite ownership tends to get this right.