Online Shopping Comparison--Where To Find Deals, Selection And Convenience

Using AOL as my portal, I commenced my quest by entering the phrase "office supplies" into the resident search engine. The query resulted in 9,706 matches, and in lieu of dealing with a plethora of opportunities, I immediately focused on the big three: namely, Office Max, Office Depot and Staples. I followed this strategy on the premise that this group should certainly be prepared for some heady competition and thus have large budgets for e-commerce development. Each of the Big Three have nearly identical policies relating to returns, refunds and shipping. For example, if your order adds up to more than $50, shipping is free. For smaller orders, expect to pay up to $5 per order for shipping. Even the product prices at the Big Three are almost identical, and the Web prices are the same as those found in the stores. So much for saving money via the Internet on this product category. The only distinguishing consideration left to ponder was convenience, and this is where the Big Three differ.

		I Need It Now Ironically, while in the midst of all this shopping, I was suddenly overcome with a strange desire that strikes me only occasionally-the desire to do some filing. Now when that rare motivation comes to organize my workspace, I must act immediately or the feeling will quickly pass. Even though I had bookmarked the Web sites that could supply me with the storage boxes and file folders I needed, I wanted to file now, not tomorrow. So I made a quick run up the hill to Office Depot and 22 minutes later, I was happily getting things organized. Now that's convenience.

OfficeDepot.com: I have always had trouble distinguishing Office Depot and Office Max stores. In my view, they carry nearly identical merchandise and their big red exterior signs even look alike. When I shop at each, the clerks equally ignore me. But when it comes to the Web, Office Depot is a sorry example of an Internet shopping experience. The site operates slowly and is difficult to navigate. For example, I had to scroll through 17 individual Web pages just to shop for my sticky notes, and worse yet, there were no graphics. To find a gel pen, I had to endure nine Web pages, and when I finally started to order, the shopping cart failed to pick up my selection. With all these pages, you would expect to find information regarding the bigger ticket items, but when I searched for "all-in-one machines," no data was delivered. In all, I spent 51 minutes shopping with no results. Since the prices were nearly identical to those offered by Office Max and Staples, I suggest you bypass the Office Depot site altogether until they mend their fences.

OfficeMax.com Vs. Staples.com: Both of these sites offer an easy-to-use interface that includes graphics. The Staples site has a nice feel to it and they will suggest add-on sales whenever you make your order. Do you need some staples for that new stapler? No problem as Staples automatically brings up that page when you make your selection. I ordered identical products from both sites at nearly the same time, and the Office Max products were delivered as promised while Staples took a few days longer. When returning the products, I was advised by Staples customer service e-mails to leave the box outside for the next two to five days and someone would pick it up. During that time, it rained frequently and I moved the box in and out, accordingly creating a lot of frustration. Eventually UPS did pick up the box, but I couldn't imagine leaving anything of value on the front steps for five days. Returning your order directly to the store, which is a very handy attribute, will eliminate this concern.