Business & Politics · 8 Advanced · October 18, 2026

Why online shopping is changing how people buy clothes

Photo: Polina Tankilevitch via Pexels

Vocabulary

discouraged dɪsˈkɜrdʒd adjective

feeling less confident or enthusiastic about something

Shopping in physical stores leaves her feeling discouraged because they don't carry her size.

inventory ˈɪnvəntɔri noun

the supply of goods or stock available in a store

As a plus-size woman, she finds that store inventory rarely includes her size range.

burdensome ˈbɜrdənsəm adjective

causing difficulty or being heavy to deal with

Returning items online feels less burdensome than managing refunds at retail locations.

Article

Jess, a 29-year-old culture journalist from Peterborough, buys nearly all her clothes online because shopping in physical stores leaves her feeling discouraged. As a plus-size woman, she finds that store inventory rarely includes her size range and often feels poorly represented compared to standard sizing. She views online shopping as significantly more convenient than visiting stores, paying for parking, and trying on items in person. What makes online particularly appealing is that returning items feels less burdensome than managing refunds at retail locations.

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