Market Research: Buying local vs. online. Please help!

[muck]

Hi Rich... Nice to see you around again.
Good luck with your project. Its too bad i couldn't make dinner the other night.

1. technical - If this includes superb customer service and after purchase support its a big plus for me. Now saying that it could be local support or not that would be more desirable to me. Would depend on the vendor.

2. availability - I'll include quality and reputation in this as well. If I can get superior quality from a vendor that has a good standing in the industry I'm all for it.

3. perishable - If the goods i want have a high rate of not making it to me I might hesitate to order, but if the cost savings are significant I might take a gamble on it.

4. ease of shipment (the higher the weight/size of the item, the more it'll cost to ship, ie. salt) If the cost savings are still there as assumed, its really not an issue.

5. fragility - Most cases its not an issue if you buy from a reputable source that knows how to package goods for shipment. Key is to do your homework.