After reading over the assignment, I thought about the things I would like to have. I decided that the most practical approach would be to buy myself a new water bottle, since my current one is broken. I have a Camelbak water bottle. I was against buying a Hydro Flask for so long, as I didn’t want to fit the stereotype of the “vsco girl” with my “Hydro Flasksksksks”. At least that’s what everyone said back in middle school when people had one. 

I took a trip with two of my friends to Poughkeepsie to visit the Dick’s Sporting Goods. Apparently that’s the closest place to New Paltz that sells Hydro Flasks.

We walked around the store until we found the section with the water bottles. The Hydro Flasks were all perfectly lined up in a colorful display; a display that was very aesthetically pleasing to look at. They helped me look for one I liked, yet the ones I liked were way more expensive than I was willing to pay for. We decided since we were already there, that we should look around the store for something we might like to buy for ourselves.

We played dress-up by trying on clothes and modeling in them. We all helped each other decide what item looked best which was a lot of fun; especially because there was loud music playing and you could strut and dance to the beats. I didn’t get a water bottle, but I left with two new shorts, a tank top, and a great time. On the way home, we blasted music and stopped at McDonald’s for a McFlurry. It was a great time.

A few days later, I decided to look online for the water bottle I still needed. I went to the Hydro Flask website to take a look. When I opened the page, the first thing it said was: “40% Off Sale”. This was exciting, as I knew these water bottles were quite costly. 

There were 3 colors of the 40 oz bottle and I added the light green one to my cart. When I went into my cart and looked at the pricing, it said I was 3 cents away from free shipping. 3 cents. They knew what they were doing when they made the sale of the water bottle for $29.97, while the free shipping minimum was $30. I wasn’t spending $5.99 for free shipping, so naturally I added a straw cap to my cart for $14.99. 

Before I checked out, I went over to Amazon to find the same cap for a lower price. Low and behold, there were caps for a lower price; however, none of them were spill-proof like the one for $14.99 was. Honestly, I feel like every cap is “spill-proof” but this caught me in the trap they made for the customers. I didn’t enjoy the fact that their psychologically manipulative business tactics were working on me, even though I was aware of them. I ended up buying the water bottle and cap from the Hydro Flask website. In terms of saving money, I did save 40%. Though on the other hand, I bought one of the most expensive water bottle brands, and then bought a cap with a straw to save myself from having to pay for shipping. 

In comparing both experiences, finding the water bottle online was definitely easier. It took less time, and I was given more results than at the store I visited. However, going to the store was a blast. I had a great time going out with my friends; it felt like less of a task, and more of an event. I’m honestly surprised I had such a good time at Dick’s Sporting Goods. I’m a dancer and never saw myself enjoying a sports store. 

In terms of whether we should do more browsing or scrolling, the answer depends on the situation. We should do more scrolling if we are short on time and searching for an item with the goal of a purchase in mind. We should do more browsing if we have the time and are looking for a good experience.