Online shopping is nothing new, but recently I have been thinking more about it. Maybe it is the fact that most of my favorite stores are opening online shops, making shopping easy to do at any time of day … or night.

To me online shopping doesn’t feel the same as wondering through a boutique. There is nothing like being able to see how a silk dress falls perfectly, or how peep-toe pumps slide on the foot. This feeling cannot be replaced by online shopping ... or can it?

The excitement of having something arrive in the mail (that isn’t junk mail) does come close the satisfaction of walking out of a shop with a bag full of new loot.

Online retailers ARE changing the way we shop and making it more of an experience. If you’re looking for a steal of a deal, or just something unique, it’s out there. Skip the change room line up and small talk with sales associates … just click away.

One site to mention is Net-a-Porter.com, a luxury fashion retailer, which began its venture in 2000. With over 400 lines to choose from Net-a-Porter is the largest online retailer of its kind. Founder Natalie Massenet sold the company last year to Swiss luxury group Richemont for more than $500 million and remained executive chairwoman. She must be doing something right! They also have a sister site, The Outnet, which is perfect for finding killer deals on high-end items.

Thinking that your days of lining up at cash registers are over? Not likely that the brick-and-mortar retailers are going anywhere. Most are finding ways to reaching a broader audience through e-commerce sites, social networking, and handheld devises.

A new venture called Pose is combining the brick-and-mortar shopping experience with interactive technology. They have created a free iPhone application that allows you to snap a photo of yourself in your great find, tag its price and retail location, and share it with your friends via email, facebook and twitter. Friends can comment on the product virtually instead of being in the store with you.

Just when you thought shopping was being made simpler you can have 200+ people comment on whether you should buy that new frock!

Links: Net-A-Porter / The Outnet / Pose