A tent can be one of the more precious items on your camping equipment shopping list. It is surely something that you need to think carefully.
If you go shopping in the original fashion, down your high street, you often have the advantage of being able to see exactly what you are getting; and if the staff are unwilling to get the tent out for you to see, it's probably a good idea to move on somewhere else.
Tents Travel
By looking the tent for real you will be able to get a good impression of its size and building that you can by looking at pictures and lists of measurements. However, the downside is that, unless you are experienced, you may miss out on some of the detail that manufacturer's promotional material makes clear. Cheap tents often look similar to the ability models they are mimicking, but you can be sure they use inferior materials and probably have lower create standards.
Shop staff are often campers themselves. That means they usually often give out lots of advice. However, you won't always know what their level of actual feel is and whether their advice is tainted by other motivations. If a shop assistant agrees with your own conclusions, great; if they try to modify your decision with a clear and reasonable argument then that would be worth considering; if they just try to bamboozle, or even bully, you then walk away.
Shopping online has the great advantage of being something you can do at odd moments, and is commitment free right up until the point you determine to buy. You can look at as many, or as few, sites as you like. Look to see what tents are out there, see what the manufacturers claim and look for reviews by users and independent reviewers to see if those claims hold up.
The internet is a phenomenal tool and so long as you know how to make the most of search engines and put in a puny endeavor you undoubtedly have the excellent retort waiting to be found. That retort will be different for every camper as each of us has different needs. Don't be surprised to see your favourite criticized somewhere, but if you see too much commentary then you had good start thinking again. No problem. You won't have spent whatever yet so think of it positively, as a large charge saved.
Probably the best approach, if you have the time, is to investigate tents online and make a short list. Then try to eye those tents at around shops. You can then make a final decision on where to buy your chosen model based purely on total cost. Price + post & packing, or price + petrol & parking.
Is It great To Buy A Tent Online Or In A Shop?