What is showrooming?

M: Hello, Linda.
W: Hello, Rob.
M: Happy New Year to you, Linda. The festival season is over. So did all that holiday shopping break the bank?
W: You mean, did I spend too much money? Well, yes, I did.
M: Well, do you know about showrooming?
W:(4)Yes, customers visit shops to see and test products before buying them online.
M: Yeah. You see, technology is changing the way we shop and it could spell disaster—or be very bad for—the high street.
W: The high street? You mean those everyday shops that we normally see in our town centers? Things like shoe shops, newsagents, supermarkets?
M: Yes. The high street is competing with the Internet,(5)I buy things like CDs, electrical goods and food online.
W: Ah. But have you ever "showroomed" before, Rob?
M: Yes, I showroomed and I bought a camera at a knockdown price online. I know I’m not alone in doing this though.(6)Research found 24% of people "showroomed" while Christmas shopping last year.
W: And a market research company also found one third of consumers around the world said they used this type of shopping.
M: Now, although people do it to try and save money, there are other reasons for this too.
W: What are they?
M: Three reasons for people to showroom.(7-1)They are short on time, short on money and they want reassurance.
W:(7-2)Yes, reassurance—so they want to know what the product really looks like and they want to be confident they are buying the right thing.
M: I think that’s true, I like to inspect what I am buying. If you go to a shop and look at the real thing, you get a much better idea of what it’s like. But I also want a bargain.
W: We could say they use the Internet to shop around.
M: That’s a good phrase, meaning to look around for the best deal.