Use this online shopping vs in store shopping essay as an example for your ouwn academic paper.
Shopping is part of our life and just like we need to breath to stay alive we also need to shop as well. It doesn’t really matter the amount or the quantity of products you are buying but it’s all about the time you spend to do it. Over the years people have been shopping at their neighborhood mall for most of the household stuff including food. This also include doing some little window shopping. With the coming of the internet and online shopping, shopping has been revolutionized. Many people are going for online shopping as compared to going to the local mall. It is a fact that some people still prefer doing shopping at the mall with various personal issues and preferences. Some argue that they get to enjoy a day off by shopping at the mall. To some the mall is their number one place to buy merchandise. To others the mall is the place where they can go and get their appetite satisfied or unwind through various entertainment activities. All this is true about shopping at the mall it is even fun to most people but the fact is that the hassle of looking to what you want is undeniably tiring. In other words as the internet constantly gains popularity majority of people are going for shopping online. Shopping online has takes preference over the conventional shopping at the local mall since it has been made for the benefit of consumers offering many advantages.
The first advantage of shopping online is that it is convenient. You don’t need to spend any of you hard earned money in buying fuel to go to the mall. All you need is just a few clicks of your mouse and you get what you want. The stress of waiting in jam for many hours is eliminated by online shopping. In addition you won’t hassle for parking space or where to leave your kids when shopping online (Bigne and Enrique 123).
Online stores are always open 24 hours a day through the year so you have all the time you need to do your shopping without bothering anyone or rushing to beat the store’s closing time. In addition while shopping online you can browse through the different products you want or if you are not decided you can compare the products offered in different online stores and buy the one that satisfies you. You can be able to track your purchases easily online using the carts services provided by online stores .This isn’t possible with shopping at a local mall. Lastly for people who feel shy buying certain products like hair growth lotion , they can make their purchase online anonymously with no ever knowing anything. Online shopping offers the ultimate convenience to shoppers.
Secondly shopping online allows saving. Online stores offer products and services at affordable prices as compared to the local mall. This is due to the fact that online stores don’t have overhead costs associated with local mall like rent, display, utilities and many more. Most of the time it is such cost that end up being transferred to the consumers at local malls making prices of commodities a bit higher. You buy cheaper and therefore save money. Also when shopping online as a consumer you are able to get products at lower prices. This is especially so if the product in question is being manufactured in that country. The idea here is that products from a country are sold at a lower price in that country than in foreign market. Therefore the possibility of buying from an online store owned by a manufacturer allows buying at a cheaper price.
Another advantage is that online shopping offers variety and simple international purchases. In online shopping there is no geographical boundary. This means that consumers can buy products from all over the world. This is particularly if what you want is not easily available at your area. This allows buyers and sellers from across the globe to come together and interact. Through such interactions consumers air out their grievances and suggestions of improving products and sellers also market more of their products (Montaldo 34). In addition you have limitless options on products available in online shopping since online shopping offers a variety of products to choose from. Products that are difficult to find in local malls such as niche health products like all natural health supplements can be found with ease in online stores. This also includes products that are not available at your local mall.
Last but not least buying online allows making of informed decisions before buying. This is because as a consumer looking for a certain product online you can access that products review before making up your mind. Product reviews are usually done by experienced users of that product or it can be done by the manufacturer of the product. Through such reviews you are able to comprehend the pros and cons o the product which will help you gauge how useful it will be to you (Montaldo 78). You are also informed on how to use a product in case you haven’t used it before. In addition there is a provision for consumers to leave there comments and views about a product and also ask questions regarding it. This prevents being misguided by the local malls assistants who most of the times know very little about the products they sell. You will not end up buying something that you regret about it later if you are keen in reading and understanding product reviews.
It goes without saying that the internet in addition to being a source of information has transformed shopping for the better. It is crystal clear and evident from above that shopping online has accrued a lot of advantages to the consumers. Through online shopping you can purchase your needed products conveniently from the comfort of your home.
Online shopping offers products at competitive prices enabling you to save. In addition since online shops don’t incur overhead costs you are able to buy at cheaper prices as compared to a local mall. Additionally, you are able to select from a variety of products online when shopping and in addition you can purchase products from anywhere in the world. You also get the chance to interact with sellers and manufacturers of products directly when shopping online.
Lastly online shopping provides for making an informed decision before purchasing products through product reviews. This prevents mistakenly buying goods you have no proper knowledge on. All this explain why more and more people prefer to do their shopping online as compare to doing it at their local malls. According to Montaldo (52) it is true that online shopping surpasses shopping at the mall for it not only saves money but also keeps in check ones comfort and privacy.
References
Montaldo D, The pros and cons of online shopping. MA: The MIT Press, 2001. Retrieved from http://couponing.about.com/od/bargainshop/a/hiddencosts.htm
Bigne, Enrique. The Impact of Internet User Shopping Patterns and Demographics on Consumer Mobile Buying Behavior. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 2005.
