The modern technologies as well as the Internet have greatly influenced our everyday life. Just recall how your day starts from the alarm clock on your mobile phone, and how it is coming to an end with a text message to your mom saying “sweet dreams”. Almost all spheres of our life were improved thanks to the Internet: now you can book a table in the restaurant from home, buy food online and even receive online education even never seeing your lecturer (Corpuz, 2003).
Today shopping online is a rather popular way of buying whatever you need without spending a lot of time in the markets. However, traditional shopping has still the benefits. First of all, you see the actual product: you can taste it or measure it, try it and then pay money for it. In case of clothes you can make sure that this color suits you and the shoes are comfortable to walk. You definitely know this thing is worth buying. That is why traditional shopping is rather safe. In online shopping you choose the product you like online, however, you are not sure whether in real life this item will look like as on the picture in size and color. You are buying the picture, not the product. And if you do not like the item ordered, it will take additional time to cancel the order and receive your money back.
In case you need the product as soon as possible, traditional shopping is the only option. You receive the product as soon as you pay your money. In online shopping the deadline depends on the product you choose and sometimes it can take up to a couple of weeks. That is why the grocery shopping is highly preferred in a traditional way (Yang, 2014).
While you are in the market, you are able to talk face-to-face to the salesman, ask him the questions that can influence your decision. Of course, you can chat online or make a call to receive the clarifications. But we are all more used to the live communication and the salesman as a real expert can give you an advice in clothes only after seeing you.
The drawbacks of online shopping automatically become the advantages of traditional shopping. While paying online, there is a list of cases when you are supposed to pay the sales tax, or the bank can charge additionally for the payments to other stats or countries. Today the shopping online is the risk of online fraud. You can be cheated online even though everything looks like usual (Farag, 2007).
Even though the traditional shopping is safe, it has its own disadvantages in the comparison with online shopping. In the markets you cannot always find what you need or what you like. But online you can check a couple of online shops, choose the product and order it from the shop available. Also online you can compare the prices in different shops. There are the cases when the traditional markets do not accept the payment method you prefer.
All in all, both options have their advantages and disadvantages. And nevertheless they both have their audience. It means that people are choosing the most convenient way and disregard all the drawbacks. We always choose one key advantage which will substitute all possible issues that may arise.
References
Coco Yang (2014). Traditional Shopping or Online Shopping? Say You Say website. Retrieved from http://sites.pccu.edu.tw/i-say-you-say/144444/traditionalshoppingoronlineshopping
Corpuz, G. and Peachman, J. (2003). “Measuring the impacts of Internet usage on travel behaviour in the Sydney Household Travel Survey.” Abstract for 2003 ATRF conference. Retrieved from http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/tdc/documents/atrf-2003-hts-paper.pdf
Farag, S., Schwanen, T., Dijst, M. and Faber, J. (2007). “Shopping online and/or in-store? A structural equation model of the relationships between e-shopping and in-store shopping.” Transportation Research A, 41, 125-141.
