Introduction
Online shopping is defined as the act done by shoppers, who are in the middle classes or upper classes, when they use an online platform to order for the goods they require (Weber, 1978). Weber (1978) adds that online shopping for most people is linked with social status, but he adds that this idea is not to be confused with social class stratification. To back this connection of online shoppers with social class, Corrigan (1997), also affirms that societal factors primarily influence the actions of these online shoppers. I therefore argue that there is a major impact on consumption at home, in which online shopping is involved. The main contributor to this impact is stratification and the social status.
Social factors contribute greatly to how the rate of consumption will be. Wealth is one of the social factors according to Veblen (2005) that encourages wastefulness and spending. He argues that a wealthy person wants to be high in the social status and he or she must do anything to remain in the upper social class or to show the world how wealthy he or she is. They therefore turn to spending and impulse buying of unnecessary good, though the goods are expensive and of a higher class. Veblen (2005) also argues that industrialization and the modern technology encourages more consumption and the term he used to define this, is conspicuous consumption. He states that consumption is like a social fashion and people tend to buy goods anyhow to fit into the modern ‘fashion’.
Some of the industries that have online shops are favored more by online shopping that the other industries due to the social factors. Some of the social factors include family, social statuses, social roles, and reference groups. The more famous industries with good reviews and strict policies that promote privacy of their consumers are highly likely to be referenced to other online shoppers (Corrigan, 1997). The reference groups are like the reviewers and those groups that give feedback that promotes the industry. Families can also recommend a certain industry and they stick to one industry to which they are used. The social status of an individual will determine the industry he or she will be buying. A person from a higher social class is likely to shop online from a store that is prestigious, so they can maintain face. This therefore promotes some industries over other small industries (Corrigan, 1997).
Shoppers go back to online shopping severally due to their return policies and the friendly prices. The clearly defined products and the positive customer feedbacks and reviews attract online shoppers. With the strict return policies that online retailers put across, the online shoppers feel secure that they can account for their money if they are not satisfied with the purchased product (Gefen, Karahanna & Straub, 2003). The online shoppers face many risks while they choose to shop online. Some of them are like the risk of fake reviews of various products leading them to buy goods that do not meet the standards they had expected.
Online shops also do not close anytime and they can get access to the store anytime. The idea of rushing to buy something from the store some miles away is overwhelming and the shoppers who are used to sitting back and pressing the button get tempted to just continue buying the goods online (Gefen, Karahanna & Straub, 2003). They also do not get the full price disclosure for the goods. Some of the additional costs include the shipping process, which might cost more than what the online shopper intended to spend. Counterfeited goods are also likely to be posted online and the online shoppers do not have the chance to see it live so they can determine if the product they are purchasing is genuine. Sometimes their purchased goods may never be delivered and they can lose their money in seconds.
Extortion is common in the university retail shops and the prices they offer are normally too high than the real price of the products and services. Since the students need these services, parents are forced to pay for the expensive goods. The owners of these retail complexes in the universities are aware of how the students waste money and can spend money on anything they like, so they take advantage of this wasteful culture adopted by the university students. These university students also promote the consumption at home since they have full access to the internet. The modern technology and internet allow the students to be updated on trendy products and with their spending culture, they end up buying so they could be on with the fashion (Michaelidou & Hassan, 2008).
The university students living in the residential areas also bring the increase in the cost of living and the rise of the consumption rate. Most communities think that pursuing higher education is a luxury and consider it as a form of prestige. This is a form of social behavior where the self-sponsored students have a culture of over spending of their money. They therefore determine the kind of lifestyle that can be led in these areas thereby increasing the consumption rate at home (Gefen, Karahanna & Straub, 2003). They regulate the prices of every single item being purchased within that area and the house rents increase. Students do not mind on the changes in prices and the retailers in these regions will take advantage of it. This in turn affects the other residential households that are not students.
Conclusion
In conclusion, online shopping greatly influences the consumption at home and some of the contributing factors to these are the social status of a person and the stratification of the social classes. Individuals prefer online shopping even though they are faced with a high rate of risks involved with online retail shops. The strict return policies offered by the online shops attract more customers and the positive reviews of the products attract the shoppers. Once they experience good services and the wide range of products offered online, they end up promoting consumption and stick to online shopping. The attractive policies and the ready availability also make them go back to the online shops and this therefore promotes the consumption rates at home. Social factors like social status, families, reference groups, and social roles affect the consumption rate whereby, people caring about their social status in the society tend to consume many goods and services to show their wealth and maintain their status in the society. Their privacy concerns also make them buy these goods and services online and therefore promoting consumption at home through online shopping. The reference groups and families give positive reviews on products and they affect how other individuals will go into online shopping.
References
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Corrigan, P. (1997). The Sociology of Consumption: An Introduction. Sage Publications
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