Whether it’s fashion brands such as Zilli or essentials like Walmart or name brands like Hermes, we can’t deny that more and more retailers both big and small are beginning to offer their goods and services online. Online shopping is a relatively new phenomena but since the first secure online transaction made in 1994, this mode of purchasing goods has only boomed.
While lockdowns and quarantines forced the physical retail sector to suffer, the online marketplace has only gotten bigger and busier with more and more businesses choosing to use shopping platforms such as Amazon to sell their goods or opting to set up their own websites for the same purpose. But now even though the world is slowly coming alive again, it seems that our online shopping habits are likely here to stay for a variety of reasons.
Convenience
While a trip to the physical store often requires planning and can sometimes take hours due to the commute and having to walk through the countless aisles (sometimes with the occasional detour to the snack or appliances section) and the whole affair can leave you tired and stressed, online shopping at least takes the physical work out of the equation.
As long as you’re in possession of a debit or credit card and have wifi available, it has never been easier to place an order for whatever goods you need from the comfort of your own home. Most major brands and online shopping platforms even offer services like ‘same-day delivery’ to your doorstep so there’s a good chance that you wouldn’t even need to leave the safety and comfort of your house.
Humans generally prefer convenience whenever possible and online shopping is the pinnacle of modern day convenience. With a little browsing and the click of a button, you can generally get your hands on most things without having to do much work yourself. This leaves us with more lime to spend on activities that you find to be more productive, or meaningful, or enjoyable.
Cheaper Options
With sales seemingly available every other week (if not almost every day), most of us who have tried online shopping can hardly deny that (sans the cost of shipping) the prices offered by online retailers are often cheaper than their physical counterparts. Furthermore, with a variety of redeemable coupons and the occasional offer of free shipping, the online retailer’s offerings can sometimes be several times cheaper than the goods offered in a physical store.
The reason for the difference in price stems largely from the cost of having to run a physical outlet. In addition to the cost of rent and utilities, you also have to take into account the cost of employees and the initial cost of furnishing a store and designing the layouts. Additionally, there’s the fact that having a physical store means being subject to various uncontrollable factors such as foot traffic, wear and tear and sudden hikes in rental costs amongst other things.
On the other hand, selling goods online generally only requires a space to store the physical products (which a physical retailer would need anyway), staff to sort the goods, monitor transactions and update the inventory (also needed in physical stores) and a means of transporting the goods to their customer’s place of residence. As such, companies can generally save a decent amount when they move their services online. This means that they can also afford to pass on these cost savings to consumers which results in overall lower prices.
More Goods To Choose From
For those of us who have ended up on an online retail rabbit hole on Amazon or Wish or any number of large online retailer platforms which can host hundreds if not thousands of smaller retailers, we know that the world of goods offered in a virtual “mall” is huge and wide and varied. With everything being offered from apple watches to zebra print dresses, the world of shopping is truly your oyster no matter your taste, preferences and desires. If you want something, there’s a good chance that someone online will have it.
Online retail platforms have a tendency to attract many small brands and sellers since the cost of setting up a ‘shop’ on an online platform is usually much cheaper compared to setting up a brick and mortar shop. This also means that sellers who specialize in incredibly niche products can more often than not be found online since it’s far easier for them to develop a customer base there rather than limit themselves to a local community.
However, as many a reddit meme has proved, since customers are unable to physically verify the condition and quality of products, this has often led to disappointing comparisons between expectations and reality with some online retailers running borderline scams. As such, it’s important to remember to always check the reviews to determine whether or not the seller is able to deliver on their promises.
Online shopping has opened up many new and exciting options for both consumers and sellers alike. It allows for more flexibility in both how we spend our time and how we spend our money and most of us can agree that it is sometimes an improvement over visiting a physical store. Whether it’s food or medicine or sports gear, if you’ve got a hankering for it, consider checking out your options online and enjoy a consumer’s paradise.