Online shopping

Online shopping is better than conventional shopping. What are your views ?

The Internet has revolutionized the way we do our shopping. The businessman regards the
Internet as a modern effective tool for business transactions. Online shopping is the act of purchasing
products or services over the Internet.

Let us compared online shopping to traditional or conventional shopping. Online shopping,

particularly during a festive holiday season, alleviates the need to wait in long lines o search from store
to store for a particular item. Conventional shopping in the brick and mortar building entails leaving the
home to jostle with the traffic, crowds and long queues.

What are the advantages and benefits of online shopping over conventional shopping ?

First, there is the convenience of being able to shop 24 hours a day for any type of product
imaginable. The ability to shop from home allows many people (the elderly, the disabled, young
mothers) to still purchase the products and services they need. Then it is more comfortable, doing it in
the comfort of your home, instead of running around in the store. Online shopping allows you a 24/7
shopping time. you can surf the Internet at any time of the day and buy your goods. You can find and
buy products from all over the world.

Second is that goods are often cheaper as the seller does not have the costs of running a shop.
You have the opportunity to compare as many products and prices as you want without having to spend
the time and money to travel between several different shops. You get cheaper deals and better prices
with discount coupons and rebates thrown in.

Third, you will also be able to read reviews y previous buyers and select your purchases with
additional information from satisfied customers. The photographs and illustrations help you choose and
recommendations from others help you decide.

Like in other forms of business, there are disadvantages too.

First, online shoppers face fraud and security concerns. It has also been widely criticized for
being very insecure. Even with the latest security ware, hackers still manage to find a way to steal your
data. Online shoppers should first familiarize themselves with online stores and how they protect their
data before going on an online shopping spree.

The majority of online shoppers are unaware of various hacker attacks, phishing scams, and how
they affect them. Not knowing how to keep yourself safe is the biggest disadvantage of online shopping.
despite warnings from Snopes and other cyber "police" sites, the store may be a scam put up to gather
people's credit card data and social security numbers.

Second, online shopping puts you at a disadvantage. You can't see and feel first hand or try for
size your purchase. You take the word of the description of the product which is usually cleverly crafted
by online stores to make it sound appealing to people. There is no hands-on inspection, nor visual or
physical impact for product suitability. Only when it arrives at your address, do you have the opportunity
to check the purchases for what it is advertised as. The greatest rip is the inaccurate transactions which
could result in no savings or additional expenses to the buyer. this is probably one of the biggest
disadvantages of online shopping that turns many people off.

Third, there is no means for you to check for full cost or hidden cost not until something
unexpected happens. Online shops do not always list the other additional charges. All these hidden
costs: handling fees, packaging costs, shipping or transit costs, replacement costs, return costs,
fluctuating currency rates, can add up to quite an exorbitant sum. Are they borne wholly by the buyer ?

There are many other online issues which are more technical in nature: usage of the computer,
slow online connectivity, viruses and time zone differences. Other aspects would be personal to buyer:
credit card payment, no cash transactions, immediate gratification, invalid warranties, no refunds and
non-delivery of purchases.

In summary, the main advantages of shopping online are convenience and cost savings, while
the main disadvantages are security risks and reduced hands-on purchase gratification.

In conclusion, to benefit truly from online shopping, one has to be an intelligent experienced
Internet user as well as a streetwise e-commerce online shopper.

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turn sb off to stop someone feeling interested or excited

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Advantages of Online Shopping

The Internet has revolutionized the way we shop. Because of the numerous advantages and
benefits, more and more people these days prefer buying things online over the conventional method of
going into stores.

What are some reasons that many people love online shopping and why is it so popular? Below
are my top ten reasons for shopping online.

Pros and Cons of Shopping Online More Control

Advantages of Shopping Online Spending Too Much Time Online

Disadvantages of Shopping Online Easy Price Comparisons

Convenience Returns Can Be Complicated

Negative Environmental Impact of Packaging No Crowds

and Gas
You Don't Know Exactly What You're Getting
Better Prices
No Sales Pressure
Shipping Problems and Delays
Unfriendly, Scammy, or Complicated Websites
More Variety
Access to Used or Damaged Inventory
Risk of Fraud
No Sales Assistance
Easy to Send Gifts
Privacy for Discreet Purchases
Less Contact With Your Community
No Support for Local Retailers

10 Benefits of Shopping Online

Convenience. Convenience is the biggest perk. Where else can you comfortably shop at
midnight while in your pajamas? There are no lines to wait in or cashiers to track down to help you with
your purchases, and you can do your shopping in minutes. Online shops give us the opportunity to shop
24/7, and also reward us with a ‘no pollution’ shopping experience. There is no better place to buy
informational products like e-books, which are available to you instantly, as soon as the payment goes
through. Downloadable items purchased online eliminate the need for any kind of physical material at
all, as well, which helps the environment!

Better prices. Cheap deals and better prices are available online, because products come to you
direct from the manufacturer or seller without involving middlemen. Plus, it's easier to compare prices
and find a better deal. Many online sites offer discount coupons and rebates, as well. Not only are prices
better, but you can save on tax as well, since online shops are only required to collect a sales tax if they
have a physical location in your state. Factor in the saved expense of gas and parking and you have
saved yourself a lot of money!
 More variety. The choices online are amazing. You can find almost any brand or item you're
looking for. You can get in on the latest international trends without spending money on airfare. You can
shop from retailers in other parts of the state, country, or even world instead of being limited to your
own geography. A far greater selection of colors and sizes than you will find locally are at your disposal.
Plus, the stock is much more plentiful, so you'll always be able to find your size and color. Some online
shops even accept orders for out-of-stock items and ship when they come in.

You can send gifts more easily. Sending gifts to relatives and friends is easy, no matter where
they are. All the packaging and shipping is done for you. Oftentimes, they'll even gift wrap it for you!
Now, there is no need to make distance an excuse for not sending a gift on occasions like birthdays,
weddings, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and so forth.

More control. Many times, when we opt for conventional shopping, we tend to spend a lot
more than planned and end up buying items that aren't exactly what we wanted (but we can't find
anything better in the store). Online, you don't have to let the store's inventory dictate what you buy,
and you can get exactly what you want and need.

Easy price comparisons. Comparing and researching products and their prices is so much easier
online. If you're shopping for appliances, for example, you can find consumer reviews and product
comparisons for all the options on the market, with links to the best prices. We can research firsthand
experience, ratings, and reviews for most products and retailers.

No crowds. If you are like me, you hate crowds when you're shopping. Especially during
holidays, festivals, or on weekends, they can be such a huge headache. Also, being crushed in the
crowds of shoppers sometimes makes us feel rushed or hurried. You don't have to battle for a parking
place. All of these problems can be avoided when you shop online.

No pressure. Oftentimes when we're out shopping, we end up buying things that we don't really
need, all because shopkeepers pressure us or use their selling skills to compel us to make these
purchases.

You can buy used or damaged items at lower prices. The marketplace on the Internet gives us
access to listings of old or damaged items at rock bottom prices. Also, if we want to buy antiques,
there's no better place to find great ones.

Discreet purchases are easier. Some things are better done in the privacy of your home. Online
shops are best for discreet purchases for things like adult toys, sexy lingerie, and so on. This enables me
to purchase undergarments and lingerie without embarrassment or any paranoia that there are people
watching or judging me.

Additional Benefits of Shopping Online

You get an electronic record of the receipt of your purchase, which makes record-keeping much easier.

You get to try things on in the comfort of your own home.

Sometimes, returns are easy.

It saves time!

What do you like best about online shopping?

Convenience

Cheaper Prices

Choices

See results

Produce is one thing most shoppers prefer to choose for themselves.

Produce is one thing most shoppers prefer to choose for themselves. | Source

10 Disadvantages of Online Shopping

Negative environmental impact of packaging and gas. Having your purchase packed in several
layers of plastic and cardboard packaging and delivered right to your front door is good for you, but not
so great for the environment. Even if you try to recycle the cardboard, you're creating unnecessary
waste by shopping online.

Shipping problems and delays. Even the biggest and best shipping companies and online
retailers have their bad days, so there's no way to ensure that you'll get your hands on your purchase in
time unless you pick it up from a store. Items get lost, detoured, damaged, or delivered to the wrong
address more often than you can imagine.

Risk of fraud. If you're shopping online, there's a larger risk of fraud: credit card scams, phishing,
hacking, identity theft, counterfeit products, bogus websites, and other scams are common.

Spending too much time online. Especially if your job requires that you look at a computer all
day, you might get burnt out on all that screen time. Shopping online can turn into a marathon of
scrolling and clicking down rabbit holes and before you know it, you've been online for most of the day.
The internet is a nice place to visit, but you probably don't want to live there.

Less contact with community. If you do all your business online, you'll never have to leave your
home. This might be great for awhile but sometimes, you might want to go outside, breathe some fresh
air, get a change of scenery, talk to real people, participate in your community, and just be a part of the
crowd. Sometimes, a computer monitor can't compete with a real human connection.

You don't know exactly what you're getting. Unless you are intimately familiar with a brand or
product, buying online requires a leap of faith... one that doesn't always end in your favor. Sizes are
often imprecise. You can't determine texture, fabric, fit, cut, quality, heft, or durability just by looking at
a photo. Products that looked great might feel chintzy, awkward, or cheap when you hold them in your
hands.

Returns can be complicated. Some sellers make the process breezy, but many make it extra hard
for you to return their merchandise or get a refund. Many times, you can't get reimbursed for any
shipping costs. Labeling, packaging, shipping, tracking, and filling out all the proper forms is a hassle you
can avoid if you buy in person (and if you hand-select your merchandise, you won't need to return
things so often).

Unfriendly, scammy, or complicated websites. Some sites require that you join their mailing list
and make it impossible to unsubscribe. Some sell your email address to others, so your email is full of
ads. Sometimes, sites don't offer good or accurate descriptions of the goods, or you just can't figure out
how to purchase or return an item or speak to customer service.

No sales assistance. In a store, there's usually someone to help you but online, you're on your
own. If you're confused or have questions, it's just too bad for you. You might have to make blind
purchases and mistakes you'll regret later because there was no one to talk to.

No support for local retailers. If everyone started doing all their shopping online, all the local
stores would go out of business. When all the stores in town are gone, we'll have to drive further and
further away to shop at a real store. Many people and places have already experienced the negative and
sometimes devastating impacts of e-commerce which take away jobs and devastate local economies.