Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping

Advantages of online shopping

Due to rapid growth of technology, business organizations have switched over from
the traditional method of selling goods to electronic method of selling goods.
Business organizations use internet as a main vehicle to conduct commercial
transactions.

Online stores do not have space constraints and a wide variety of products can be
displayed on websites. It helps the analytical buyers to purchase a product after a
good search.

1. Convenience of online shopping

Customers can purchase items from the comfort of their own homes or workplace.
Shopping is made easier and convenient for the customer through internet. It is also
easy to cancel the transactions.

2. No pressure shopping
Generally, in physical stores, the sales representatives try to influence the buyers to
buy the product. There can be some kind of pressure, whereas the customers are not
pressurized in any way in online stores.

3. Online shopping saves time

Customers do not have to stand in queues in cash counters to pay for the products
that have been purchased by them. They can shop from their home or workplace and
do not have to spend time traveling. The customers can also look for the products
that are required by them by entering the key words or using search engines.

4. Easy to Make Comparisons

Companies display the whole range of products offered by them to attract customers
with different tastes and needs. This enables the buyers to choose from a variety of
models after comparing the finish, features and price of the products on display,
Sometimes, price comparisons are also available online.

5. Availability of online shop

The mall is open on 365 x 24 x 7. So, time does not act as a barrier, wherever the
vendor and buyers are.

6. Online tracking
Online consumers can track the order status and delivery status tracking of shipping
is also available.

7. Online shopping saves money

To attract customers to shop online, e-tailers and marketers offer discounts to the
customers. Due to elimination of maintenance, real-estate cost, the retailers are able
to sell the products with attractive discounts through online. Sometimes, large online
shopping sites offer store comparison.
The major disadvantages of online shopping are as follows.

1. Delay in delivery
Long duration and lack of proper inventory management result in delays in
shipment. Though the duration of selecting, buying and paying for an online product
may not take more than 15 minutes; the delivery of the product to customer’ s
doorstep takes about 1-3 weeks. This frustrates the customer and prevents them from
shopping online.

2. Lack of significant discounts in online shops

Physical stores offer discounts to customers and attract them so this makes it
difficult for e-tailors to compete with the offline platforms.

3. Lack of touch and feel of merchandise in online shopping

Lack of touch-feel-try creates concerns over the quality of the product on offer.
Online shopping is not quite suitable for clothes as the customers cannot try them
on.

4. Lack of interactivity in online shopping

Physical stores allow price negotiations between buyers and the seller. The show
room sales attendant representatives provide personal attention to customers and
help them in purchasing goods. Certain online shopping mart offers service to talk to
a sales representative,

5. Lack of shopping experience

The traditional shopping exercise provides lot of fun in the form of show-room
atmosphere, smart sales attendants, scent and sounds that cannot be experienced
through a website. Indians generally enjoy shopping. Consumers look forward to it as
an opportunity to go out and shop.

6. Lack of close examination in online shopping

A customer has to buy a product without seeing actually how it looks like. Customers
may click and buy some product that is not really required by them. The electronic
images of a product are sometimes misleading. The colour, appearance in real may
not match with the electronic images.

People like to visit physical stores and prefer to have close examination of good,
though it consumes time. The electronic images vary from physical appearance when
people buy goods based on electronic images.

7. Frauds in online shopping

Sometimes, there is disappearance of shopping site itself. In addition to above, the
online payments are not much secured. So, it is essential for e-marketers and
retailers to pay attention to this issue to boost the growth of e-commerce. The rate of
cyber crimes has been increasing and customers’ credit card details and bank details
have been misused which raise privacy issues.
A. Complete the following paragraphs with the words from the box.

The Advantages of Online shopping

The Internet has revolutionized the way we do our shopping. The businessman regards the Internet as
a modern ………..(1) tool for business transactions. Online shopping is the act of purchasing products
or services over the Internet.

Let us compare online shopping to traditional or conventional shopping. Online shopping, particularly
during a festive holiday season, ……………(2) the need to wait in long lines or search from store to
store for a particular item. Conventional shopping in the brick and mortar building entails leaving the
home to …………..(3) 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 …………..(4) to shop from home allows many people especially the elderly, the
disabled, young mothers to still purchase the products and services they need. Then it is more
……………….(5) 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 ………………….(6) 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 ……………..(7) thrown in.

Third, you will also be able to read reviews by previous buyers and select your purchases with
additional information from ………………(8) customers. The photographs and illustrations help you
choose and recommendations from others help you …………………..(9)

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 ………………(10) 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 ………………..(11) before going on an online shopping spree.

Most online shoppers are …………………..(12) of various hacker attacks, phishing scams, and how
they ………………(13) 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 ……………(14) 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
……………………(15) 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 ………….
(16) 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 ………………(17) sum. Are they borne wholly by the buyer?

There are many other ……………….(18) issues which are more technical in nature: usage of the
computer, slow online connectivity, viruses and time zone differences. Other ……………….(19)
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 order to benefit
from online shopping, one has to be an intelligent experienced Internet ………….(20) as well as a
streetwise e-commerce online shopper.

     
comfortable rebates data ability
insecure opportunity jostle affect
decide alleviates appealing unexpected
effective opportunity unaware satisfied
exorbitant aspect user online

B. Match the words below to their meaning.

WORD MEANING

1 Comfortable To reduce
2 Insecure To push someone while moving forward
3 Decide A part of something
4 Effective Not having unpleasant feelings
5 Exorbitant A person that uses something
6 Rebates Not well protected
7 Opportunity The state of being able
8 Aspect Not aware or having knowledge about something
9 Data To make a choice about something
10 Jostle To act upon a person’s mind or feelings
11 Appealing Done over the internet
12 Unaware Producing a result that is wanted
13 User Not expected
14 Ability Too high, expensive
15 Affect To cause someone to be happy or pleased
16 Unexpected To reduce the trouble/difficulties of something
17 Satisfied Having qualities that people like
18 Online Facts or information usually to analyze
19 Alleviates A chance
 WORD MEANING

1 Comfortable
2 Insecure
3 Decide
4 Effective
5 Exorbitant
6 Rebates
7 Opportunity
8 Aspect
9 Data
10 Jostle
11 Appealing
12 Unaware
13 User
14 Ability
15 Affect
16 Unexpected
17 Satisfied
18 Online
19 Alleviates

WORD MEANING

1 Comfortable
2 Insecure
3 Decide
4 Effective
5 Exorbitant
6 Rebates
7 Opportunity
8 Aspect
9 Data
10 Jostle
11 Appealing
12 Unaware
13 User
14 Ability
15 Affect
16 Unexpected
17 Satisfied
18 Online
19 Alleviates