For someone who has been doing most of their shopping online, the idea of going back to physical stores does not sound too tempting.
However, what if a person is not too familiar with online shopping and still on the fence about trying it? The reluctance is understandable given how there are certain risks involved, but it is also worth mentioning that online stores have certain advantages. And once you overcome that fear of getting scammed, it becomes clear why ecommerce is thriving.
If you want to get into more details as to why online shopping is superior to physical stores, this article will answer you.
International Shipping
Let’s start with international shipping. If there are goods that you want to buy but cannot find at your local store. Well, it just so happens that international online stores have you covered with international shipping.
Sure, it can be expensive to ship goods from abroad, but it is by far a superior option to not having access in the first place.
Another side of the benefit is for those who run an online business. Whether you are selling baby outfits or hockey equipment, so long as you have the logistics in order, you should not have problems reaching international customers and making more money.
Perhaps most importantly, shipping allows businesses to reach consumers in new markets. By expanding their customer base in this way, companies can increase their sales and profits. Shipping can also help businesses reduce their costs by allowing them to source products from around the globe at lower prices. Also, shipping provides businesses with a way to get their products to consumers more quickly and efficiently than ever before.” says James Scott of Ozbox Containers.
No Queues
You can avoid queues in physical stores by visiting them outside peak hours. But what happens if you have other commitments, such as a job, and have free time when pretty much everyone else does?
The lifestyle often dictates that you need to enter a store when there are so many customers, which means wasting time in queues.
A high number of shoppers can also mean that you are not getting what you came for. If you are too slow, someone else might grab the last item and put you in a terrible mood.
The situation is a bit different with online stores. You can check whether goods are in stock directly on the website. And if you want to purchase something, you can add it to a shopping cart and go to the checkout.
Some online shops go as far as introducing the feature of not requiring shoppers to register an account to complete the purchase. Such an approach is appreciated by those who are in a hurry and do not want to waste time entering registration details and wasting unnecessary time.
Anonymity
If you want to buy something intricate or a present for someone, you might have a hard time doing that in a physical store. Getting spotted by another person could ruin the whole thing and put you in an awkward position.
Meanwhile, if you shop online, you benefit from anonymity. Even if you are using someone else’s computer, you can still clear the browsing history after you finish the purchase, which means that if someone tried to trace back your steps, they would be unable to do that.
No Pushy Staff
One of the biggest downsides of entering an online store is when you have to deal with pushy staff trying to get you to buy something. Perhaps you are there just to browse for fun? Or maybe you need something very specific and want to get to it as soon as possible and leave?
Having another person on you constantly suggesting that you should get this and that is not just a waste of time but a test of your patience.
It is different with online shops, Yes, the purpose of an online store is to generate income, and some store owners go as far as introducing various gimmicks, such as pop-ups and other means of FOMO, but these things are easy to ignore, unlike the pushy staff you meet in a physical store.
Price Comparisons and Multiple Alternatives
When you are in a big shopping mall and have to go from one store to another to compare prices, it is natural that you start to feel like you are wasting your time.
Comparing prices is much easier when you are shopping online. It is as easy as opening multiple internet browser tabs.
Some internet browsers have dedicated plugins that compare prices for you, which adds extra convenience. It will not take you too long to determine which online store offers the best price.
Multiple alternatives could be used as another example of how much better it is to shop online. There are hardly any monopolies that have a grip on a specific market. Competition is encouraged, particularly when it is relatively simple to start an online store. And the more options there are, the better it is for the consumers.
Home Deliveries
One of the best things about online shopping is the fact that you can get the goods delivered to your home. In other words, you do not have to bother going to a store yourself and wasting time and money.
In case you cannot pick up the delivery yourself, you can arrange for a courier to arrive at a time that suits you. And if not, there is also the option to leave the delivery to another person, someone you trust, such as your neighbor, for example.
Cheap Used Goods
Second-hand physical stores are not that common anymore, which is not great for those looking for bargains.
This is where online shopping comes to your aid again. It is much easier to find online stores that sell second-hand goods and deliver them to your home.
And if you are looking for something specific, you can check various ad platforms where people put ads for used goods they want to sell.
24/7 Availability
The last notable benefit is that you are not limited by time when shopping online. As a rule of thumb, online stores are up 24/7 so long as the website’s hosting provider has reliable uptime.
There are some exceptions in physical stores that are also open all the time, but those are far too few to be considered something common.
