Many people
prefer to shop online to avoid crowds.
Online shopping has been a growing trend in recent years, and today the majority of consumers obtain their merchandise through a retail or online store. For example, online merchandise sales increased 12 percent from November 1 to December 19, 2009 over the same dates in 2010 (see Reference 4). Many people might wonder why more consumers are shopping online today but, despite a lack of employee-customer and customer-customer interactions, purchasing online has many benefits over purchasing in a retail store.
Open 24/7
You can shop online when it's convenient for you. For example, you could purchase an item online at 2 a.m. when you can't sleep, rather than during the standard 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. retail store hours. It can be especially difficult to shop in retail stores with young children. However, you can use the Internet to buy items without leaving your home while your kids are asleep or playing with their toys
Avoid Crowds
Shopping online saves time because there's no waiting in line at the retail store. Instead of spending a few hours at the mall, you might spend a few minutes in front of the computer. This is especially nice during the holidays to avoid searching for limited parking and waiting in long lines in stores. You can find what you're looking for without going in and out of every store in the mall.
Selection
There's a greater selection of colors and sizes to choose from when shopping online than you'd find in the local retail store. Plus, you can find out if the item is in stock before you even visit a store. It can be frustrating to arrive at a store and find out that a particular item, which you've been looking for, is out of stock. When you shop online, you have a better chance of finding what you like in your size and preferred color.
Save Money on Gas
Buying online saves you money on gas and parking. Lots of gas could be spent on just looking for a place to park, which can be very time-consuming as well. You also don't have to fight traffic when shopping online.
Lower Prices
Shopping online is an excellent way to find a good deal. In general, you can find better prices online because the business costs are much lower than operating a physical store. For example, the business doesn't need to rent a physical store, staff it with employees and pay maintenance costs. There are more sale items available online than in a store because it has the capacity to store more merchandise. Even though shipping costs reduce the price advantage of online shopping, a lack of sales tax may compensate for it.
Comparison Shopping
Shopping online allows you to easily compare prices with a few mouse clicks instead of visiting numerous retail stores. Many businesses offer information and consumer reviews for their products. This information is readily available online, whereas it would be difficult to obtain it in the store.
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