Shopping online
Most people usually connect the idea of shopping with the traditional mode of shopping, which involves driving or walking to shops and malls to buy goods. However, with the current advancement in technology, the internet has enabled shoppers to purchase products anytime, anywhere, without boundary limitations between countries through online shopping. (1) Some people prefer to buy their goods using the traditional way of shopping while others find online shopping to be more convenient for them. Although online shopping and traditional shopping serve the same purpose, they are significantly different in a few ways.
Shopping online is convenient for most people because it enables them to buy goods from any part of the world and at any time as long as the shopper has access to the internet, thereby reducing limitations. (2) For instance, a shopper can easily log into the website and look for a product that they would like to purchase, pay for it on the internet and wait for the product to be delivered to them. By so doing, the shopper eliminates the need to physically drive or walk into a shopping mall or store to do their shopping. This saves them a lot of time. Online shopping, however, has some limitations. It is not always safe for people to shop online because when paying for products that they have purchased, customers are required to release their personal data and credit card information. (1) This exposes them to the risk of getting defrauded as their personal information could be accessed by people with bad intentions who could use it to perform unauthorized transactions without the shoppers’ knowledge. Shopping online also denies customers the opportunity to inspect goods before buying them. Online shoppers can only depend on the information that is offered to them by the suppliers, and this information could later on prove to be inaccurate because consumers get to see the product they have bought only after the order has been made and the product delivered to them.
Most people, however, are still reliant on the traditional mode of shopping and find it convenient for them. Unlike online shopping, traditional shopping is safe for consumers. It does not expose them to the risk of being defrauded because customers pay directly to the seller by cash or by credit cards. At the same time, people who shop in traditional stores may be given counterfeit money as change by the sellers. (1) To avoid this, consumers ought to be careful while making transactions in conventional shops. Traditional shopping is also preferable to some people because it offers shoppers the chance to physically inspect, test, and compare various products carefully while shopping before making a choice on which item to buy. (2) For example, when buying a pair of shoes, traditional shoppers can inspect and try out different sizes of shoes to find the best fit. Nevertheless, people that shop using the traditional mode end up consuming a lot of time in the shopping process because they have to be physically present in a mall or shop by either driving or walking there.
In conclusion, both modes of shopping have merits and limitations. All in all, shoppers should consider each factor carefully before deciding which method of shopping is the most convenient for them.
References
- Traditional Shopping or Online Shopping? [Internet]. ISayYouSaya. google sites; 2014 [cited 2020Apr5]. Available from: http://sites.pccu.edu.tw/i-say-you-say/144444/traditionalshoppingoronlineshopping
- Online Shopping vs Offline Shopping : A Comparative Study [Internet]. Academia. 2017 [cited 2020Apr5]. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/31659170/Online_Shopping_vs_Offline_Shopping_A_Comparative_Study