January 20, 2008
Online shopping is somehting that has become very popular in the last few years because it is quick and easy and is more convenient for modern shoppers because it allows them to purchase items from stores through the internet instead of actually going into the store. While this can be very convenient it can also take away from the instore experience. Buying things online instead of from a store makes the buying experience less personal and does not allow shoppers the chance to browse through each individual store or try items on before they buy them. Some people may prefer this easy click of the mouse shopping, but some traditional shoppers still prefer to browse their favorite stores from time to time.
Many online shopping places have had to compete with other e-tailers and keep their prices low because it is much easier to find stores with similar merchandise when surfing the internet then it is actually having to look around for competetors. In the past the reatiler controlled the prices over the customer, but now that consumers have gained more knowledge they know where to look inorder to get the best deals. E-tailing makes up about 20% of the annual reatil sales which in turn decreases the amount of revenue that each individual store makes. This hurts stores because they are losing money which can sometimes result in laying off emplyees or closing store branches. So while the initial company is still making money, the stores may not be, and the economy may suffer because if this. Online shopping appears to be getting more and more popular so it will be interesting to see how this trend progresses over time (Roche, pg. 8, Retailing, Ed. 4, 2002).
Over all online shopping can be a good thing if your favorite store is out of a certain item, or you need to find one particular thing. It allows you the options to look at different stores that are not in your area or but certain products that may not be available at a store near you. E-tailing is good because it is so convenient and if you need one thing it can be a very good way to buy things. I personally like going to stores because you have a lot more items infornt of you and you have the power to decide if you like them before you buy them with out having to deal with returning it online. You have to be careful when buying stuff off the internet because you need to make sure the source you are buying from is legitimate and safe, where as, if you go in a reputable store you know what types of products you are buying. I like shopping in general and would hate to buy all of my clothes off the internet because it would take the fun out of the shopping experience and would feel so impersonal. Usually when you go in a store you see several things you like, and typically when people shop online they are not as tempted to get other items because they already have an idea of what they are looking for. I think online shopping can be a very effective thing, as long as it does not take away from the traditional shopping experience.
