8 Pros and Cons of Shopping Online vs Shopping in Stores
One of the highly growing businesses, and for quite some time now, is e-commerce, as these businesses are everywhere and expanding fast. Of course, that’s mostly because of the Internet, as it changed our lives immeasurably that today if there weren’t for the Internet for just one day, many industries, and even countries, would simply collapse. Okay, this is just to explain both how we are highly dependent on the Internet and the latest technology and how it makes our lives much easier. Furthermore, not a day goes by that we don’t browse the net for some piece of clothing or check out some attractive deal that came up while we were browsing through social media. Even though they are still called phones, they are much more to us today than just that, as they are our path to unlimited opportunities.
Shopping, which way is better?
As for shopping, especially during these troublesome and, simply said awful two years, when the whole world seemed to stop as we all have certain restrictions and curfews, the delivery services and buying things online has never been more popular than today. But, this is just one of the latest reasons why online shopping is something we all do, and because many still prefer actually going to stores, let’s get into details and try to find out which way is better and come with more benefits and, what better way to do so than by creating a pros and cons list for both, so let’s start.
Pros of Shopping online:
1. Convenience
First on this list is understandably convenience, as no matter if you are waiting in line somewhere or going on a coffee break, if there is a stable WiFi connection, you can order a thing or two. Just imagine a store that has everything you may ever need, and that’s open 24/7, 365 days a year, and that’s precisely what you get with online shopping.
2. Better prices
Yes, as you probably already know, by browsing the net you can find out that some item you always wanted but was too pricey is on a sale. Furthermore, there are many online coupons and vouchers you can claim and use that will further reduce certain prices, and, what’s even more important, gathering and comparing prices from different stores has never been easier. It is one of the main reasons why people decide to finish the purchase online since they can save enough money to get more things than they intended to. If you are not sure where to find these coupons that many are talking about, check GreenPromoCode.com and see if there is something for you.
Cons:
1. Frauds
Many people are taking advantage of the internet and online shopping and creating fake websites which role is to take our money and disappear. Because of that, it is necessary to be cautious and find a reliable website before making a purchase since it is the only way to make sure that you will get the product you paid for. Read the reviews and inform yourself well before deciding to entrust the money to some website, and everything will be alright.
2. Waiting time
Shopping online can sometimes be a real nightmare because we need to wait for the product that we ordered, and sometimes we can experience long delays. It is not a big deal if we purchase something unimportant, but it can be really bad if we order a wedding dress or something that we need to have at a certain moment. Many websites guarantee us fast delivery, but it is not something that they can affect, so we need to be prepared for waiting.
Pros of Shopping in stores:
1. Checking the quality of the product
The most obvious benefit here is that certain things you simply cannot or at least shouldn’t buy just by checking out their images online. Trying them out, quality, and checking the measurements, and all other things are only possible by actually going to the store. Besides that, we all love a marketing trick called customer tastings, and huge malls and even some small ones are always promoting certain items that we can try, regardless of whether it is some food or drink or something else.
2. Help and guidance from the employees
Wanting to try something new but not entirely sure about whether we will actually like it is easily solved, as all we have to do is ask pleasant employees for guidance and their opinion. Sales associates are there to provide us with every single piece of info we may need, which is a huge advantage of in-store shopping.
Cons:
1. Waiting in the line
Stores can be pretty crowded, especially during the holiday season or during sales, so we need to be prepared for long lines. No matter how fast you are and how quickly you can find all the articles you want to buy, waiting in line can sometimes last forever. Waiting in line is not for people with thin nerves because they can easily get annoyed, but it can be a great thing for those who love to chat and make new friends in stores.
2. Persuading sellers
It is well-known that most people cannot go to the store and buy only the item for which they went, and the main reason for that is persuasive sellers. It can be pretty tricky to avoid them, especially if you are gullible, but, on the other side, we cannot blame them because it is their job to try to make people by more. Buying online can save us from persuading sellers, and we can take enough time to think about buying more than we intended.
To summarize
It is not an easy task to decide what is better – online purchase or visiting the store because both of them has their advantages and disadvantages, which means that there is a perfect choice for every person on the planet. It is up to you to choose which option suits you better and go for the product you desire in your own way.