Advantages and disadvantages of shopping online

Shopping online has become big news over the past fifteen years, both for consumers and businesses. It currently accounts for 8% of retail sales in the USA and the annual value of online trade has been projected to reach $279 billion in 2015. As it now forms such an important part of many people’s lives, I thought it would be interesting and useful to list the relative merits and downsides of this still relatively recent phenomenon. So here are the main advantages and disadvantages of shopping online.

It is convenient. You can shop from the comfort of your own home, or workplace. All you need is a device to search for and view the products that you are interested in (usually a computer), plus internet access.

You have a maximum amount of choice when shopping online. You are not limited to what an individual store sells or stocks. If a product is produced, then you will almost certainly be able to buy it online somewhere, either in a new, or used condition.

You have easy access to price comparisons and reviews of the products that you are interested in buying. You can also easily compare prices at different vendors.

Last, but not least, another one of the advantages of shopping online that should never be overlooked is that you can often get some great bargains by buying this way. Big retailers often price products cheaper online than they do in their bricks and mortar stores. Many items can also be bought at bargain prices through online auction sites such as eBay.

There is always a time delay in receiving your purchase while you wait for it to be delivered. Buy it in a bricks and mortar store and you can take it home with you straightaway.

There may be potential problems with the seller when you buy online. They can describe a product wrongly, or in a way that is misleading, as they have almost total control over how a product is portrayed. They may also be more difficult to communicate with than your local store.

Retailers can also use methods regarding the pricing of products that many buyers can find underhand. For instance, a product can be displayed at a certain price online, only for excessive shipping, or other costs, to be added later on in the buying process.

You can have problems with the mail when ordering a product online – either it arrives broken, or it doesn’t arrive at all. This may happen only rarely, but it can be very frustrating when it does occur.

There is very little scope for building any sort of rapport with the seller when you go to buy a product online. This makes the process very impersonal. There is no shop owner or employee to give you specialist advice, help, or tips. Neither is there someone to give you follow up help in person, should you have any problems with your product.

There are all sorts of potential problems associated with the ease with which people can buy online. Impulsive buying, addiction, overspending, and debt-related issues can all be exacerbated when it comes to shopping online. Also, it is easier for people to buy products when intoxicated, or for children to purchase unwanted items using parent’s credit cards and online accounts without permission.

Fraud and identity theft are a constant threat when shopping online. There are also major issues concerning the privacy of the data that is supplied to retailers by buyers shopping online.

You can’t try out the product in advance, when you are shopping online. Neither can you touch a product, or see it close up with your own eyes. This can be a considerable disadvantage when it comes to certain types of products.