Online shopping facilities can be a complete blessing for those who want to open their own store. As for the consumers who are keen to shop, they can explore a vast range of shops in a small amount of time.
This gives the consumers options to evaluate a larger amount of products before making a purchase. On the other hand, the sellers and stores can reach out to a higher number of consumers and an even wider range of customers.
Although traditional shopping is still a thing, more and more people are leaping towards online sites like Onlinekade.lk, LumBuy Shopping Online, Amazon, etc.
Like traditional shopping, there are some disadvantages and benefits to online shopping.
For your convenience, we brought you this brief yet well-researched article on the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive into it to know more!!
Online shopping: what is it?
If you buy something through the internet, it is called online shopping. It is a component of a larger body known as e-commerce.
In this medium of shopping, buyers browse through the internet to find their desired product from various online shops. As it is very easy to do, it is increasingly getting popular day by day.
The mode of transaction in this medium of shopping is mostly Cash On Delivery. But you’ll sometimes see advanced payments being done too through credit or debit cards.
Some of the trusted and easy online shopping platforms popular right now are Amazon, Flipcart, LumBuy shopping Online, etc.
For example, LumBuy Shopping Online has a wide range of products with detailed descriptions on its website. You can just click on any product image that you like, and click the ‘Buy’ button to get the product.
Online shopping has increased more than 50% in the US since 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s find out why such a large population is opting to shop online: what are the benefits!!
Positives and Negatives Of Shopping Online
| Benefits | Disadvantages |
|
Takes less effort. Higher convenience. |
The real physical feel of the item is absent. |
|
Detailed evaluation and comparison of price and product features |
Shipman delays and failed deliveries |
|
Analysis of public reviews |
The danger of fraud shops |
|
Sending gifts with only one click |
Absence of bargaining facility |
|
Shopping in secret and protection of privacy |
Wastage of the money from excessive shopping |
|
Instant purchase facility |
Risk of product damage while shipping |
|
Economic utilization of time and money |
Extra shipping cost |
|
Unlimited choice of product |
Scammer websites |
|
Wide range of available second-hand products |
Absence of in-person assistance |
|
Multiple Payment modes |
The emergence of hidden costs |
10 positive sides of online shopping: Perks Of Shopping Online
1. The convenience of shopping
Without having to visit a store physically, it is incredibly easy to shop online. To find your desired products, you just have to reach out to the search bar.
This physical advantage is the most important perk of online shopping. You don’t have to provide a certain amount of time to reach a physical shop. Thus, your schedule is unaltered.
2. Huge option of price and feature analysis
Since you don’t have to do much to know about various products in online shopping, you can compare the features of multiple products within a short period.
3. Extended variety of products
In online shops like LumBuy Shopping Online, Amazon, etc, you can check and examine an extended variety of products that you would not be able to in physical shops. The more products you check and examine, the better you get at shopping.
4. Sending A Present Is Easy
If you want to send a gift to a certain someone, you can just do it in a few clicks. You don’t have to go through the hassle of physically reaching the person. You can use these online shopping sites as a medium for giving surprise gifts.
5. Having More Control Over Shopping
Since you don’t have to shop at a certain time of the day, you can steadily plan your shopping and execute it whenever you are free to do so.
6. No Hassle Of Crowd
In any physical shop, there must be a certain amount of crowd of customers at busy hours. Since online shopping is done at home, you don’t have to face the crowd anymore.
7. Option Of Buying Used Item
You can easily buy second-hand items online anytime through various e-commerce sites. This will not be possible in physical shopping because a large collection of second-hand sellers can only be organized by a website.
8. Well-planned Purchases
Since you have more time in your hand before making a purchase, you can make well-planned purchases in online shopping. This saves you from wastage of your money and mental stress.
9. Wishlist facility
Sometimes you think about buying a product but end up forgetting to buy it. On sites like LumBuy Shopping Online, you can put any product on your wish list and the website will alert you to buy it later on.
10. Money return facility
Some online shops will offer you a money return facility for a certain period. This might not be available in offline shops.
10 Negative Sides Of Online Shopping: Probable Sufferings
1. Poor packaging and product damage
Some online shops provide poor packaging to the product. This causes product damage. This kind of event causes buyer discontent and creates a negative impact on the online shopping market.
While larger commercial sites work around the clock to prevent this kind of unfortunate event, consumers still get poorly packaged products delivered to them.
2. Delay of shipment
Sometimes the online shops fail to deliver the product in due time. It is frustrating to receive a product at a delayed time. Renowned online shops never make this mistake, thus, acquire a lot of positive reviews.
3. Fraud alert
Lots of fraudulent online shops have emerged over the last few years. Shopping from fraud sellers can cause a loss of money.
Many fraud shops are appearing nowadays on social media platforms and in the disguise of an E-Commerce site. Although governmental organizations work to prevent fraudulent sites from operating, some unfortunate events do occur every once in a while due to their fraudulent activities.
4. Wasting money online
Since it takes less time to shop, sometimes we end up shopping a lot more than we need. It is a common phenomenon that sometimes consumers go out of their budget and spend a lot of extra money on unnecessary items.
Seeing a lot of items available on the online market lures the customer into buying extra products that might not be needed.
5. Lack of social connectivity
Because of the lack of meet up between customers, people tend to get socially distanced over time. As people are growingly getting attracted to buying things online, they meet fewer and fewer people. This can cause major social insecurity even between neighbors.
6. Nothing being sure of quality
In the case of buying a product that is new and has no previous reviews, buyers get anxious about the quality they will receive.
If you approach a shop that has no previous selling report of a certain item, it is normal that you would get anxious about what the quality of that product is likely going to be. This is a major downside of shopping online.
7. Money Return Denial
In some cases, some online shops refuse the money return policy after delivering the product to the consumer.
We have noticed some unfortunate events where a user receives the product in a damaged state. As a result, when he/ she approaches to return the product to the shop, the shop refuses to return the money and take back the item.
This problem can happen because of unfortunate product damages caused in time of transportation.
8. Scamming websites
Sadly, there are a bunch of scammer websites out there that scam potential buyers. This disrupts the online shopping market.
We often notice some online shops where products are sold with certain promises. But when the product is finally delivered to the consumer, it found out that the promises made by the online shop have not been fulfilled intentionally.
9. Lack of in-person assistance
Since you have to do the checking and evaluation of the products yourself in online shopping, there is no one to guide you in person. In physical shops, you can get help from shop assistants.
10. Limited scope for local retailers
Since the online market is overtaken by large E-Commerce sites like Amazon, Flipkart, LumBuy Shopping Online, etc, there is little scope left for local retailers to do business online.
Final Words
Whether you are used to online shopping or not, there is no reason to shy away from it. Online shopping is the future.
So, we suggest that you go through the web pages of popular e-commerce sites to get the best deals from trusted suppliers. We hope you found the discussion useful. Have a good day. See ya!!