MediaLabs

Are you running out of time to shop for your daughter’s birthday bash next week? There are a myriad things to do, but not enough time to go shop hopping? Never mind, grab a pen and a slip of paper, put your feet up, get comfy, and start making a list, that’s all you need to do because online shopping has indeed simplified our lives in a way you couldn’t have imagined!

Right from books, toys, clothes, electronics, groceries, everything you will ever need is available online. It has in fact changed the perception of shopping, hasn’t it? We don’t even have to run to shopping centers or malls every time we need to buy something.

And to think of the long queues at the billing counters! Not to forget the awful traffic on the road. Horrible!! Online shopping is as simple as a blink of the eye and a click of the mouse and you get everything delivered to your doorstep! It’s true that online retailers have created a shopping revolution for us!

How Has Online Shopping Made Life Easier?

It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon and you wish you could just relax but things still need to be done. You are in no mood to set out into the crowd. What do you do? Simply surf the net and order online! Your items will be delivered to you in a few days without having to step out of your home.

The Benefits?

Assume you have made up your mind to invest in a very sophisticated gadget, in all probability you might have to hit all the stores in and around your locality to do a review on the product and price ranges. There is also a possibility of that product being unavailable at that time. It’s disappointing isn’t it?

Online shopping is a blessing in disguise and there is no dearth of choice either. You need not bother about problems like parking, traffic, queues, the jostling, so on and so forth. You can buy anything anywhere in the world.

You can gift flowers to your cousin who stays in New York or send a birthday card to your best buddy in Auckland. Just go online and make it happen. We have, in fact, taken online shopping for granted and the shift has happened with lightning speed.

The Drawbacks

Hold on! Aren’t there any drawbacks? Yes, like with everything else, there are huge advantages but a few disadvantages too. What are they?

One of the greatest disadvantages is receiving inferior products. Since you are buying a product online, there is no way you can keep tabs on the quality. Many a times, it might happen that you are delivered inferior quality products and the shipping charges get added to the cost of the item, making it even more expensive.

Delivery is another major issue. Often the delivery gets delayed, leaving you with no clue about when the item will be delivered or whether it will be delivered at all! And yes! You discover it was a scam. The website from where you bought it was not trustworthy and the item might never reach you.

What Surveys Reveal

Consumers are more open to online shopping, as they are moving towards a cashless society; that means they prefer using their debit or credit cards instead of cash. Social media is taking the lead as consumers are interacting more with brands through social media and is therefore becoming the most critical piece of omni channel strategy.

A survey by Walker Sands Communications shows that three in every five consumer interacts on social media. Facebook is the most popular channel where at least 55% of consumers interact with brands. It is followed by Twitter (21%) and Pinterest (10%). The survey also shows that 17% of consumers have discovered products on Pinterest.

The reasons customers interact with brands on social media are for coupons and promotions (78%) and to discover what is trending (65%). Other reasons include customer support (24%) and to check who is buying what (19%).

The Future

As Peter Drucker observed, “The Best way to predict the future is to create it,” the online retailers have already created the future of online shopping, making it more efficient, addictive and easily accessible.

Consumer preference is also changing with digital innovation. They are accepting technologies, devices and services to make shopping more exciting through an online experience. All in all, it is safe to say that the future of online shopping is here to stay and is set to become more thrilling.

So, have you shopped online today? Please share your comments on our social media platforms and see what others have done. It’s fun. Isn’t it?

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