Advantage of Online Shopping
Convenience
Online stores are usually available 24 hours a day, and many
consumers in Western countries have Internet access both at work and at home.
Other establishments such as Internet cafes, community centers and schools
provide internet access as well. In contrast, visiting a conventional retail
store requires travel or commuting and costs such as gas, parking, or bus
tickets, and must typically take place during business hours. In the event of a
problem with the item (e.g., the product was not what the consumer ordered or
the product was not satisfactory), consumers are concerned with the ease of
returning an item in exchange for the correct product or a refund. Consumers
may need to contact the retailer, visit the post office and pay return
shipping, and then wait for a replacement or refund. Some online companies have
more generous return policies to compensate for the traditional advantage of
physical stores. For example, the online shoe retailer dailyneeds247.com includes labels for free return
shipping, and does not charge a restocking fee, even for returns which are not
the result of merchant error. (Note: In the United Kingdom, online shops are
prohibited from charging a restocking fee if the consumer cancels their order
in accordance with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Act 2000).
Information and reviews
Online stores must
describe products for sale with text, photos, and multimedia files, whereas in
a physical retail store, the actual product and the manufacturer's packaging
will be available for direct inspection (which might involve a test drive,
fitting, or other experimentation). Some online stores provide or link to
supplemental product information, such as instructions, safety procedures,
demonstrations, or manufacturer specifications. Some provide background
information, advice, or how-to guides designed to help consumers decide which
product to buy. Some stores even allow customers to comment or rate their
items. There are also dedicated review sites that host user reviews
for different products. Reviews and even some blogs give customers the option
of shopping for cheaper purchases from all over the world without having to
depend on local retailers. In a conventional retail store, clerks are generally
available to answer questions. Some online stores have real-time chat features,
but most rely on e-mails or phone calls to handle customer questions. Even if
an online store is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the customer service
team may only be available during regular business hours.
Price and selection
One advantage of shopping online is being
able to quickly seek out deals for items or services provided by many different
vendors (though some local search engines do exist to help consumers
locate products for sale in nearby stores). Search engines, online price
comparison services and discovery shopping engines can be used
to look up sellers of a particular product or service. Shipping costs (if
applicable) reduce the price advantage of online merchandise, though depending
on the jurisdiction, a lack of sales tax may compensate for this.
Shipping a small number of items, especially from another country, is much more
expensive than making the larger shipments bricks-and-mortar retailers order.
Some retailers (especially those selling small, high-value items like
electronics) offer free shipping on sufficiently large orders. Another major
advantage for retailers is the ability to rapidly switch suppliers and vendors
without disrupting users' shopping experience.
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