Online Shopping : Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping

Online shopping refers to buying goods and services over the internet. You can also say it is the act of purchasing products over the internet.

Online shopping involves researching an online seller, going to their website, searching for your desired item, looking at the price and features, then you can select it and plan for a delivery.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping – Essay 1

In online shopping, you can buy the things online and then pay immediately or when it is delivered.

Online shopping is a type of shopping where you do not have to physically pick a product over the shelf and pay on the counter as everything is done online.

Advantages of online shopping

You do not have to wait in long lines to purchase a product.

Online shopping allows you to shop at any time of the day even at midnight.
It is the best place to purchase items that require discretion.
You do not have to put up with persuasive salespeople.
Online shopping offers you a wide range of products to choose from.
You can see the product reviews on certain products online hence keeping you informed based on their experiences.
You can be able to send gifts such as birthday cards and wedding cards directly to your loved ones without having to travel through online shopping.
Online shops usually offer great discounts and rewards on certain products.
Online shopping allows you to buy used or unused items at lower prices.
There are no crowds in online shopping who may end up giving you a headache with all the noise.
It is easier to compare prices of items from different vendors when shopping online.
With online shopping, you spend less as you do not have to travel or even have to eat outside.
You can get very detailed information about a product you want through online shopping.
Online shopping allows you to compare different brands of certain products for example choosing either to buy a Samsung or a Sony television.

Online shopping allows you to follow through on your order and delivery status.

Disadvantages of online shopping

There are usually delays in delivery which might frustrate a customer.
Retailers may be storing buying habits of customers hence raising concern.
Paying using credit cards and debit cards over the internet may raise security concerns.
You can only see but not touch the products hence raising concern over the quality.
Products can get damaged during transportation.
Some consumers usually require sales assistants to assist them in selection which online shops lack.
The shipping charge may be way too high if you do not reside in a nearby country.
The product delivered may be way too different from the one you saw online.
With the wide variety of products to choose from and the ease with which one can access the internet, you may end up spending more than what you had initially planned.
The discounts offered online may not be as big as the ones offline retailers usually offer.
With the increase in cyber crimes, frauds in online shopping have increased too.
Shopping experience cannot be felt online, you need to go out and have fun and enjoy as you shop.
You cannot negotiate for a certain price for online shopping as compared to physical stores.
Some online shopping sites have strict terms and conditions which people usually ignore and may come to haunt you later.
One is unable to take advantage of the seasonal tax-free shopping events.

Conclusion

Shopping online requires one to thoroughly investigate the online shops they plan to use and read their terms and conditions before placing an order so as not to regret later.

With a good online shopping site, one may be able to reap the benefits of online shopping and reduce the disadvantages that come with it.

By: Christopher.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping – Essay 2

Online shopping like the name implies, allows you to source for whatever products you might need from the comfort of your home, eliminating the need for the waste of energy and time that typically comes with shopping physically. Originating in the late 1900s, online shopping has rapidly grown into a multibillion-dollar industry, with the richest man in the world making his fortune from online trade. Many people would choose online shopping over physical shopping any day, while others simply abhor the idea. Most people from both of these categories make their decisions based on incomplete knowledge. They never actually learned the pros and cons of online shopping, and as such make the wrong decisions even when they decide to venture into online trade. We will discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping, to ensure that you are better informed when you use online shopping platforms.

Advantages of online shopping

Convenience: This is easily the most obvious and common reason people who love online shopping will give to support their choice. It is virtually impossible to find any product you wish to buy when shopping physically as easily and as quickly as you would when shopping online. The absence of long uncomfortable lines and cashiers to overcome before making your purchase, and you can comfortably do your shopping anywhere you are and at any time of the day. Your shopping can be completed within minutes and you can have your purchased items delivered directly to your doorstep. Talk about ease!
More variety: Another major benefit of online shopping is that it gives you access to a large variety of choices when you want to make a purchase. Products from all over the world are available to you at the touch of a button. The internet allows you to connect with suppliers and manufacturers from all over the world, therefore, removing any limits you may have due to your location. This allows you to compare the quality of the products you wish to buy and also compare prices to choose the option that suits you best. This would be next to impossible with physical shopping.

Disadvantages of online shopping

Shipping problems and delivery delays: This problem is known all too well by almost all online shoppers. Even the best and most popular online retailers and the top shipping companies have occasional situations where they do not deliver at optimum capacity. As such, there is no way to ensure that your package will be delivered on time and in the right state and quality unless you physically pick it up from a store. Every single day, items ordered online get lost, damaged, detoured and might even be delivered to the wrong address. No matter how hard they try, online retail stores and shipping companies cannot completely eliminate these problems so you are faced with this risk every time you purchase a product online.
You never know exactly what will show up at your door: Unless you are very closely familiar with a particular brand as well as the retail store you are buying from, purchasing products online requires taking a leap of faith. This shot in the dark rarely ends up in your favour. Usually, the sizes stated are incorrect, you can’t properly determine the texture, fabric, cut, fit, quality or durability of whatever you wish to buy just by analysing a picture on an online retail store. Many people complain that upon the arrival of a product, it feels cheap and is in a poor state. They simply didn’t get what they paid for. And that is the characteristic of most products you buy online.

Conclusion

Online shopping can be a useful tool when you avoid the dangers and are informed when it comes to the decisions you make. There are many more benefits that come with shopping online and all these are available to you at just the tap of a screen or the click of a button. While it still cannot replace the assurance that comes with purchasing products physically, it is rapidly growing to become more and more efficient. So, avoid the pitfalls, and you will be benefiting from this vast pool of online resources.

By Celeb

Last updated on May 6, 2020