Outline
Topic: shopping
Title: comparing and contrasting online shopping and In-store shopping
Background statement: The advancement of E-commerce facilitated an adjustment from store shopping to online shopping. The Digital revolution generated numerous opening and also unconventional obstacles to shoppers. Online stores provide connectivity to a huge number of customers at an inexpensive cost. At the onset of the 21st century, online stores experienced unprecedented growth due to the increasing use of the internet.
Thesis statement: Online shopping is better than in store shopping due to three reasons- online shopping provides its clients with comparison shopping capabilities, a broader variety of good and services, affordable prices and electronic mode of payment. In totality these reasons have made online shopping more convenient, accessible and secure to more customers.
Point 1: use electronic modes of payment
- Easier and convenient to pay for goods and services
- Safer to shop online
- Flexible as one can pay from anywhere
Point 2: comparison shopping
- Less time spent moving from one online store to the next
- Availed reviews
- Competitive pricing
Point 3: availability of a wider range of items and services
- Discounted products
- Easy to located desired items
- Easier to move from one online store to the next as compared to moving from one physical store to the next.
Comparing and Contrasting Online Shopping and In Store Shopping
Introduction
The advancement of E-commerce facilitated an adjustment from store shopping to online shopping. The Digital revolution generated numerous opening and also unconventional obstacles to shoppers. Online stores provide connectivity to a huge number of customers at an inexpensive cost. At the onset of the 21st century, online stores experienced unprecedented growth due to the increasing use of the internet. Unlike previous times when people were forced to leave the comforts of their home, the internet allowed people to buy necessities through internet platforms. Due to the ease with which people shopped online, it became more convenient to shop online. Online shopping is better than in store shopping due to three reasons- online shopping provides its clients with comparison shopping capabilities, a broader variety of good and services and electronic mode of payment. In totality these reasons have made online shopping more convenient, accessible and secure to more customers.
Body
Online shoppers make use of electronic modes of payment rather than physical cash which is frequently, used in-store shopping. While shopping online, most of the client prefer mobile payment methods because they are verified and secure. Once the good is delivered and the client is satisfied with the product, then he or she releases the payment through mobile banking or other electronic forms of payment (Ifeanyichukwu 201). Hence, the use of credit cards and mobile payment has made online shopping easier and more convenient for shoppers. Also, Ewallets contain personal customer data which can be used to help the client pay for products once they are delivered from the online shop. On the other hand in stores are known for preferring physical cash once the client chooses an item. The chance that comes with having more than one mode of payment makes some of the transactions risky as one must part with cash. Online shopping has provided a range of payment methods that are then considered for the purchase. The use of electronic forms of payment has made it safer for most online shoppers. In store shopping is prone to insecurity due to the usage of physical cash. Most of the online shops have electronic modes of meaning hence the customers do not use physical cash to pay for goods and services. This is the main reason that makes online shopping safer than in store shopping. Another reason which makes online shoppers secure is that they shop from the comforts of their own homes without leaving their secure places. Some may argue that online shoppers are prone to cybercriminals but online stores disseminate information and use better security mechanisms. Shopping in person is riskier because people have to leave their homes and in the process expose themselves to more harm. It is safer to enter the credit card details in a personal computer than in a swiping machine. Stealing from an online shopper is more difficult than stealing from an in store shopper (Hodges, and Lizhu 118). Transacting online has been made safer and reliable to most of the online shoppers due to the series of safety nets put in place by cybersecurity experts. With more people preferring online shopping, security systems have been upgraded to superior levels. Nowadays, it is rare for cybercriminals to steal from online shoppers. On the other hand, online shoppers have made it easy to isolate online stores which do not offer security to their consumers. Therefore, online business owners have ensured that they all levels of transaction and delivery are safe and accounted for by the available security systems.
In terms of comparison shopping, one of the main reasons people prefer to shop online is due to numerous reviews attached to products. In a physical shop, the item only has a price tag hence one cannot review and assess the usability of the product. An online shopper can spend time comparing products before settling on one quality item he or she wishes to purchase. Rather than moving from one in store to another looking for affordable products, online shopping has made it easy for the shoppers to navigate from one online platform to the next in search for quality items (Zhai, Xinyu, and Feng 38). With online shopping one searches for product reviews, compare prices and quality. Hence at the end day it is cheaper and much faster. Online shopping allows shoppers to shop at any time unlike in stores where one has to shop only at specified times (Schmid et al., 156). Online shopping is not limited to any time or even space. As long as the client gains access he or she can purchase anything at any time and would then be delivered on his or her doorstep. This allows people whose schedules are tight to shop and get whatever they need for the day. In other words, online shopping is flexible as it gives people a wide range of possibilities.
Apart from comparison shopping capabilities, online shopping gives shoppers a wider selection of goods from which they can choose. Online stores are not limited to shelf space hence are able to keep as much goods as possible. An online store can have numerous items and expand its space as much as it wants to. (Nagar, and Payal 851). This is an advantage to the online shopper as he or she gets a chance to choose from the wide assortment of goods. Also, shoppers can easily navigate their way through the numerous products because the search bar helps in the location of items. More products normally translates into better deals due to the stiff competition between manufacturers who make these products. Most of the online shopping websites offer more discounts than in store shops hence attracting more potential clients. This implies that items which are not discounted in physical stores can be found at a better price on online platforms. Also, online shoppers have an option of either picking their items from local stores or through home delivery hence making online shopping convenient and time saving for the shoppers. Another reason why online shopping is considered cheaper is because the retailers who own them have lesser operational costs hence passing the savings to the clients by reducing the item expenses. Online shoppers browse through numerous online shops and settle on the best commodity (Anesbury et al., 261). This way, they get affordable products. In conjunction with its affordable prices, online shoppers have the option of purchasing items directly from producers and get rid of the middlemen who usually manipulate prices unlike in store shops. Therefore services and products are cheaply priced.
Conclusion
Online shopping is popular due to its wide range of products from which people can choose from. Also, a wide range of products cater to the needs of more consumers. Online shopping is affordable because of the low operation cost incurred while running them. Unlike in store shopping which rarely offers discount on its products, online merchandize are frequently discounted hence attracting more potential buyers who flood online platforms to buy discounted items on short notice. More so, online shopping enables shoppers to compare and review items before buying them thus most of the products bought are of high quality and competitively priced. Most of the online products are reviewed and ranked and this makes it easier for new shoppers to easily make a choice before buying the product.
Works Cited
Anesbury, Zachary, et al. "How do shoppers behave online? An observational study of online grocery shopping." Journal of Consumer Behaviour 15.3 (2016): 261-270.
Augsburger, Mareike, et al. "The concept of buying-shopping disorder: Comparing latent classes with a diagnostic approach for in-store and online shopping in a representative sample in Switzerland." Journal of Behavioral Addictions 9.3 (2020): 808-817.
Hodges, Nancy, and Lizhu Davis. "Consumer shopping value: an investigation of shopping trip value, in-store shopping value and retail format."
Ifeanyichukwu, Chioma D. "Shopping orientation and online shopping: an analysis of online shoppers in Nigeria." International Journal in Management & Social Science 4.6 (2016): 199-205.
Nagar, Komal, and Payal Gandotra. "Exploring choice overload, internet shopping anxiety, variety seeking and online shopping adoption relationship: Evidence from online fashion stores." Global Business Review 17.4 (2016): 851-869.
Schmid, Basil, and Kay W. Axhausen. "In-store or online shopping of search and experience goods: A hybrid choice approach." Journal of choice modelling 31 (2019): 156-180.
Zhai, Qing, Xinyu Cao, and Feng Zhen. "Relationship between Online Shopping and Store Shopping in the Shopping Process: Empirical Study for Search Goods and Experience Goods in Nanjing, China." Transportation Research Record 2673.11 (2019): 38-47.
