According to a recent study, almost 80 percent of all Americans currently shop online. This number is up from only about 22 percent in 2000, and this is solid evidence that online shopping is more than just a passing trend. Some shoppers even complete most or all of their shopping online, and many make purchases on-the-go from their smartphone. There are numerous reasons for the incredible popularity of online shopping.
The Convenience of Online Shopping
When you think about the traditional shopping method, you may think about trying to find a parking space in a crowded parking lot, spending hours of your time hunting through dozens of stores to find the perfect item, standing in long lines and hoping that you get the best deal possible on your purchase. While some people find shopping to be enjoyable or even therapeutic, the reality for most is that it is inconvenient and stressful. With the one exception of having to wait for your purchase to arrive rather than enjoying instant gratification, online shopping is truly a more convenient way to buy goods.
An Easy Way to Compare Prices
Nobody wants to pay more than necessary to buy quality merchandise, and online shopping allows you to compare prices of similar goods at several retailers within a matter of minutes. More than that, when you purchase an item in a store, you do not have any idea about quality. Shopping online usually gives you access to numerous consumer reviews. Therefore, you can often make a more informed decision about overall value when comparing prices.
Access to a Greater Selection of Merchandise
When you shop in local stores, you may be able to call ahead to see if a specific product is in stock. However, most shoppers simply spend hours driving all across town in search of the right product with ideal features and benefits. By shopping online, you can search through specific retailers’ websites, or you can conduct a broad Internet search for the item you are searching for. In fact, you may even find products with features that you were not aware of and that may be much more preferable to you than the original item you were searching for.
The Ability to Save Time
You can easily spend hours or even days shopping for a single dress for a formal event, a couch for the living room or for something else on your list. Many people lead busy, active lives, and it is not ideal or productive to waste so much valuable time. Online shopping enables you to complete your tasks in a fraction of the time while likely ending up with a better overall product at the lowest price possible.
These days there are even add-on services like Joinesty, that can make your shopping easier, faster and ensure that you get all the discounts available.
The majority of American shoppers are already taking advantage of the benefits of online shopping. If you do not currently shop online, now may be a great time to experience these benefits yourself.
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