Pros and Cons of Online Shopping

These days everything is going digital, from entertainment to shopping and food. You will find almost everything on the internet and with the click of a button, you can order anything you want and have it delivered directly to your front door. For some people with a busy life schedule, this seems ideal. It is becoming more popular for interior decorators, fashion stylists and the everyday person.

Many people find online surfing and purchasing much easier as they can complete their daily activities and still buy items of their choice from the comfort of their home. There are clearly many pros of online shopping but there are several cons of online shopping.

Pros of online shopping:

  • You can buy 24/7 on the online store and you can shop whenever you want without any time restrictions. 
  • One can shop in private. There are times when you want privacy while buying, such as when you want to buy undergarments as many of us would be embarrassed to buy these in front of anyone. With online shops, you don’t have to face anyone and you will not feel embarrassed.
  • No large queues to wait in or difficult people to deal with makes this a great option for people. A lot of people find this to be convenient, particularly during festivals and seasons such as the holiday period as there will be large crowds in the shopping malls. Online shopping is the best alternative to this problem, as you can order anywhere from the world in the comfort of your home. 
  • If you want to do some quick buying when you know what you want to purchase (item name, brand, budget, etc.) then online shopping is the best and it will save you time.
  • If you want to purchase a gift for any of your friends or relatives who live far away from you, then online shopping is the best choice. While buying, when you specify these items need to be gift wrapped, the online stores will perfectly wrap the gift and ship it to the destination. They’ll remove all the price tags and the invoice while sending. 
  • It is a real challenge to go shopping with kids as you have to take care of them amidst your shopping and make sure they’re behaving. This is why online shopping is convenient. 

Cons of online shopping:

  • It takes time to receive items. It will take minimum 3-5 days and in some cases even 12-15 days to have your purchases delivered at your place.
  • You can only see a limited number of products per page as they fit in the website, and you need to scroll through multiple pages to see all the choices available. Whereas, when you buy from the store, you can comfortably sit and the store coordinator will show you all the available items. 
  • You can’t touch the item while shopping online. For example, you may buy a dress in dark blue but when it is delivered it might turn out to be a different shade or the material may be weaker than you expected. Sometimes it might suit or look better on the model than it does on you. 
  • Compared to returning products at the local stores, returns are a little difficult online. For instance, if you had bought a dress online and it doesn’t fit you. When you try to return this item, you have to wait for a week to get your refund. If there are any shipping fees involved, then you’ll have to pay that as well. 
  • Some items can be costly and if a problem occurs it can pose financial risk. This could include products from residential interior design.

Conclusion :

There are many pros and cons of online shopping as mentioned above, however, online shopping and offline shopping can both be enjoyable and fun.