The proliferation of online shopping sites has certainly made life easier for consumers. The biggest advantage of online shopping is the ability to compare product features and prices without having to run around much. Information asymmetry is reduced and consumers can make rational purchase decisions by going through product features and googling for more information whenever required. Prices are also much more competitive for most online stores as the cost involved in setting them up is much lower than brick and mortar ones.
Personally, the main reasons why I like online shopping in order of importance are:-
1. Access to the latest fashion - Thank God for international retailers like ASOS which offer free worldwide delivery and Chinese online retailers offering fast fashion clothing at rock bottom prices.
2. Time Saving and Convenient - I used to love the thrill of shopping (I still do) but corporate life has left me with very little time. Moreover, life in Mumbai was so chaotic with the flood, the traffic and the work culture that I almost lost my zeal to shop. Shopping is much more fun when it is done in a leisurely manner and not when it has to be done in a rush. Online shopping became my saving grace, giving me an inexpensive international shopping escape.
3. Well informed purchase decision - No pesky store staffs pushing a sale and just by the click of a mouse, there is so much information accessible.
I am not reluctant to buy anything online, except maybe for things like vegetables and heavy furniture. What are my favorite online shopping items? Well it's shoes, clothing & accessories - primarily because I can have access to better brands and products online. Even though I have never bought cosmetic products online, I am quite comfortable in doing so especially if I know the brand or product I have to purchase. Perhaps the reason why I have not got into the act so far is because I normally do such shopping at the last moment or impulsively when I see products in store shelves (they are much more easily available too) . Products that are of high involvement in nature and are "think" products require much more information to be displayed such as the no. of thread counts and material information for a bedsheet, the list of ingredients for a cosmetic product and detailed features information for a gadget. Who knows, in the future, there would be ways to measure and showcase the freshness of vegetables without necessitating touch & feel. There would be virtual showrooms enabling us to experience furniture and study their details intricately. That would be the time when online shopping has become a way of life and not a mere phenomenon.
Personally, the main reasons why I like online shopping in order of importance are:-
1. Access to the latest fashion - Thank God for international retailers like ASOS which offer free worldwide delivery and Chinese online retailers offering fast fashion clothing at rock bottom prices.
2. Time Saving and Convenient - I used to love the thrill of shopping (I still do) but corporate life has left me with very little time. Moreover, life in Mumbai was so chaotic with the flood, the traffic and the work culture that I almost lost my zeal to shop. Shopping is much more fun when it is done in a leisurely manner and not when it has to be done in a rush. Online shopping became my saving grace, giving me an inexpensive international shopping escape.
3. Well informed purchase decision - No pesky store staffs pushing a sale and just by the click of a mouse, there is so much information accessible.
I am not reluctant to buy anything online, except maybe for things like vegetables and heavy furniture. What are my favorite online shopping items? Well it's shoes, clothing & accessories - primarily because I can have access to better brands and products online. Even though I have never bought cosmetic products online, I am quite comfortable in doing so especially if I know the brand or product I have to purchase. Perhaps the reason why I have not got into the act so far is because I normally do such shopping at the last moment or impulsively when I see products in store shelves (they are much more easily available too) . Products that are of high involvement in nature and are "think" products require much more information to be displayed such as the no. of thread counts and material information for a bedsheet, the list of ingredients for a cosmetic product and detailed features information for a gadget. Who knows, in the future, there would be ways to measure and showcase the freshness of vegetables without necessitating touch & feel. There would be virtual showrooms enabling us to experience furniture and study their details intricately. That would be the time when online shopping has become a way of life and not a mere phenomenon.
