Pros and cons of online shopping

There is really no need to introduce online shopping is there? You might not be a serial buyer but I’m sure at least once in your life you’ve bought something on the internet, whether you could afford it or not.

According to recent statistics, online shopping has been steadily increasing year after year.
A trend accelerated by the pandemic, a period during which more and more people turned to online shopping as the safer and more convenient option. Shopping for useless things from the comfort of your toilet instead of having to put on clothes and drive to the shop really is an unmatchable experience. Online shops such as Amazon and eBay have expanded their offering tremendously in the last years, and rebranded themselves as a one-stop shop for their customers.

Let’s go through some of the pros and the cons of online shopping:

1. Convenience

As we said, most people turn to online shopping because it’s easy and convenient. You can shop from under your blankets, at any time of the day or the week, without having to leave your house. Sephora’s shops do not have your favorite deodorant? You’re two clicks away from another online store where you’ll be able to find it and maybe even get a discount. Online shopping is a great alternative for people who might be extremely busy or that live in rural areas, where “shopping” entails driving 30 minutes to the biggest neighboring city.

2. Prices

Online prices are usually better than in-store ones, whether from market manipulation or due to the lower overhead costs that online retailers enjoy due to bulk buying. It is quite easy to find coupons and discounts as well, usually if you’re a new customer retail shops will offer you 15% off your first order or free shipping. There are apps and chrome extensions that will scan the internet and come up with the cheapest options too, combining online offers and doing all the hard work of finding coupons or affiliate links.

3. No crowds

Which is great if you’re shy or afraid of confrontation. Your new pair of jeans dont fit like they should? Your new blender came in broke? Why show up to a physical shop and argue with a real human being when you can click a couple of buttons and arrange a return or replacement?

Well all that glitters is not gold, so onto the cons:

1. The loss of social interaction

Physical shops are not only places where items are bought and sold. Especially in smaller cities or non touristy neighborhoods shops and their owners are part of the social fabric of a community.
As online shopping grows bigger and bigger, smaller and locally owned shops struggle to match the prices megacorps can offer online and end up shutting down. Same day delivery, the use of AI and mobile apps kills the competition between, let’s say, Amazon and your local corner shop. As this phenomenon seems to go faster every year, we risk seeing the city centers emptied.

2. Lack of touch

Well this is kind of obvious by itself, you won’t be able to physically touch, try on or test any products. It might make it very difficult to judge the quality and the fit of clothes and other items if you can’t access them. Especially when it comes to perfumes or trousers, i never seem to find the right fit, and the hassle of having to repackage them and send them back makes the whole experience more time consuming than anything.

3. Impulsive shopping and the lack of immediate gratification

Online shopping does not provide the rush of endorphins that in store shopping might give you. This can be a good or a bad thing, it’s largely individual. But I have to admit that I have been guilty before of spending money online “just because”, being excited about it for 20 minutes then literally forgetting about my purchase for days, until the package showed up on my porch. This kind of “senseless” spending might bring more shame than gratification, I sure had to rethink my shopping habits after that one. If overspending and budget management are not your forte, you might want to stay away from your wallet while browsing the web.

In conclusion, I believe online shopping is not inherently “good or bad”. Some items might be impossible to find for you in a regular shop, you or the person you’re living with might be suffering from some conditions that make it difficult to shop in a mall or local store. As everything in life, YMMV. As technology continues to evolve and retailers improve their online offer, it is likely that even more customers will turn to online shopping in the future. But try to always keep in mind that our choices have an impact on our communities and, firstly, on our well-being.