Shopping online has quite a few benefits. Purchasing plane tickets, groceries, household necessities, and office supplies has never been more convenient than it is right now. Online stores are often very competitive with prices and products, providing shoppers with a wealth of options that brick-and-mortar stores may not have.
However, it can feel overwhelming to compare prices, reviews, and products without having the ability to physically see the items. Before you begin shopping online for your next purchase, large or small, take into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of online shopping when compared to traditional shopping.
Advantages of Online Shopping
Aside from the convenience of shopping from the comfort of your home — or anywhere, for that matter — shopping online comes with many advantages. Some of the perks include avoiding parking hassles, long lines, and crowds during particularly busy shopping seasons. Let’s dig into some of the additional benefits of online shopping.
Shop Any Time from Anywhere
The most obvious benefit of shopping online is the hours that you can shop. Where else do you have the ability to shop at any time, day or night, while wearing your pajamas?
The 24/7 nature of online shopping allows everyone to take advantage of the perks of a sale and the low prices of a particular retailer, regardless of where they live or what hours they can shop. This means people living in rural areas or working the night shift enjoy the same savings and convenience of those in a city working 9-to-5 jobs.
Avoid Crowds
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us to revise the way that we approached everything, from shopping for groceries to enjoying various forms of entertainment. Avoiding crowds became the norm, and although that may no longer be necessary, it may be preferable for many shoppers. Visiting shopping malls, especially during high volume times, also means dealing with traffic and crowds.
When you shop online, not only do you avoid long lines at checkout, but you also save money on gas, skip roaming the parking lot trying to find a parking space, and avoid all the associated dings and scrapes on your vehicle.
Convenience
Time and place considerations are just the beginning of the convenience advantages offered by shopping online. With online shopping, packages are delivered to your doorstep, saving you time and money on gas. In addition, shopping through an app that saves your personal information makes checkout quicker and more convenient.
Compare Prices Easily
If you have some time to spend browsing, online shopping gives you the chance to thoroughly shop around and compare prices. Going from store to store in a physical shopping center takes a lot more time than simply opening a new browser tab and running a few searches.
By reading reviews and comparing products prior to making a purchase, you can feel confident that you are getting the best value for your money without wasting as much time and energy.
Take Advantage of Resales and Discounts
Online shopping gets easier and saves you more money over time as you learn how to fully take advantage of the benefits that are unique to this shopping method. For example, the online retail space is full of alternative sellers and websites that specialize in gently used and refurbished items that can save you money.
Another way to save money online is to sign up for discount and sale notifications via email or text message. These services notify you about the best time to shop, and because you can shop anywhere at any time, it’s easy to take advantage of these deals.
Low-Pressure Purchases
When making large lifestyle purchases such as cars, insurance, and travel, it’s common to encounter aggressive salespeople when shopping in person. In contrast, online shopping offers a no-pressure sales experience. Without a person pressuring you to make a decision, it’s easier to conduct additional research, call friends and family to get their opinions, and fully evaluate options before making a purchase. It’s easy to save your progress for later or abandon your cart instead of completing a transaction if you change your mind.
Easily Save Items for Later
Unlike walking away at a department store, if you choose to abandon a cart online, all the items you considered purchasing remain accessible, at least for a while. Many retailers also send product reminder emails if you leave items in your cart or save them for later. Additionally, these reminder emails sometimes contain special offers or discount codes.
Disadvantages of Online Shopping
Online shopping comes with some clear advantages, but there are disadvantages as well. In some cases, a deal is too good to be true or falls short of the website’s description. It can also be hard to receive satisfactory customer service online if the company uses chatbot robots or makes it difficult to reach a person on the phone.
Some of the other disadvantages of shopping online include:
Buying on Faith
Shopping in person allows you to look closely at a product before purchasing it to determine if it’s the right size, fabric, or quality that you’re searching for before committing to a purchase. Online shopping, on the other hand, requires a willingness to “buy before you try” policy. Especially when purchasing clothing, it’s important to know your exact size and measurements in order to avoid a bad experience.
What You See Isn’t Always Available
Besides having the ability to try on an item in person, when you have something in your hands, you know you can buy it. That isn’t always true when shopping online. It’s not uncommon to deal with items that are on backorder or no longer available when attempting to make purchases. This can be quite problematic when shopping for gifts and you need to have an item by a certain date.
There May Be Hidden Fees
Although you save money by not driving back and forth to stores, fees for shipping and other items can impact the final price you pay when shopping online. For example, if you choose to return an item, sometimes you may have to pay restocking fees or other costs associated with shipping an item back to the seller. In addition, depending on the item, location, and business, you might spend as much or more on shipping costs than what you spend on the item.
Time Delays
Another clear disadvantage of online shopping is the delay between purchasing an item and actually receiving it. Although many online retailers have gotten better at fast shipping, you often need to pay extra for overnight delivery. Other factors, such as weather, can also delay shipping times even further.
Human Interaction Is Not Guaranteed
While avoiding the pressure of dealing with sales personnel is a positive part of online shopping, the flip side to this benefit is that it can be hard to find help when you need it. Many online retailers rely on overseas customer service and/or chat bots that make it difficult to get direct answers if a question or issue arises.
Ways to Shop Online Securely and Safely
One final disadvantage of shopping online involves using a credit card or debit card over the internet. Many people are understandably hesitant to make purchases this way. However, with some simple precautions, shopping online safely with credit or debit cards is possible.
Let’s take a look at some simple ways to protect yourself and your financial information when shopping online.
Look for Signs of Security
Above all else, debit card and credit card holders need to be wary of potentially purchasing an item from a website that doesn’t have the proper security in place.
If you see an ad online that feels too good to be true, it probably is. Smart shopping is an essential component in ensuring you don’t become a victim of credit card fraud.
Another way to protect yourself is to be aware of the type of website you are patronizing. Before making a purchase, take notice of the URL. Secure websites have a URL that begins with https (hypertext transfer protocol secure) as opposed to http. Websites with https can mask shared data, such as passwords and financial information, through Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology.
Keep Privacy and Trustworthiness in Mind
Online shoppers must be aware of privacy and security precautions while shopping online. Personal information — like payment information or banking details — get stolen every day. The good news is that you can prevent credit card fraud by being conscious of your privacy and the trustworthiness of the businesses you patronize.
To shop online safely and protect your personal information, familiarize yourself with the company’s security measures and their policies. Start by reading the customer service policies and reviews, whether it’s for a brick-and-mortar store or an online establishment. This information provides everything you need to know about shopping on the site.
If policies seem vague or the website doesn’t take the proper security measures, it’s best to shop elsewhere.
HRCCU Can Help You Shop Online Safely
At Hudson River Community Credit Union (HRCCU), our experience in online and mobile banking means we are positioned to provide you with support and advice about making safe and effective online purchases. In addition, if something does happen to your credit or debit card information while shopping, the financial team at HRCCU can help you rectify the situation.
Contact us today to learn how we can help keep your information safe and help if something should happen.
