Why Do People Shop Online? [Updated Nov 2023] - Oberlo (2024)

There’s no denying that more and more people are shopping online every day. But why do people shop online instead of visiting a brick-and-mortar store, where they can get a feel of the products in person?

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Why shop online: top reasons consumers do so

According to the latest statistics, the ease and convenience of online shopping dominate consumers’ list of top reasons to shop online, with around half of their main motivations directly related to these factors.

The top reason consumers prefer to buy items online is the free shipping option offered by ecommerce stores. Just under half (45%) of consumers list it as one of the main reasons they shop online.

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In other words, they would much rather enjoy the ease of having their purchase delivered to them at no cost instead of going out to a store to physically view and inspect the product, purchase it, and obtain it immediately after purchase—even if it means having to wait.

But the ability to pay for the product upon delivery also has a role to play in consumers’ willingness to shop online. In fact, 14.5% of consumers say among their top reasons to shop online is the ability to pay with cash on delivery. So aside from enjoying free delivery services, online shoppers also like the option to make cash payments only when they receive their product. Being able to collect their purchases in-person is also a motivating factor—13.1% say it’s why they buy things online.

The convenience of getting purchases delivered to them that online shopping offers also extends to its speed. Of internet users’ top reasons to shop online, next-day delivery is one of them. Just over one-quarter of online shoppers (25.9%) say it’s a motivating factor behind their online purchases.

Another factor related to convenience is the easy checkout process, for which 24% of consumers list as one of their main reasons to shop online.

Why shop online: factors beyond convenience

Though ease and comfort form the basis for the popularity of online shopping, there are other reasons consumers enjoy it.

For some of them, the ability to save money and defer full payment are also their top reasons to shop online. Statistics show that 33.5% of consumers say having coupons and discounts to apply to their online purchases drives them to shop online, while 22.8% do so because they’re able to collect loyalty points.

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