Why shop online?
Ten reasons to shop online
OK, there are actually fourteen reasons, but you know how we like to give you more than you’d expect…
The benefits of buying your personal products online are many and mostly obvious. You don’t have to face a shop assistant, you can shop in private, take your time and spare the blushes. But we receive daily calls from customers worried about their privacy or the security of internet shopping in general. Well, since we’ve been trading online since 1999 our MD Faith has put together a few notes on Intenet Shopping and its benefits. Enjoy!
- No queues
- Fast checkout
- Less human error
- Faster than going to the shops
- Easier not to overspend
- No traffic
- More information on the goods you are buying
- Easy to find the goods you want
- No sales person to pressurise you
- No need to dodge other customers
- Delivery is usually cheaper than fuel
- Unusual and niche products are easier to find
- You’re not paying the store owners rent!
- It’s much safer than you think!
No Queues
Think of the hassle of shopping. Why spend your Saturday afternoon lining up in stores at their till, waiting for the person in front to deal with their refund and listening to their squealing kids demand sweets. Save your feet. Kick back, relax and enjoy a beer or two. Order your goods online and wait for the delivery man to bring them to you, as you sun yourself in the garden or watch the movie you’ve been planning to see, or take a leisurely lunch with your favourite friend or partner…
Fast Checkout
Take your card, type in the number, hit send and you’re done. No till paper jamming in the printer… No sales assistant ringing the bell for help on a barcode. No customer in front digging out every 20p off coupon she’s saved up for the past 12 months and then paying in 2’s and 1p coins…
Less Human Error
No need to check your receipt, you’ve processed your own transaction here. No-one is going to scan your goods twice and over charge you twice.
Faster than going to the Shops
It should take you no longer than 20 minutes to place your order online, and that includes browsing a quarter of the website. And it’s so much more relaxed…
Easier not to overspend
You are focussing on what you’re spending, there isn’t any fresh bread smell or buy 2dozen get 2dozen free offers to lure you into spending far more cash than you intended.
No traffic
No need to queue for car parks, dodge the irate drivers or boy racers steaming towards the town centre. Bliss…
More information on the goods you are buying
On average you will find more information on the goods you are buying on a website, since the store owner will have rounded up the benefits for you, and on high quality websites, the other users may also have left product reviews to help you along too.
Easy to find the goods you want
Good websites will have a search box to help you instantly find what you’re looking for. No illogical store layouts designed to make you spend more than you originally intended.
No sales person to pressurise you
You can make up your own mind, in peace and look at something as long as you want before buying. You can compare prices without stony glances or some cheesy salesperson putting the charm on and persuading you to buy the model he makes on the most commission on! Good websites may have live help available, should you need it.
No need to dodge other customers
People barging you with trolleys, bumping into your leg with their shopping basket, stealing the last “Size 10” on the shelf, the one you had your eye on. ‘Nuff said.
Delivery is cheaper than fuel
Add up the fuel price, cost of parking and the time spent in town and online shopping should prove far cheaper. Even overnight, premium delivery services come with low price tags at high quality stores.
Unusual and niche products are easier to find
You will find products online that you haven’t seen in the shops. The store owner has done all the hard work sourcing unusual, attractive and hard to find items that regular shops don’t stock because they don’t sell so well.
You are not paying the store owners rent
The prices will be lower because the rent for warehouse space is generally lower than retail stores. Internet shops will have lower overheads.
It’s much safer than you think
If your credit or debit card is used fraudulently in the EU, the card company must refund you.
Further resources
The Consumer Gateway:
Office of Fair Trading
Explains your rights and tells you what to do if things go wrong, contains links to other useful resources.
At Passion, we believe in both in-store and online shopping and this is why we offer you both.
