The COVID-19 pandemic only underlined the steady decline of offline shopping as millions of us turned to our phones and computers to order our groceries, appliances, clothes and just about everything else. While the pandemic might be slowly receding, however, it appears that the shift towards digital commerce is here to stay and it’s not just because of fears surrounding the virus.
Here are three reasons why online shopping is going to continue to dominate the commerce space in the coming years and why we shouldn’t necessarily be mourning the loss of the high street.
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Convenience
It’s much easier to buy from home. You avoid the hassle of getting ready, arranging transport and also having to take everything back to the house yourself. So many websites now offer delivery within 24 hours now too, which means you don’t even have to wait multiple days and weeks anymore. We’ve reached a point now where you can literally order something from Amazon before you go to sleep and have it delivered to your doorstep first thing in the morning. With that kind of convenience, why would you ever want to shop offline again?
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Contact
For people that do not wish to be in crowded spaces, the lack of personal contact is a major advantage of online shopping. This isn’t just for people who are scared about being infected with COVID either. For those that suffer from debilitating social anxiety disorders, for example, being able to do all shopping online is undoubtedly a very welcome relief.
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Choice
Sticking to your local stores means you’re contingent on and whatever stocks they have available. But you can shop from pretty much any shop online and get the product that best suits your needs. Everything is online now too. This is not only about clothing or furniture, you can literally buy anything online today. Looking for cheap tyres online, for example? There are hundreds of options. Or maybe you want to buy a new car online? Again, you can get one delivered directly to your door.
Any downsides?
Whenever you need to get something immediately it might not be the best option. Also, the return might be a bit more complex than simply taking something back to a physical store. There’s also the fact that, when you use a local store, you’re investing in the local economy. When you buy something from Amazon, meanwhile, you’re investing in a billionaire who likes to play around with spaceships.
But there are thousands of online commerce sites that are not Amazon and many of them are independently owned and run. So, as you would so “IRL,” remember to shop around. Because online shopping is still shopping, after all.
