The fight between online and offline shopping has never been so evident. With the best clicks online available at a push of a button from the couch. We all know it's possible to never have to leave your room again, if you don't want to, and so can avoid visiting the high street if you wish. So, why is the Internet killing off the traditional high street?
Transparency
Online shopping offers a number of advantages aside from cost, over its real life equivalent - one of the most important these is transparency.
The openness of online shopping means that service providers and shops have to provide a good service. The Internet allows those who wish to complain to do so in a very public manner, meaning the best thrive and the worst fall to the wayside.
Consumers can choose to compare openly all the services on offer and can even use comparison sites to do so. This offers the purchaser a far more open choice than with traditional shopping.
Users who shop on the Internet are also afforded all the rights of traditional shoppers as well as a number of additional laws in some cases. This ensures that the law is on the side of the buyer to even more of a degree than in the traditional medium of sale. If you purchase goods from the Internet you will be able to return the good up to 28 days after you purchase it.
It's Only the Beginning
In the near future people will be able to order items directly from adverts on their TVs. Advertisers will also use our previous purchase data to advertise particular adverts on TV to us and target our own individual preferences based on items we look at, or have previously purchased.
The fact this can be done, and is not far away may leave traditional shopping by the wayside.
Price
Of course price is central to online shopping and there is no doubt that the lowest prices are found online. Take for instance daily deals sites such as Groupon. Such sites provide people with the opportunity to buy goods at 70 per cent off their normal cost.
And this is not just the case with items, other goods and services, from cleaning, to dinners out can be purchased at these low prices meaning for many shopping online is the only way forward.
An Argument for the High Street
The high streets tactile approach though, can't be replicated by the Internet. Though we love browsing daily deals and the like online from our couches for goods, it's always a little nicer to see deals in the flesh.
Clothes especially are far nicer to see and hold in real life and we all know trying them on is an important part of the whole process.
People also often crave the experience of shopping. Being looked after by staff and being able to ask questions and having interaction makes the high street a very important part of life. Shopping is often as much a way to bide the time as it is to buy things. People love spending leisure time in shopping centres, trying out all the gadgets and goods as a pastime.
Instantaneous
The other argument for the high street is its instantaneous nature. People can purchase goods in an instant and have them immediately. Buying goods online is very handy, though you will often have to wait for days before you receive them, whereas in a shop you just hand over the cash.
Of course in the case of some services, you just book online and receive it at a lower price. Daily deals allow similar services, but at a far lower cost. On the other hand Internet grocery shopping allows you to avoid the queues and also book a slot to suit your delivery. Though, these deliveries don't often come on time and even though you're buying online you are still subject to a rush hour of sorts as certain delivery slots are a lot more popular than others. Though, this is set to improve in the future.
As is clear, there are arguments for and against both forms of shopping and it just depends on your preferences, the good and who you buy it from, among other variables.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Article is written by Cormac Reynolds at www.D3ALS.us providing and aggregation of Daily Deals, Hotel Deals, Holiday Deals, Spa Deals including many for Groupon.com. Visit http://www.D3ALS.us for more information on www.D3ALS.us Products & Services. Copyright information. This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety, including live links & this copyright statement must be included. Visit www.D3ALS.us for all your daily deals in one place and in one email.
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