Pretty much since the internet first became available to the public, online shopping has been popular, and it’s become something that people from all over the world now just see as a part of life. However, just like everything else, online shopping has its good sides and bad sides, and it’s not something that everyone does just because they can. So, here are some of the pros and cons of shopping online versus shopping offline.
Online
- Pro: It’s less stressful: One of the main benefits of online shopping is that it can be far less stressful than offline shopping. This is especially the case for those who don’t really enjoy being in crowds or having to fight their way through herds of shoppers to look at items and/or find items in the right size. Online shopping is something you can do from the comfort of your own home, so it’s much easier to do at your own pace.
- Pro: You can compare deals and prices easier: When you’re shopping online and are looking for something specific, it’s far easier to compare the prices on competing sites than it is to walk from one store to another and see what deals they have. Also, depending on the time of year, you might find things like better Black Friday deals or Amazon Prime deals that you aren’t going to find offline.
- Con: Sometimes there are hidden costs: Of course, one of the downsides of shopping online is that there are sometimes hidden costs, such as for delivery or packaging, that you aren’t made aware of until you’re about to pay. When you’re in the store buying something, the price you see is the price you’ll pay.
Offline
- Pro: You can physically touch things: Online shopping is great for many things, especially when it’s something you’ve ordered before and you just to refill it, but for some things like certain types of clothing or furniture, offline shopping can be better because you’re able to physically try the items out and see how they look. If you order something online and then realize it’s not quite what you wanted, you have to go through the hassle of sending it back.
- Pro: There may be more choice: Online shopping certainly offers a great deal of choice, but especially for things like clothing, you may not be able to see the full selection that a store carries, or even all the sizes they have, so shopping in person will be an advantage in this case.
- Con: You usually have to carry everything with you: One of the downsides of shopping in person is that you have to physically carry everything you bought. Of course, not all items will be carried home the same day, but if you’re shopping for a lot of clothes, then it can get heavy rather quickly.
As you can see, there are both pros and cons to shopping online and offline, and what you’ll typically find is that one isn’t any better than the other, but that they both have their time and place. Because of this, it’s really going to depend on things like your schedule and what kinds of things you’re looking to buy as to which is the better option..
I love shopping online for the variety of items. I dont like that I have to buy more to avoid shipping
I’m huge into online shopping. It’s so much easier. And usually you can use services like Wikibuy to find coupons!
I like both kinds of shopping. Online is useful when I cannot go out for shopping. Offline is much preferred one 🙂
I shop more on line than ever before. It is convenient, I do not have to drive to the store, wait in line, deal with crowds, etc.
There are definitely pros and cons to both! I still like offline shopping for clothes and such.
I usually shop offline however when I cannot find the wanted item in a shop, I opt for the online shopping!
I am an Amazon Prime Queen. I dont know how life was without it but it is still a good feeling getting your items selected by hand in person!