To Be or Not To Be an Online Shopper

As the generations’ age and identity theft remains, Internet users continue to debate on whether or not online shopping is a good idea.  The Pew Internet Project found that while theft, age and income all play factors in the individuals’ choice in online shopping, the demand and usage of online buying has risen over the past years.  While the older generations are becoming less resistant to the idea of shopping online, it isn’t always age and Internet usability that necessarily determines who will click “buy”. 

To Be 

Shopping online can be good when you don’t have much time and/or you have forgotten an important date or holiday such as Valentine’s Day.  Valentine’s Day, for instance, can create much havoc in the lives of lovebirds especially if a significant other fails to remember the date or presents the other with a less-than-exciting gift.  Although V-day has passed, bookmark this link from Chiff, as this site offers a great list of sites to shop online for a quick gift. 

I have found that many places offer online only products and/or deals.  This can be good or bad.  If you do not like to shop online and there is something that you want that is an online only product – guess what – you are going to have to do without it or face your fears and buy it online.  Online only deals are exceptionally nice in my opinion because I have found numerous good deals online versus prices I have found in the stores.  Amazon.com, for example, offers an abundance of merchants and retailers which enables Amazon to present the online consumer with the best deal available.  I recently purchased a watch online that was $300 more at Macy’s. 

Several online sources site that online shopping is the preferred method entering into 2008.  GeekSugar reported in an ongoing poll that 57 percent of poll takers prefer online shopping, 33 percent prefer going to the store and 9 percent of people had another idea.  By far, the best list on how to not shop at a store is at Consumerist.com.  This list is hilarious and was a huge hit on Digg.  If you truly want to look out for yourself and get the best deals, no matter if you are decreasing sales for the retail industry, check it out.    

Not to Be 

The AskTog Blog published an extensive and interesting article on the top ten reasons not to shop online.  One great point from the AskTog Blog is ‘many times when shopping online, you end up having to call customer service – so why not call them in the first place?’ 

When attempting to complete any task online, it can be frustrating for many reasons.  Liz Ford, writer from the UK, calls online shopping ‘really bad’ and contributes much of it to boredom.  In my opinion, boredom can be the downfall of many things; spending too much money, ruining your reputation or gaining weight.  Other reasons include faulty Websites that empty your shopping cart, waiting on unreliable mail services, being lured into scams and complicated returns or exchanges.       

Maybe it’s income that determines whether or not we will be online shoppers.  ABC NEWS reported, “Online shopping peaks among higher-income and better-educated Americans. Thirty-nine percent of those in households earning $50,000 or more plan to shop on the Internet for gifts, compared to 15 percent in households earning less than that. Similarly, 35 percent of those who’ve been to college say they’ll buy gifts online; it’s just 13 percent among less-educated people.”  My guess is that people with lower household incomes are probably not shopping at the store either, so it may not be directly tied with online shopping. 

Conclusion 

I would consider myself an avid shopper and I am just now getting into shopping online.  For some reason, I would prefer to shop at the store.  I like being able to view, touch and try out products in the store.  Many times, what you see in person can make all the difference.  However, this past holiday season, I was 900 miles away from the people I wanted to give gifts to and I was traveling home to see them.  Several purchases online and free shipping to their homes, allowed me to wrap once I got there and not have to drive a ton of gifts across the country.  That has opened my eyes to online shopping quite a bit, but I am still a bit skeptical.  Not necessarily over identity theft but rather receiving a purchase that has been used, refurbished or sold with an embellished description.  My prediction is that online shopping will grow but will not put malls out of business.

If you are interested in the future of online shopping – this YouTube video is pretty amazing.