Online or in-store shopping, which do you like best?
As far as I am concerned, I hate stores. I find it a hassle to have to go there, walk all around until I find the item I am looking for, trust I am getting the best value for my money, queue at the cashier, and go back home.
I value my free time a lot. To the point where I also shop for groceries online. I have a supermarket five minutes away from my house. I like to go once in a while to look for products with a short lifespan that are heavily reduced. You don’t find these online.
But for my regular shopping, I really like to fill an online cart from the comfort of home.
First, it’s not cold or raining. I can do it whenever I want. That includes outside of opening hours. When I used to work in an office, I would do it during my lunch hour. And pick a delivery slot right after work, which would spare me the hassle to have to go shopping after 6pm when everyone is shopping. Or worse, on a weekend! I’d much rather be outside enjoying the day with friends.
The cost of delivery is usually around £5 for supermarkets, and if you factor in the cost of driving, the time to park, drive back, etc. it is a bargain.
On top of that, supermarkets make it really easy to shop online, as you can have a predefined custom cart with all the things you buy on a regular basis, such as eggs, milk, etc. the quantity you buy will be automatically added to your normal cart, you easily can adjust it on a per case basis.
Going back to the fact that if you go physically to a store, you have to trust that you are getting the best offer, well, I’m not that faithful to any brand.
If I need a new toaster or a laptop, I will look up offers online, and go with the store that gives me the lowest price for the item I want.
A quick online search also allows you to look up coupons, for a discount or even just free delivery.
When you are new to online shopping, it may take a little longer to input your personal information, such as your address and credit card details, but once you are a registered recurring customer, it is really straightforward.
Am I within the norm with my obvious bias for online shopping? SwiftMoney has put together the infographic below after interviewing 1,000 people in the UK about their shopping habits.
It turns out 54% of interviewees prefer to shop in-store. It may be an age thing, as I would imagine the younger generations would be more prone to swiping an e-card than older folks.
The study reveals people like to shop online the most for electrical goods. I can relate on that one, as I always shop for electronics at online stores. Groceries can be hit or miss when it comes to buying fruits and vegetables, whereas with a laptop, you know exactly what you’re going to get.
Interviewees said they were less likely to buy shoes, big ticket items and beauty products online.
I know my size and preferences when it comes to shoes, but can understand the appeal of trying them on, even though many online stores will have free return policies if they don’t fit.
A whopping 65% said they will only shop at a trustworthy site. I’ve had mixed experiences with resellers, but most of the time they offer a guarantee through PayPal and credit cards will also cover fraud online, so I am feeling pretty safe anywhere as far as online shopping is concerned. So did 85% of interviewees.
As a whole, the British public spent £533Bn online in 2015. That’s huge! As 62% of people agree shopping online makes it harder to impulse buy, this is definitely a neat way to keep your budget in check. Find out more in the infographic below!
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