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More and more businesses and corporations are joining the online world, creating a future for online shopping that may become unstoppable worldwide. (Metro Creative Graphics)
More and more businesses and corporations are joining the online world, creating a future for online shopping that may become unstoppable worldwide. (Metro Creative Graphics)

Online shopping, what's the hype? Here's 10 reasons why you should surf the web

CMS 120A Capstone Project

Wed, Apr 20th 2022 12:25 pm

By Emma Perry

Special to Niagara Frontier Publications

Forgetting to pack a toothbrush in your suitcase, missing an essential part for your new car project or even stampeding the sales rack during Black Friday weekend are all things we don’t have to worry or think twice about anymore.

In recent years, thanks to technological advancements, people have begun to change their shopping habits.

In her SpendMeNot article “25+ Black Friday Sales Statistics to Know in 2022,” author Darina Lynkova wrote, “In 2021, nearly 155 million people shopped during Black Friday, and 88 million of those people did their shopping online.”

Apps and websites now make it more than accessible to shop for any desires you might have or need. Here’s 10 reasons why you should make the switch:

  1. Endless Options
  2. Saves Time
  3. Deals, Deals, Deals
  4. Returning Made Easy
  5. Quicker Checkouts
  6. Easy Filtering
  7. Little Interaction
  8. Ensures Safety
  9. A Distraction Method
  10. The Excitement

1. Endless Options

The internet is an endless pit full of so many different options. There are millions of websites to shop from. For the most part, any store you can think of should have an available option to shop from online. Even grocery stores have joined the online bandwagon with shopping through delivery apps and no-contact drive-thru options.

The support for online shopping is growing rapidly. Olivia Gorenflo, an entrepreneur, uses online shopping to expand her small business, YouAre Designs. “Being able to advertise my products online has transformed my business. Everything is easier, from sales, to communication with customers, shipping and receiving, even down to reviews.”

“Online business is booming and it is definitely something that I am proud to be a part of,” Gorenflo said.

2. Saves Time

Online shopping has stormed the world for millennials. While many still despise it, it is an easy way to be able to choose what you want, be able to have it delivered absolutely anywhere within a few days, all at the push of a button.

Since moving to college, Elle Carlsen relies on online shopping for her essentials.

“I have an extremely busy schedule where I don’t have much time to go out and shop for food or clothes that I may need for the week. I also don’t have a car on campus. It’s an easier process that saves me a lot of time and money,” Carlsen said.

Taking advantage of time, and using as much time or as little time as you need to decide what to buy and what not to buy, also leads to smarter decisions as to what is purchased.

3. Deals, Deals, Deals

Couponers and deal searchers are always in luck with online shopping. The amount of online sales that websites put out versus in-person is astronomical. From free shipping to promotions, it’s rare an online sale isn’t going on. Numerous couponing websites, including Honey, Dealspotr and RetailMeNot, can make saving that much easier.

According to her Insider article, “A struggling dad built an app to buy his kids cheaper pizza – and now his company has 5 million downloads and $40 million,” author Libby Kane wrote, “Honey has saved its users – 67% of whom are millennials – over $170 million from coupon code discounts this year so far. The extension automatically finds and applies coupons at more than 21,000 stores, and members can earn rewards at more than 3,700 of those.”

The Deal Finder by RetailMeNot is another popular web couponing service. In the Entrepreneur article, “Save Instantly at More Than 20,000 Stores with RetailMeNot's Deal Finder,” Entrepreneur Deals wrote “Deal Finder is active on over 20,000 sites, including Target, eBay, Kohl's, DoorDash, Etsy, and more finding you the best coupon codes, discounts, and other chances to save you cash. There's also more than 550 exclusive cash back offers Deal Finder saved shoppers over $38 million in just 2020 alone.”

Metro Creative Graphics

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4. Returning Made Easy

Making returns has never been easier than in modern days. Many websites make contact to customers accessible and will send any necessities needed to make a return. You can get shipping labels quicker and don’t have to worry about going into stores and only getting store credit for your purchases.

5. Quicker Checkouts

Samantha Bossi, a fresh graduate from college, has learned quickly how to navigate the online modern world.

“I have Apple Pay, which makes checking out fast. When I would have to go to stores, I always struggled between carrying bags, securing my items and having to manage cash and loose change, or always having to carry a credit card on me. With a click of a button, online orders are processed and normally ship out within business days, and I can get receipts texted or emailed right to me” Bossi said.

6. Easy Filtering

Finding exactly what you are looking for has become a guarantee for most websites through filtering. Being able to search by color, size and fabric all make online shopping that much more favorable and convenient for thousands of users.

“Personally, I prefer online shopping, because it is so much easier to see products and pick and choose what I want. I can literally look up anything on the internet and have it shipped to my house the next day,” Bossi said.

7. Little Interaction

One of the most annoying things about regular shopping has to be the long lines and social interactions with employees or other customers. While some people use luck to avoid the lines, there is no peer pressure to buy items when you are online shopping.

8. Ensures Safety

Shopping online provides a sense of security that shopping in person can’t. Through a search of the website, you can tell where the product comes from, whether it is environmentally friendly, and any other red flags that may show up. Using trusted browsers also ensures a level of safety for online users. You don’t have to worry about being watched or stalked at a store, and can even shop at your own pace in the safety of your home.

“I am able to personally connect with my customers through social media and my website. Customers can reach me at any time, which creates such an amazing bond. They know who I am, and I am able to get to know them – which is comforting and keeps me wanting to create products for them,” Gorenflo said.

9. A Distraction Method

While watching the hands on the clock slowly move may be a good way to kill time, online shopping is an easy distraction method for many people, too. When bored, you can simply pull up any page and refresh it to see the new.

“You could walk into any college classroom and easily find at least one person scrolling and adding things to their carts. When I’m bored in class, any online clothing store is the first thing that comes to mind. I will also have a bunch of different apps open at the same time, each with different items,” Carlsen said.

10. The Excitement

“When I receive a new package, it feels like I’m opening a present for myself, and everyone loves presents! The satisfaction of finally being able to see and feel what you buy a few weeks prior is so fun, and that’s why I will continue to shop online,” Bossi said.

If you haven’t been convinced to join the online shopping experience yet, believe that online shopping is doing more for both retailers and consumers. During the pandemic, online shopping was a sanctuary for many people, and it will only continue to improve and advance with the latest technology.

Begin your journey into online shopping with latest deals from:

Check out related information regarding online shopping:

 

 

 

 

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Niagara Frontier Publications works with the Niagara University communication studies department to publish the capstone work of students in CMS 120A-B.

These articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of NFP, NU or the communication studies department. Moreover, every effort has been made to adhere to the principles of journalism, encourage the proper use of sources, and discourage anything that would constitute plagiarism.

Comments or concerns can be sent to the NFP editorial department, care of the managing editor.

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