Online shopping platforms have been around for a couple of decades now. Big-name retailers like Walmart and Amazon have been dominating the online shopping market. Not everyone has been comfortable with shop online but recent events have made it even more appealing.
Ever since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic the e-commerce market’s revenue has skyrocketed. In 2018 about 9.9% of all retail transactions were online. That number jumped to 14% in 2020 and experts expect that number to continue climbing.
There are plenty of reasons that people have transitioned into online shopping and these are 5 reasons why that trend should continue.
COVID-19
The most obvious reason why a large portion of the population has begun making more purchases online in the past two years is due to the coronavirus pandemic. Non-essential businesses were forced to close their doors during peak outbreaks and that left buyers looking for a way to obtain their products without having to visit stores.
That’s where online shopping came into play. Everyone turned to the internet to order their groceries, household items, cleaning supplies, and more. Being able to make these purchases online allowed people to stay home and keep themselves safe against COVID-19.
As we leave the worst of the pandemic behind us the practice of shop online will most likely continue. Now that people have become comfortable with it they’re more likely to continue in the same fashion.
Convenience
Most workers have abided by the typical 8-hour day, 5-day a week work schedule for over a hundred years now. It was originally meant to give workers more of a balance in their life. The theory was that your day would be split evenly in 8-hour increments between sleep, work, and personal time.
With only 2 days off a week, it can be hard to catch up on everything that needs to be done. You have laundry and cleaning to do, meals to plan, and errands to attend to. Before you know it those 2 days are up and you’re back to the workday grind.
What if you could do away with one of those chores? It would certainly free up a ton of time that you could devote to more important things like spending time with family or friends and indulging in hobbies. Maybe you’d even have enough time to binge-watch that new Netflix series everyone keeps talking about.
Shopping online can give you that extra time and relieve you of the responsibility of running errands every week. All you need to do is answer the door when your delivery arrives!
Safety
Unfortunately, this world isn’t getting any safer. Between the pandemic, hate crimes, and shootings there’s plenty to be concerned with when going out in public. We can’t live our lives in fear but we can minimize the risks to ourselves.
Shopping online is one way to minimize your risk of being involved in something that could potentially hurt your mental or physical health. Instead of going out late at night to pick up a pizza after a long day at work, you can have it delivered to your door.
This can be especially helpful for people who are living in particularly crime-ridden areas. It’s also something to consider for people who are inherently clumsy. Nothing quite ruins your day like running into a store for bread and milk only to leave with the intent of researching good slip and fall lawyers in NYC when you get home.
Money
At first glance, it may seem more expensive to buy something online rather than in-store. After all, when you’re buying online there are delivery fees to worry about and possibly tipping your driver. However, in many cases, it can actually be cheaper to order something online rather than buying it in-store.
There are certain browser extensions, like Honey, you can download that will pull coupons and discount codes from the internet and apply them automatically to your purchases. Many retailers also have rewards programs specifically for online shoppers that lead to discounts and even free items.
Another way shopping online will save you money is your ability to research the best prices. No one wants to drive around to five different stores to find a good deal on their laundry detergent. But online you can research hundreds of different stores in a short amount of time without ever leaving your home. It gives you the best chance at finding the best bang for your buck.
Auto-Ship
Our lives are getting busier but our to-do lists aren’t getting any shorter. Sometimes even the simple act of opening an app on our phone to order groceries can be hard to remember. Before you know it your cabinets are bare and your family is demanding pizza for the third night that week.
Thankfully, many retailers have developed a solution for our forgetfulness. That solution is the auto-ship option. When you order something from big-name retailers like Amazon, Walmart, or Target they usually have an option during check out to auto-ship some or all of your order.
A huge benefit of using auto-ship is you can set the frequency of the purchase. This can be hugely convenient for things that you need every week or every month. Ordering online can relieve a big stressor from your life and using auto-ship takes the act of remembering to order certain essentials off your plate entirely.
