Online Shopping

More and more people are doing online shopping nowadays. Why? If this trend continues, what do you think will be the consequences?
Shopping fuels economies worldwide. In our complex lifestyle, shopping has been a major activity and that is the reason, our streets are lined up with shopping destinations - shops, superstores, malls and so on. But since few years, methods of shopping have been changing, thanks to the internet. When the concept of e-shopping was introduced, no one anticipated that it would engulf the entire world. The main reason behind popularity of online shopping is easy access to internet. Due to advent in the field of science and technology one does not need to use computers to surf the internet. Even gadgets such as cell phones, laptops, i-pads et cetera have inbuilt features that allow internet surfing. Again, the number of internet users has been surging continuously. Usually, most of these users are members of social networking sites, which are very popular for advertising products. Not only this, online sites dedicated for e-shopping are also being launched so that consumers get a glimpse of internationally popular brands and also those that compete to survive in local markets.

Moreover, convenience is also the reason buyers prefer online shopping. Gone are the days when shopping required to be a planned activity that needed much time. E-shopping can be done expediently and there are various payment options and attractive discount offers that lure potential purchasers. Not only techno savvy individuals but also common men are smart enough to compare price lists on innumerable shopping web sites before placing orders. Furthermore, earlier, people used to be skeptical about the quality of products sold online. But cut-throat competition has improved services to such an extent that buyers get prompt delivery and assurance of refund or replacement in case they are not satisfied with products they buy online.

Effects of e-shopping are not only positive but also negative. As far as positive ones are concerned, along with convenience, time saved from shopping can be utilized alternatively. In this fast paced life time saved is time earned. In addition, consumers get exposure to numerous products and services, and sellers can reach all the potential buyers in the cyber space. On the down sides, e-shopping encourages impulsive buying and many products are ordered unnecessarily. Moreover, online payments have proved risky as people give their confidential information for financial transactions. Fraud is also very common as after making payment, substandard products may be delivered. As there is no direct contact of buyers and sellers, such incidents are very common. Overall, every development brings problems and online shopping is no exception. Buyers should be conscious enough to verify authenticity of sellers. It is sure that the face of market is going to alter completely due to e-shopping.