Online shopping vs in store shopping is a debate that became prevalent over the past few years, mostly due to the advent of online stores. As a result of the efficient combination of retail and e-commerce, online retailers grew in popularity worldwide. That’s why we offer you to consider the benefits and reasons for giving preference to online shopping.
Moreover, we will also pay special attention to the features of designing and managing online stores. It is not enough to create an attractive web resource. It is vital to follow all the rules and nuances of development necessary to provide a positive buying experience. Let’s start our conversation about shopping online vs shopping in stores and the benefits you can get for your business.
Make Your Life Easier with Online Shopping
Shopping online is one of those innovations that served to make life more comfortable and convenient. A good many of the tech innovations you enjoy today, including smartphones, international planes, and the Internet, all facilitate a seamless, enjoyable shopping experience.
What It Is
Online shopping can be defined as a derivative of retail e-commerce where you can purchase from a retail eCommerce store on the Internet. It is rare to see a commodity that you cannot buy online. Everything is available to you from the comfort of your couch – from material goods such as gadgets and clothing to consumables such as groceries and food.
What’s more, today’s technology goes as far as to offer virtual stores leveraging VR and 3D modeling to simulate real-life shopping experiences – with virtual try-on, interactive user manuals, and more. All while maintaining the perks of online shopping that we overview below!
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Enjoy Endless Opportunities
In the past decade, online shopping has become a central part of an average internet user’s life because of products’ accessibility. With online shopping, you can find various goods and services at different online retail stores and vendors. Nowadays, you can procure even such services as IT, plumbing, indoor decorating, and others online. As long as you have internet access and a credit or debit card, as the case may be, the world is your oyster.
Online Store vs In Store Shopping – Features Exclusive To An Online Store
Customers have the luxury of choosing to shop online or in a physical store. But the controversy between online and in-store shopping undoubtedly seems to lean heavily towards the online store when it comes to features:
- Online stores have versatility and accessibility that you just can’t create in stores. Moreover, geographic location isn’t a problem anymore – you have access to brands that are not represented in a city or country.
- Also, an online store allows you the opportunity to browse through a large selection of products. You can visit an unlimited amount of vendors in a day and compare the prices and quality of products from different stores.
- Additionally, most online vendors have a specification and features section that you can use to make an informed decision whether to buy a product. You can also talk to the manufacturers and inquire about the item or service you intend to purchase in some cases.
- Online stores allow you to read product reviews from people who have bought and used a product in the past. If you have shopped online consistently, you can attest to the positive impact that product reviews had on your shopping decisions.
- Besides, it is super easy to manage an online store using Shopify & Appy Pie App Maker or any alternative to Shopify.
Online Shopping vs In Store Shopping – The Financial Aspect
The choice of online shopping vs in store shopping might split opinions amongst most shoppers, but the truth is that both modes of shopping generate substantial revenues. It almost looks like they are complementing each other.
Increase in Online Shopping
It would interest you to know that online shopping is growing at an astounding rate – three times faster than offline shopping. Despite this fact, many shoppers still prefer going to a physical store, and in-store shopping has the edge in total sales when it comes to revenue.
Some Statistics
According to Statista data, in 2019, retail e-commerce sales worldwide amounted to 3.53 trillion US dollars, and e-retail revenues are projected to grow to 6.54 trillion US dollars in 2022. Considering some useful statistics on online shopping vs in store shopping in the US, 81% of all Americans prefer to do their shopping online.
Ten years ago, in-store shopping had a big lead financially. Today, that lead has reduced drastically. With more tweaks to the retail and e-commerce system taking place every day, it is evident that online shopping might have a financial edge in the years to come.
An informative post and infographic from Redbrain below clearly show that many large US companies’ online revenues have skyrocketed in recent years.
Some Tips for Successful Online Shopping
Be Careful
During online shopping vs in store shopping, it is not easy to control yourself: there is always the temptation to buy and spend more than planned. Try not to rush through the checkout process and carefully choose what you need.
Don’t lose your mind because of attractive offers – try to choose what you need, not to spend more money than planned. It’s better to add items to the Wish list to consider all the pros and cons.
Check The Order Again
Check all the details not to purchase shoes two sizes smaller or tickets to the cinema on the wrong time/date. Also, make sure you’ve specified the correct data(surname, phone number, address).
Necessary Newsletter Subscription
You can get “tasty” deals and discounts if you subscribe to a particular store.
Follow Your Favorite Stores on Social Media
Many companies announce promotional codes and special offers among their subscribers on social networks. It is quite possible to win a valuable prize.
Wholesale – Save Money On Delivery
There are things that we buy over and over again. For example, soap, toilet paper, paper towels, and so on. Why not buy them straight away for a better price.
Compare Prices in Online Stores
Are you going to make a big purchase? Compare prices for the product you are interested in using particular services, for example, Google Shopping or Shopping.com, where you can choose by brands, categories of items, prices, types of delivery, etc. This method is excellent for finding the price that suits you.
Participate in Bonus Programs
Pay attention to the stores’ bonus programs. Usually, bonuses are awarded for purchases that have already been made. These bonuses can be paid off the next time you order.
Don’t forget to Specify Date of Your Birth
Stores often offer discounts and gifts to customers on their birthday, as well as 3-5 days before and after. Find out if the store you are interested in has such offers. You should indicate the date of birth when registering on the store’s website. There is a high probability that you will be offered some bonuses for this day.
A Piece of Advice For Safe Online Shopping
Online shopping vs in store shopping is a quick and convenient way to buy almost any product you could imagine. Still, you can face some risks by shopping this way. Therefore it’s essential to know how to identify a secure online store and how to protect yourself. Let’s figure out some things to remember for the best possible experience:
- make sure your computer’s operating system and Internet browser are up to date
- install some good malware-protection software to protect from viruses and fraudulent activity
- to protect sensitive information like credit card numbers, it’s better to make purchases from home and avoid using public wifi
- buy at reliable retailers with a good reputation(like Amazon or eBay)
- if the site is unfamiliar for you, make sure to look for green https://, meaning that the site is SSL encrypted and provides the necessary security
- make sure to keep a note of phone number and physical address, so you know whom to contact in case there is a problem with your transaction
- it’s a good idea to do some research on what and who you’re buying from
- pay attention to customers reviews
- when you log in, check whether your passwords are strong enough
- use online payment services like PayPal
In conclusion, new ways to steal your information appear every day, and you should trust your gut. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is, and if anything seems suspicious, don’t make the purchase.
It’s High Time to Start Your Business
In light of recent events, having an online store is a huge benefit for business owners. With the MotoCMS eCommerce shop plugin, you can create a user-friendly website, present your products, get new clients, and boost your sales. Moreover, no tech skills are required. You can make the store of your dreams with no coding knowledge. We present you with a variety of responsive eCommerce templates, and you should only fill one of them with the necessary content.
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Some Development Tips for Successful Online Experience
Although trust in online shopping has grown significantly in recent years, many users are still wary of internet buying. Several reasons explain this behavior, and they must be considered when designing a web resource. No matter how functional and attractive your site is, users are unlikely to want to make purchases if you cannot satisfy their psychological needs. We talked about these nuances in detail in the In Store vs Online Shopping Statistics, and I highly recommend it so that you can understand and create a motivating environment.
In short, in online shopping vs in store shopping, real-life stores win only in the ability to give customers a unique shopping experience. Plus, the opportunity to touch the goods, examine them personally, and communicate with consultants. Spoiler: online stores can compensate for this through thoughtful design and properly configured ways of interacting with visitors.
Show How You Can Save Their Money
The ability to save a budget is the top financial feature of online shopping vs retail shopping. It is also the reason why users prefer to shop online. Benefit from it yourself and let customers do it:
- Offer free shipping or special terms where users can reduce costs.
- Offer customers ways to compare prices in online shopping vs in store shopping. It is especially valid for big purchases and the need to choose among many analogs. It can be a separate built-in feature or a specialized filter by brand, type, or functionality.
- If possible, provide the opportunity to buy in bulk for retailers or special bonus programs for regular customers.
- Implement discounts for online shoppers that can be used on future purchases.
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Provide Ease of Use of Your Online Store
Did you know that 50% of the success of online stores is the right design, developed taking into account the knowledge of the psychology of online shopping? Most new online purchases are spontaneous desires resulting from the right motivation. The comfort and seamlessness of the process of going through the purchase only strengthen the desire to stay longer on the pages of the online store. Pay special attention to the technical nuances of development so that your site is not only ergonomic but also:
- clear and easy to use without third-party shopping plugins, intrusive banners, and complicated purchase paths;
- productive, with consistently fast loading of web pages;
- memorable, meaning the ability to create a wishlist, save the history of purchases and basket filling even after page updates;
- understanding – modern web tools work magic with help in choosing primary and related products, so use their potential to the maximum.
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Build Up Customer Relations
When comparing online shopping vs in store shopping, we also considered the interaction factor with real people, which many internet buyers lack. That’s why it’s your responsibility to keep your marketing and customer relations teams running smoothly. Allow your customers to contact managers for help or clarify the order’s details. Managers can share a digital business card to enable customers to contact them easier.Plus, don’t forget about “passive” support like:
- regular email newsletters with hot offers and news;
- bonuses for birthdays and national holidays;
- motivation for subscribing to social networks and a blog, if any;
- reminders of updates in wishlists.
Special Attention to Safety
I want to pay special attention to this aspect since the security of the purchase is the main factor influencing the choice between shopping online vs shopping in stores. Purchasing goods online is a quick and convenient way to buy almost any product you could imagine at an affordable price. However, this also involves some risks. And the discrepancy between the expected and received quality is the least of the related problems. Therefore it’s essential to know how to identify a secure online store and how to protect your customers. Let’s figure out some things to remember for the best possible experience.
Online Store Reputation
The more reputable and reliable your site is, the fewer doubts your customers have about choosing online shopping vs in store shopping. Unlike rapid technical security tools, reputation is a resource that builds over time. Anyone cannot buy reputation, so be careful and pay more attention to customer interaction and feedback:
- Be honest and publish all comments about the product, paying attention to moderation if necessary.
- Think of criticism as a way to improve your service that you can demonstrate to clients.
- Develop a transparent return, shipping, and quality tracking policy.
- Engage with proven advertising tools and attract trusted influencers.
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Website Security Technical Guarantees
Choose a proven hosting to ensure that the data and information used by your online store are securely protected. Plus, it would be nice to get an SSL certificate confirming the security of the interaction.
If you are using a proven CMS, the good news is that reliable web solution developers can offer suitable providers whose services have been established over the years and experience. MotoCMS also provides the ability to get a trustworthy SSL certificate for website and GDPR compliance so that your customers can be sure that their data is entirely secure.
Payments Security
Try to use trusted and popular electronic payment systems like PayPal and Alipay. The main feature of secure payments is that they are carried out through a super-secure intermediary system that ensures the safety of payment data.
Besides, we recommend minimizing the amount of personal data used in personal user accounts. When placing an order, do not ask for much “extra” information, such as additional addresses, pet’s name, etc. It sounds funny, but 80% of online purchases end up with data validation problems and excessive requests from the online store.
FAQs
What are the main differences between online and in store shopping? ›
In traditional shopping, customers are actually able to see what they are buying before they make the payment; however, in online shopping, customers don't have the chance to physically see or touch the items they order; sometimes, what they see in product advertisement may be completely different from the product that ...
Is it better to shop online or instore? ›Online shopping is often cheaper than in stores because online retailers may have fewer overhead costs. Online shopping also may come with the chance to apply more discount codes so you can save even more money. You may even be able to find cheaper gently or never used items on second-hand shopping sites.
What is the percentage of online shopping vs in store? ›As of 2021, In-store shopping is still more popular than online shopping, with 80.9% of sales being offline, and 19.1% being online. Even in 2022, online retail sales have only reached 21% of all global sales.
Do consumers prefer in store or online shopping? ›More than half of all U.S. consumers would rather shop in-store than by any other method.
What are 3 reasons people would choose shopping online over a store? ›...
Ease of Buying Attracts Customers.
Most Important Reasons People Shop on the Web | |
---|---|
Large selection of products | 63% |
Cheaper prices | 63% |
Faster service and delivery | 52% |
Detailed and clear information about what is being offered | 40% |
- Safety. ...
- Convenience. ...
- Better Prices. ...
- Variety. ...
- Authenticity. ...
- Online Payment. ...
- No Pressure shopping. ...
- Time-Saving.
We argue that shopping at a physical store can mitigate the risk of uncertainty that is inherent in online shopping. Therefore, consumers with checkout hesitancy are more likely to prefer on land-based retail shopping after abandoning their online shopping cart (H6b).
What is the advantage of buying in-store? ›When you shop in-store, there's no waiting around for an item to arrive. You immediately have what you need – and there are no shipping costs. For shoppers who like to quickly eliminate items from their shopping list, it may be appealing to visit the store and leave with your purchase.
Why is it better to buy in-store? ›Immediate availability of the product
This is yet another reason why physical stores have a competitive edge. Their local stock ensures that customers can immediately take their products home and thus develop a strong relation with the brand.
With the rise of ecommerce, it's only natural that the number of online shoppers worldwide rises along with it. As it stands in 2023, the number of digital buyers is at 2.64 billion. This makes up 33.3% of the population worldwide.
What percentage of US shopping is done online? ›
Right now, 70% of Americans are shopping online. In 2022 alone, there were a total of 268 million digital buyers in the United States and by 2025, this number is likely to reach 285 million. Their purchases represent about 18% of the global ecommerce. This leads to great earnings for the US ecommerce industry.
What percentage of US retail is online? ›E-commerce sales in 2021 accounted for 14.6 percent of total sales.
What are two major reasons consumers prefer to shop online? ›In fact, 27.6% of consumers say among their top reasons to shop online is the quick, next-day delivery a store offers. So aside from enjoying free delivery services, online shoppers also want to receive their products as quickly as possible.
Do consumers still prefer in store shopping? ›Data shows that 84% of sales occur in physical stores and 46% of consumers still prefer to shop and interact physically with sellers (Marian, 2021).
Why selling online is better than in store? ›Lower Overhead Costs: eCommerce businesses have lower overhead costs than traditional retail stores. They don't have to pay for rent, utilities, or staff salaries. This allows them to offer customers more competitive prices. Wider Reach: eCommerce stores have a much wider reach than retail stores.
What is the biggest advantage of online shopping? ›Saves time and efforts. The convenience of shopping at home. Wide variety/range of products are available. Good discounts / lower prices.
What are 4 tips for shopping online? ›- Always place orders from a secure connection. ...
- Know the merchant and their reputation. ...
- Avoid offers that seem “too good to be true” ...
- If you are buying a Gift Card, read the Terms and Conditions. ...
- Don't use an e-store that requires more information than necessary to make the sale.
Offline shopping advantages from the opportunity to physically choose and inspect what an item or thing is like, would look like, and its attributes. This is why some people still prefer conventional buying over internet purchasing since, for one thing, it allows them to thoroughly inspect an item.
What are the 5 disadvantages of online shopping? ›- Delay in delivery. ...
- Lack of significant discounts in online shops. ...
- Lack of touch and feel of merchandise in online shopping. ...
- Lack of interactivity in online shopping. ...
- Lack of shopping experience. ...
- Lack of close examination in online shopping. ...
- Frauds in online shopping.
- Save time and money.
- Enjoy a convenient shopping experience.
- Reduce temptation for impulse buying unhealthy items.
- Stay on budget by searching for lowest-price items, using electronic coupons and knowing the running total before checkout.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of offline shopping? ›
- 2 – Online shop disadvantage. 2.1 – Product quality. 2.2 – Delay time in delivery.
- 3 – Offline shop disadvantage. 3.1 – Tired of shopping. 3.2 – Bargaining for get discount. 3.3 – Payment.
- 4 – Offline shop advantage. 4.1 – Quality check directly. 4.2 – Buy now.
This finding supports the previous research who found that level of trust on online vendors is lower than face-to-face interaction in physical stores (George et al., 2015) because the consumers cannot feel and touch (Al-Debei et al., 2015) the product before purchasing it.
Why do consumers prefer offline shopping? ›When you shop online it takes much time to research before buying any product. But when you shop offline, some staff handle plenty of customers each day and know what will suit them. So you can get personalized recommendations from them before buying anything recklessly.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying in store? ›- Walking out of the store with your items.
- Easier to tell the quality of the item.
- Ability to try on your items.
- More flexibility with how you pay.
- No shipping costs.
- Card purchases are done through the chip, which is more secure.
- Easier to figure out your size.
- It's convenient. ...
- It's better for the environment by helping reduce your carbon footprint. ...
- You help support local businesses. ...
- You invest in your community. ...
- It helps create demand for local jobs. ...
- There are great deals to be found. ...
- You're likely to find quality products.
1 | California | 56.5% |
---|---|---|
2 | Washington | 55.3% |
3 | Massachusetts | 54.7% |
4 | District of Columbia | 53.4% |
5 | Virginia | 53.0% |
72% are women, while 68% are men. The main difference between men and women is what they shop for. Men usually go for heavy-duty items like furniture and computers, while women typically shop for things like groceries and clothing.
Who uses online shopping the most? ›Millennials and Gen Xers are the biggest online shoppers, with 67% of millennials and 56% of Gen Xers preferring to shop online versus in a brick-and-mortar store. Part of the reason you see these two segments of the population spending more money online is that they spend more time shopping online.
What percent of Walmart is online? ›# | Online Store | Market Share |
---|---|---|
1. | amazon.com | 50.0% - 55.0% |
2. | apple.com | 15.0% - 20.0% |
3. | bestbuy.com | 10.0% - 15.0% |
4. | walmart.com | 5.0% - 10.0% |
That growth, however, is clearly slowing. In 2021 and 2022, ecommerce had its slowest share of total retail growth on record for two consecutive years, an indication that offline sales are catching up with digital commerce after COVID lockdowns.
Are online sales slowing down? ›
Global eCommerce vs US eCommerce
The growth rate is estimated to have come down to 14% in 2021. The US is the second largest eCommerce market with about a third of China's eCommerce sales. Until 2018, the US eCommerce market had been growing at a rate lower than the global eCommerce growth rate.
Online shopping offers utilitarian value through easy, transparent and efficient transactions. It saves time and effort, therefore motivating consumers to go online (Childers et al., 2001).
What attracts a customer to online shopping? ›- Create an aesthetic website.
- Optimize your product listings.
- Use high-quality product images.
- Market your store using email marketing, social media, and SEO.
- Provide an excellent customer experience and support service.
A Carnegie Melon study found “e-commerce delivery uses less primary energy and produces less CO2 emissions than traditional retailing… Overall, e-commerce had about 30% lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions compared to traditional retail.”
What are the pros and cons of selling online? ›- Wider reach. Being popular among young consumers, millions of Indians visit these online stores to buy products every day. ...
- Less technical hassles. ...
- Customer trust. ...
- Excellent customer service. ...
- Management of shipping and delivery. ...
- High competition. ...
- Delays in payment. ...
- High commissions.
Offline shops have offers going on only a limited number of months a year, while with online shopping, there are offers going on around the year like clearance sales, discounts, coupon codes, etc that you can avail. Online shopping offers a wide variety of options that offline stores cannot compete with.
What are the differences between online market and physical market? ›The main difference between digital and traditional marketing is the medium an audience encounters with a marketing message through. While traditional marketing uses traditional media such as newspapers and magazines, digital marketing uses digital media, such as social media or websites.
What are the differences between shopping online and in store ielts? ›Answer 1:- The main difference between shopping online and in-store is that you can try the product and choose which is comfortable or suits your personality compared to online; you cannot choose between them. So this is a major difference. Answer 2:- Both have advantages and disadvantages attached to them.
What is the main disadvantage of online shopping? ›- Delay in delivery. ...
- Lack of significant discounts in online shops. ...
- Lack of touch and feel of merchandise in online shopping. ...
- Lack of interactivity in online shopping. ...
- Lack of shopping experience. ...
- Lack of close examination in online shopping. ...
- Frauds in online shopping.
E-commerce customers and businesses can save time and money. Customers can find more products to choose from, and businesses also get a wider range of customers who can shop at their stores. E-commerce is not perfect, and customers may not be able to get their products as quickly as they could at a physical store.
Why physical stores are better? ›
The main reason consumers prefer to shop in physical stores is, according to KPMG , to see, experience, and test products in person before buying. A physical location can dispel doubts and help close the sale. In addition, this can reduce the chance of a product being returned for size, color, etc.
What is the difference between the online selling and the physical selling? ›Unlike online shops, physical stores manage to sale more products because: They can guide clients. In a physical outlet, clients can be guided to where products are located. In the online ones, clients should know the name of a product to search for it.
What is the difference of online selling from physical selling? ›In physical sales, sellers always need a point of sales and an area to show the products. But for online sales, the seller can be an individual, institution or the manufacturer or sell without a physical point of sales. This means lower product prices with lower costs for online seller.
What is the negative impact of online shopping on economy? ›Online purchases take money out of the local economy.
Less money comes to local businesses, which means they make fewer hires. Fewer hires means less money flowing into the local economy. Less money flowing into the local economy means fewer jobs, and less money available to residents to spend.