The Pros and Cons of Online Shopping

If you’re somewhat of a shopaholic like me, you’re probably already familiar with online shopping, but if by chance you’re not, I can give you some really good tips.

Now, there are certain products that I still prefer to purchase at brick-and-mortar stores. Household items like cleaning products, paper products, groceries, toiletries and miscellaneous stuff needed for day-to-day living, these are all things I prefer to buy locally. But when it comes to things like small electronics, cellular phones and video games, online retailers like Amazon.com, eBay.com and Tmart.com are some of my favorite sites to shop on.

Pros of Online Shopping

You can always find some really good deals on pretty much any product you’re looking for when you shop online. You don’t have to wait for a sale, like at brick-and-mortar stores, and there’s always a clearance happening somewhere online. Also, if you don’t mind buying returned, refurbished, and/or used items, you can usually find what you need at much lower prices than you’d pay for it brand new. Even big-name retailers like Wal-Mart and Target offer many of their products on their websites. A lot of them even offer exclusive products and special deals on their websites that they don’t offer in their actual stores.

Another perk of online shopping is the fact that you can order what you need without ever having to leave the comfort of your home. There’s no sitting in traffic and no waiting in line. You can literally shop in your pajamas and socks if you want.

Cons of Online Shopping

Of course, when your order items on the web, unless you’re doing a pick-up in store option, you will have to wait for your order to be shipped to your door. This is one of the downsides to online shopping. If you need something right away, online shopping is obviously not going to be your best option. The good news is, if you order in-stock items that are shipped within your home country, you usually receive them within just a few days. If you are ordering from a country other than your own, you’ll have to wait a bit longer, depending on the shipping options offered by the online retailer you’re purchasing from.

This brings us to the next downside of online shopping—shipping charges. You will usually have to pay some type of shipping and/or handling fees when you shop online. However, many online retailers do offer free shipping options, especially if you order a certain amount of items or spend a certain amount of money on a single order.

Personally, I always try to find a free shipping option when I shop on the web. Sites like Amazon offer free shipping for orders totaling $35.00 or more. Sites like Tmart offer free shipping on all of their products, regardless of how much money you spend, even for international orders.

Different Retail Sites Offer Different Products

There’s a plethora of online retailers to choose from on the web these days, depending on what types of products you’re looking for. Some sites specialize in certain products, like clothing or cellular phone accessories, while others may offer many different types of products. Some sites sell only brand new items, while others offer new, refurbished and/or used items. It all depends on what you’re shopping for.