#e-shoppper

[jasminehp]

Digital Retailing: Understanding and Communicating with the e-Consumer

Disadvantages and advantages of e-shopping for consumers

In present times, it can be easier for consumers to get a hold of their shopping needs, as e-shopping has been gaining popularity over the last few years. It is said that “About 2.14 billion shoppers now buy items online, which is a significant increase from just a few years ago. With the current world population of 7.9 billion, it means that 27% of all people that are alive are digital buyers' “(Rajnerowicz, 2023). With that information provided, it can be safe to say that much of the population has used e-shopping and most of the population is familiar with this action. The most important key points that a consumer is looking for when shopping is the accessibility of this product/service, convenience, and the total price of the shopping experience. It can be argued that for some consumers, e-shopping is an easier way to get essentials and or services while others say it is better to go to a store and purchase their needs in person. An example of how online shopping can be of benefit to customers was during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many people were ordered to stay home and not leave the house unless there were essential workers or extreme emergencies. “The pandemic has definitely had an impact on shopping behavior, with more people turning to the internet to buy everything from food and groceries to clothing and other essentials” (Rajnerowicz, 2023). With that statement being said, it can be seen that online shopping gained more popularity during the pandemic time, as more people found that method more accessible. Although e-shopping can come with many advantages, there are also some disadvantages that consumers may run into.

Advantages 

When seeing the many products/services that e-shopping can do for the e-shopper, there are positive elements that lead up to a good experience from e-shopping, A customer chooses online shopping over in-person shopping because they can find it easy to search for many alternatives, customers can also find favorable prices, and customers can also buy their items discreetly. These are some of the most common reasons why customers find it more accessible to shop online, This can be very beneficial for businesses too as can have online customers and regular in-store customers. Through customers’ e-shopping, they can be allowed to sign up for membership programs where they can be sent emails from their preferred business and get deals for next-time products. That is another advantage for e-customers, they are given opportunities that most other customers would not be given unless they are signed up for membership programs. This can be a huge plus because many people who do online shopping know that at the end of a shopping trip, prices can add up, and having coupons or deals can really improve a customer experience. Looking at chapter 4 of the book titled “Internet Retailing and Future Perspectives” goes on to explain how “There are a number of advantages for shoppers. First in ranked order from the CapGemini survey: ‘Convenient/easy’; ‘Saves time’ and ‘Fits in with other activities’. Other commonly cited advantages, typed by responses to our own survey include ‘Breadth and depth of prod- ucts’; ‘Prices favorable’, and ‘Convenient’“ (American Psychological Assoc, 2017). With these slight advantages, e-customers are more inclined to be loyal to their preferred business due to the easier process of e-shopping.

Disadvantages

Even though there are some advantages to e-shopping, there can still be some disadvantages that attract customers away and stay loyal as in-store customers. Some reasons that e-shopping can turn customers off are because they may feel that credit card and security can be breached causing anxiety to be at an all-time high, feeling that there is a lack of personal and social interaction, some customers feel that not touching or trying the merchandise is a hard choice to make, and finally, some customers just simply do not know how to go about the website. It can be seen that with all these disadvantages, customers are not willing to do e-shopping or make it the most convenient way to shop. According to the book mentioned before, in the same chapter it goes to explain that “​​The main disadvantages for shoppers, in ranked order were: ‘Availability’; ‘Can’t be in to receive delivery’; ‘Pre- mium charged for delivery’ and ‘Can’t see or feel the merchandise’” ((American Psychological Assoc, 2017). With these details, it can be concluded that the most common disadvantages of e-shopping are trust issues that customers may feel toward these online activities. Elements such as providing credit card details, being unable to touch the merchandise, little to no human interaction, and not knowing how to go about shopping online are thoughts and feelings that are things that customers are not thrilled about when online shopping. For some people it is hard to find the right items at the perfect price and the most convenient, this can be fixed for the customer if they get constant help and are shown that some level of trust can go a long way. If there is someone that is new to online shopping, it can be helpful to get a run through what to expect and how to get to the final outcome. 

Outlook for e-shoppers

“E-commerce, in its current form, is not intended to completely replace in-store shopping. Some retailers are even moving towards a model where you can try things in-store and then get the same product shipped to you” (Rajnerowicz, 2023). With that text provided, it lets people know that the purpose of e-commerce is not to replace in-store shopping, but instead to make it more convenient for customers and businesses all over. When customers go in-store shopping, there is the possibility that a specific item can not be found but the store employees can let the customer know that the item they are looking for can be provided for them online. E-shopping is something that will only become more popular as the years go on, it is important that customers should know how to use websites to buy products/services should anything happen in their day-to-day routine. As far as how businesses can market to their customers, this e-shopping can only make it easier for them to market, as they can easily send promotion emails, appear in their news feed, and by showing off news products/services. By customers doing online shopping, businesses can also benefit from this as they can have much more demand for their products, and they will be able to have both in-store and online inventory making more available for their customers. Should their demand exceed more than their supply, the business can have the option of solely providing in-store items or online items, regardless there will always be an option for the customer. 

Resources

APA 7th Edition (American Psychological Assoc.)

Eleonora Pantano, Bang Nguyen, Charles Dennis, & Sabine Gerlach. (2017). Internet Retailing and Future Perspectives: Vol. Second edition. Routledge.

Rajnerowicz, Kazimierz. “Online Shopping Statistics: Ecommerce Trends for 2023.” Tidio, 4 Jan. 2023, https://www.tidio.com/blog/online-shopping-statistics/?a_bucket=search&a_type=new&a_source=google.com&a_v=2&a_g_campaignid=17060809626&a_g_keyword&a_g_adgroupid&a_g_creative.