Did you know that 75 percent of Americans like to save money and time by shopping online? Recent research uncovered that the ages 54 and younger do the most online shopping. Seniors 65 and older are the age group least likely to buy from an online shopping mall. When polled, shoppers cited four main reasons for preferring to buy what they need online. In order of importance, they are:
- Online shopping is more convenient than going to the mall— most internet transactions occur between 7:00 P.M. and midnight when malls are closed
- Saves time
- Comparison shopping is quick and easy
- Shoppers can find just about anything online, including unique goods not found at a traditional neighborhood shopping mall
Surprisingly, “saving money” wasn’t in the top four reasons shoppers gave for their preference to shop online stores, so it would seem that Americans really value their time and convenience even above saving a few bucks . Statistics also show that online shoppers tend to stick to the websites they are familiar with, and buy repeatedly from the same ones.
Clothes and toys top the list of items being bought online. Electronics, books, and CDs or DVDs round out the top five. But there are large differences between the sexes: women are more apt than men to buy toys and books online, while men are more apt than women to buy electronics. Interestingly, the sexes are equally apt to buy clothes online— a place where convenience might be especially appealing to men, many of whom don’t enjoy traipsing through a department store when there’s a perfectly good game on television!
Despite the appeal of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores are not likely to disappear. A trip to the mall or a downtown shopping center is — and will remain — a form of entertainment for many Americans, even though they pick up just a few items there. For example, shoppers who regularly use an online shopping directory for most of their purchases say that when it comes to buying home improvement products and cosmetics, many websites don’t include enough information or portray accurate colors, so they prefer to buy them offline. Many sites also don’t provide up-to-date information about product availability or shipping times, which of course you immediately know when you’re inside a store.
Another plus for online shopping —when your budget doesn’t permit for actual buying, the internet is still the perfect place for “just looking” and you don’t waste gas doing it!
See Also:
- Why I Love Shopping Online
- Cyber Monday and Internet Shopping
- Shopping Tips: More for Your Money
- 5 Top Tips For A Lower Shopping Bill