Shopping online, convenience or curse?

A few months back, just before the Eid holidays began, I remember chatting with my friend living in UK. I asked him if he had completed the shopping for Eid? he said no! then I asked if he was planning on shopping at all this Eid? he said yes, I’ll just buy it online, I cant handle the crowd, the waiting and the stress of no parking spaces.

The idea seemed interesting to me, but unfortunately we don’t have that trend here in Pakistan, well atleast not on that level. We have a few online companies offering services like delivery of gifts on occasions such as valentines and other than that we can buy electronic items such as laptops and mobile phones but that mass level selling of different kind of products, still lacks.

Here’s a little information that I found after some research on the internet that gives an idea of how much is being spent in the online shopping category in the European market:

“According to an analysis by Deutsche Card Services, women played a predominant role in European online retailing. The “E-Retail-Report 2009″ of the Deutsche Bank subsidiary shows that women initiated 61.35% of all transactions in European online shops. In the 2007 Report, men had made 56% of all purchases, women 44%. The latest Report also shows: online shopping is most popular outside large agglomerations and less so in large cities.”

Since there is no physical cash being used while shopping online, customers pay through credit cards. So the banks know exactly how much money is being spent on online shopping.

There are advantages to buying online, you can do it in your free time, not have to fight for parking and going from mall to mall. There are a variety of things that you can shop online such as books, music, movies, computers, software, tickets, food, cars, real estate and a list of other things.

But then there are setbacks as well, with online shopping you may be able to view reviews of what every product you want to buy but then there’s a difference between reading reviews from some one else and have hands on experience before making the purchase. And research shows that people end up buying more things than they actually require.

That’s what I think about online shopping. You’re welcome to share your views about it. So, leave your comments and feedback,  I’ll get back with you.