“Whoever said that money cannot buy happiness simply did not know where to go shopping” –Bo Derek
It has been said that no decision should ever be made on an empty shopping bag—an obvious sentiment from individuals who have a penchant for retail therapy and frivolous shopping. In Manila alone where there is a myriad of shopping malls from South Park District to Eastwood City, it seems like individuals with a proclivity for shopping are not exactly in wanting when it comes to places for shopping options and bargain deals. However, these individuals who have an obvious flair for bargain hunting are now given a modern alternative to in-store shopping, which would be to buy items they need online. But is online shopping really all that?
While you may have the pleasure of sifting through items at your own convenience (and without taking a shower at that) and may avail of the online deals, you should not dismiss in-store shopping altogether. To properly weigh which method of shopping is ideal for you, it is best to know their two main benefits and their primary drawback as listed below:
In-Store Shopping:
Advantages
1.) Seeing the actual product and getting to try it on
Without a doubt, one of the main benefits of in-store shopping is getting to see for yourself what you are intending to buy as opposed to online shopping which mainly relies on photos. This would be all well and good if you buy from a legitimate website, but if you are not careful, you may fall trap into one of those online scams that steal photos from other websites and pass it off as their own.
2.) You can leave with your item immediately
Unlike ordering online, in-store shopping provides instant gratification wherein the moment you purchase your selected item you get to take it with you and use it however you wish.
Disadvantages
1.) You have to drive
The allure of online shopping lies in the fact that you can do all of your shopping behind a desk and in your pajamas if you so wish. This is not quite the case for in-store shopping as it requires you to drive, find a parking space and possibly interact with humans.
Online Shopping:
Advantages
1.) It is convenient
Online shopping can be done anywhere and at any time. You would not need to worry about mall opening hours or even closing hours as it is perpetually open for you 24/7. However, you do need to keep a lookout for certain timed deals that would pop in at random hours of the day. With any device (from a phone, tablet or a laptop), shopping online is easy as swiping items you want in a matter of minutes—even seconds!
2.) Comparison shopping is easy
Considering everything is done from where you are, you do not need to visit a myriad of stores just to find the store with the best bargain. You can just open multiple tabs of various online stores and compare away.
Disadvantages
1.) Shipping can be expensive
Convenience comes at a price and this might just be it. Generally, shipping depends on how fast you want your item to reach you and how big it is—the faster and bigger it is, then you would have to pay a premium. Unfortunately, that is just half of the problem. Sometimes, parcels do not get shipped at all and if they do and you are unsatisfied with the product, you would have to check the online store’s leniency on returns.