Online vs Brick and Mortar Shopping

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Online Shopping versus Brick-and Mortar Shopping By: Cheridy Burleson Course: COM/155 Date: February 22, 2013 Instructor: Vince Colvin

Shopping is something consumers do regularly, but over the years a new way of shopping has become available that may change how they shop. Consumers should know the benefits of online shopping and brick-and –mortar shopping. If they take the time to know the differences and similarities it may save them some hassle of figuring out which way to shop. There are many differences and similarities between online and brick-and-mortar shopping, but the variety of choices, convenience, and price ultimately make up the consumers mind. The convenience of shopping has to fit the consumer’s lifestyle. Online shopping may be more convenient for some people that have a very busy lifestyle. Online stores are always open so shopping can be done any time. To shop online it is as easy as sitting down on the couch and opening the computer or to use a cell phone to make purchases. If the crowds of the traditional stores are too much to handle, it may be more of a convenience to make purchases online. It may seem like online shopping is easy and convenient but it comes with the price of security issues. When a credit card is used to make the payment it comes with the risk of identity or credit card information getting stolen. In the traditional brick-and-mortar shop there is less of a chance of security issues. The purchases can be paid with cash or credit card. In the store the credit card is only seen by the consumer. The traditional brick-and-mortar shopping may be more convenient if people like to touch, feel, or smell the products. In the traditional store people have the option to see or touch the product up close. Online the product can be seen but, it is not in person. If someone prefers to have their product right now there best option is to shop at the traditional store. Not all people have a way to shop online; it requires Internet, a computer, or cell phone. If those items are not available the traditional brick-and-mortar shop would be the best fit for them. For some consumer’s it ultimately comes down to the convenience of how they can shop. For some consumer’s the varieties of products provided online or in the store will make their ultimate choice in how they shop. Shopping online may provide more choices of products. There is a big availability of products online; the products usually come from big storage facilities. The traditional store provides customers with what they have to offer in their stores. Traditional stores tend to have less of a variety because of the lack of space. In the store there is limited space to store items so the stores tend to have fewer products. Online shopping has a wide variety of products through different websites with just the click of a mouse. People may have to drive from store to store to find a different variety of items. For some consumers they like the lifestyle of getting out and about to find different products. Shopping online people take the risk of getting the wrong products or wrong sizes. Online shopping doesn’t offer dressing rooms to try on clothing to make sure it is the right fit. Going to the traditional store offers dressing rooms to try on clothing to makes sure it is the right fit. Driving to the traditional store makes it so that people can have the right product, right now. For some consumers the variety of items online or in the store will make their decisions in the way they may shop. The difference in prices may make all the difference in which way people shop. Online shopping offers many different sites to find the cheapest prices. With only the click of a mouse the consumer can go to another page with the same products to find a better price. Online shopping offers discounts to their customers in many different ways. If someone is a returning user to the website they may have a percentage off discount offered to them. Online stores offer big discounts on electronic appliances. The warehouses are usually overstocked, which makes it so that the online store can offer more items at a discounted price. Some online sites offer free shipping if you order products that total over a certain amount. For some paying the shipping and handling fees and waiting for their product is worth it to receive the discounts from online shopping. Shopping online includes paying with a debit card, credit card, or a check and for some this is easier to pay for items. The traditional stores offer sales on items throughout the year. Some look for these sales to begin to buy the products they want. Some traditional stores offer cards that give percentage off discounts if the shopper is a member. Traditional stores offer side walk sales. A side walk sale is where the store puts items outside on their sidewalks, and they put big mark downs on the prices of the items. Stores offer clearance out items as well as items on sale. In the store there are options to pay with debit card, credit card, check, or cash and for some cash is the easiest way to pay. People may have to drive to different stores to find the products at the prices they want. For some it is worth the drive and gas to find the right products at the right prices. If the consumer wants their items right away the best way for them to do it is to drive to the store. It may ultimately come down to the best bargain for consumers when it comes down to the way they shop. There are many differences and similarities between online and brick-and-mortar shopping, but the variety of choices, convenience, and price ultimately make up the consumers mind. Consumers look for the best bargain when it comes down to shopping whether the best bargain is online or in the brick-and-mortar shop. The variety of choices in products may push the consumer to choice one way of shopping over the other. For some consumers the convenience of the way they shop makes the ultimate choice. For some consumers the decision in the way they shop may be an easy choice but for others the decision is not as easy. Consumers have to do their research on products to find the easiest way for them to shop.