The internet has been widely known to affect many aspects of our life but perhaps the most unprecedented effect it has had on human life is the effect on the way we shop. The age old method of shopping meant physical stores but with the rise of e commerce websites, the general preference has always been for online shopping.
The main reason for this preference and growth is that online shopping offers quite a lot of convenience. Nowadays one can find complex things like an industrial touch monitor to a programmable logic controller for sale to mundane objects like a tea spoon with a simple search on one of the many search engines available on the internet. Instead of having to dress up and drive to the closest store that offers what you require, an individual could just lounge on his bed dressed in his pajamas and shop for the rarest item and have it delivered right to the doorstep. Analysts predict that the e commerce industry will keep increasing its sales steadily. Fifteen percent of all holiday related sales have all happened via online purchases. A survey has also brought to light that up to seventy percent of the individuals who purchased on the internet were tempted to do due to the great promotions that were being flaunted around.
A factor that has also greatly affected the e commerce world and helped boost its popularity is the increased usage of smartphones. With high resolution screens, snappy processors and the fact that smartphones are always just a hand reach away, it is so much easier for any particular individual to go online and shop for his or her needed item instead of having to switch on the laptop or personal computer. E commerce websites have also noticed this pattern and now offer mobile friendly websites to allow customers to browse the website much more easily. Some websites have even gone to the extent of creating apps to make it easier for a consumer to shop on their website.
As mentioned above it offers a flexibility that is hard to find in traditional retail stores. This is due to the reason that e commerce websites are open all week long and twenty four hours a day. For a busy employee, he or she might not be able to visit a retail store as they are usually closed during the nights but since online websites are open at all times, it makes it a simple task for her to purchase what she requires and have it shipped home the following day.