BY: Maria Konstas
Contributing Writer
Technology has shifted the way consumers spend their money. The internet has become a virtual shopping center, where individuals can easily access and purchase items of their choosing. The digital age has enforced businesses to launch an E-commerce sector since consumers spend the majority of their time online. From a marketing perspective, choosing to not go digital is detrimental to long-term profits.
Although, from a consumer perspective, I find in-store shopping to be superior to online shopping. I think there is an entirely different experience associated with shopping in stores. With online shopping, all I need is a hand-held device, a credit card, and patience for my package to arrive. Whereas, in-store shopping contains a plethora of products at my fingertips…literally.
I love shopping! It is one of my favorite activities to do in my free time. In a social sense, shopping is a way to connect with my friends or family members. My friends and I help each other pick out clothes, give second opinions, and are a part of each other’s shopping experience. Shopping in-store gives me a variety of clothes to search through so that I can see and feel how the product looks in real time. Whereas with online shopping, I can only rely on photos and customer reviews.
An important part of the in-store experience is fitting rooms. If I ever purchase online, it usually comes with a guessing game of “what size am I”? When shopping for clothes in-store, I can try on different sizes, colors, patterns, or styles. Fitting rooms allow me to explore different options. In effect, I can make a purchase knowing how the outfit looks on me.
A reason as to why I love shopping is it gives me the ability to be creative with how I style my clothes. In-store shopping is my platform to be my own personal stylist. I can pair different garments from different clothing departments as I style an outfit. As part of my shopping experience, I can pair and layer all sorts of clothing with the enjoyment of doing it.
To conclude, online shopping is convenient, due to speediness and accessibility. Although, online shopping has restrictions and costs. Whereas in-store shopping grants me an experience where I make a purchase with 100% confidence that I made the right decision, and I always go back for more.
