| The ever-increasing influence of the internet on our | | | | personally visiting that number of stores would be |
| everyday lives can be seen in virtually everything we | | | | entirely impracticable. |
| do. Perhaps that influence is no more palpable than in | | | | Disadvantages |
| the area of e-commerce. People can purchase their | | | | One of the major disadvantages of online shopping is |
| insurance policies online, they can set up bank | | | | the necessity to have a personal computer or at |
| accounts, apply for credit cards and loans and book | | | | least access to one and, of course, the ability to |
| hotels, holidays, car hire and flights. They can also | | | | master its use sufficiently well to make use of the |
| purchase more or less any item they might wish to | | | | internet shopping market. Although members of the |
| buy. Online shopping has become a regular feature of | | | | public who come within one or other of these |
| many people's lives and it undoubtedly brings with it | | | | categories is definitely in the minority, it remains a |
| certain advantages that are not available to the | | | | disadvantage of this means of shopping. |
| personal shopper. However, as with most things, | | | | When you shop in a real market, you are able to |
| there are also certain disadvantages. In this article we | | | | see, feel and even try out the goods that you are |
| look at some of those benefits and measure them | | | | buying. No such facility exists when you buy online. |
| against the disadvantages in the hope that the | | | | The most you will be able to achieve is to see a |
| readers will find some assistance in deciding whether | | | | picture of the goods that you are interested in |
| online shopping is for them or not. | | | | acquiring. Whilst invariably this will provide and |
| Benefits | | | | accurate representation of the product, the fact |
| Without question the greatest benefit of online | | | | remains that, contrary to the popular saying - the |
| shopping is that the shopper is not required to leave | | | | camera does occasionally lie! |
| the comfort of his own armchair or office desk. | | | | There can sometimes be a significant delay in |
| Time, transport costs, parking costs, queues and the | | | | receiving your goods that have been acquired on the |
| effort involved in transporting goods home, | | | | internet, whereas, of course, you have immediate |
| frequently from a store that is situated on the | | | | access to those that have been purchased in a store. |
| outskirts of town, can all be avoided by engaging in | | | | You also have to organise your personal schedule to |
| online shopping. Additionally, although some stores | | | | be at home whenever the goods are actually |
| provide twenty four hour opening, the overwhelming | | | | delivered. Additionally, there are sometimes some |
| majority do not, whereas twenty four hour shopping | | | | quite significant delivery costs involved, which do not |
| on the internet is the norm. No one can argue, | | | | apply if you collect the goods yourself from a real |
| therefore, that one of the greatest appeals of this | | | | store. |
| type of purchasing is its ease. | | | | The major disadvantage is the scope for compromise |
| A second benefit is the range of choice available to | | | | of your personal financial information. Whilst this risk |
| the internet shopper. Literally millions of products can | | | | has clearly been reduced by the development of SSL |
| be compared by the online comparison engines, | | | | (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption to protect the |
| resulting in the potential for a considerable cost | | | | integrity of your personal financial details, it remains |
| saving per item purchased. This price benefit can be | | | | essential that a purchaser uses great care in divulging |
| even greater by reason of the fact that the online | | | | financial information online, particularly to a site that |
| shop does not have the running and administrative | | | | he is not familiar with. The concern about releasing |
| costs of a bricks and mortar enterprise. If you are | | | | personal financial information on the internet remains |
| looking for a particular type of product, perhaps only | | | | the single most cited reason, anecdotally, for people |
| available from specialist stores, the range available on | | | | avoiding online shopping, despite all its apparent |
| the internet is almost certain to be wider than you | | | | benefits. |
| would find on a trawl of your local stores. | | | | Conclusion |
| A third benefit of online shopping is the protection | | | | Without doubt, there can be real benefits in availing |
| afforded by the Distance Selling Regulations, 2000, | | | | yourself of the many opportunities to shop online. |
| which allow the purchaser the right to cancel the | | | | There are clearly also real (and perceived) |
| agreement at no cost within a fixed period of time. | | | | disadvantages. Ultimately, it is a personal matter for |
| Finally, as mentioned above, online shopping allows for | | | | the consumer, whether to embrace the opportunity |
| a real and accurate comparison between the | | | | offered by the internet or continue with his existing |
| products and prices of a myriad of retailers. To even | | | | personal shopping practices. There is inevitably good - |
| think about trying such an in-depth comparison by | | | | and bad - to be said about both. |