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Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping
The article below is taken from accountlearning.com aiming to help IELTS candidates boost their vocabulary and have enough ideas for them to fully cover any topic in Speaking and Writing. The useful ideas are written in Bold, collocations are shown in red with relevant terms being underlined, followed by their definitions coming along.
Advantages of online shopping
Due to rapid growth of technology, business organizations have switched over from the traditional method of selling goods to electronic method of selling goods. Business organizations use internet as a main vehicle to conduct commercial transactions.
Online stores do not have space constraints and a wide variety of products can be displayed on websites. It helps the analytical buyers to purchase a product after a good search.
The major advantages of online shopping are as follows.
- Convenience of online shopping
Customers can purchase items from the comfort of their own homes or work place. Shopping is made easier and convenient for the customer through internet. It is also easy to cancel the transactions.
- No pressure shopping
Generally, in physical stores, the sales representatives try to influence the buyers to buy the product. There can be some kind of pressure, whereas the customers are not pressurized in any way in online stores.
Companies display the whole range of products offered by them to attract customers with different tastes and needs. This enables the buyers to choose from a variety of models after comparing the finish, features and price of the products on display, Sometimes, price comparisons are also available online.
- Online shopping saves time
Customers do not have to stand in queues in cash counters to pay for the products that have been purchased by them. They can shop from their home or work place and do not have to spend time traveling. The customers can also look for the products that are required by them by entering the key words or using search engines.
- Comparisons
Companies display the whole range of products offered by them to attract customers with different tastes and needs. This enables the buyers to choose from a variety of models after comparing the finish, features and price of the products on display, Sometimes, price comparisons are also available online.
- Availability of online shop
The mall is open on 365 x 24 x 7. So, time does not act as a barrier, wherever the vendor and buyers are.
- Online tracking
Online consumers can track the order status and delivery status tracking of shipping is also available.
- Online shopping saves money
To attract customers to shop online, e-tailers and marketers offer discounts to the customers. Due to elimination of maintenance, real-estate cost, the retailers are able to sell the products with attractive discounts through online. Sometimes, large online shopping sites offer store comparison.
ON-TOPIC ITEMS:
Constraint: noun UK /kənˈstreɪnt/ US /kənˈstreɪnt/
something that controls what you do by keeping you within particular limits
Purchase: verb [ T ] formal UK /ˈpɜː.tʃəs/ US /ˈpɝː.tʃəs/
to buy sth
Transaction: noun [ C or U ] UK /trænˈzæk.ʃən/ US /trænˈzæk.ʃən/
an occasion when someone buys or sells something, or when money is exchanged or the activity of buying or selling something
Vendor: noun [ C ] LAW formal or specialized UK /ˈven.dər/ US /ˈven.dɚ/
someone who is selling something
Shipping: noun [ U ] UK /ˈʃɪp.ɪŋ/ US /ˈʃɪp.ɪŋ/
the act of sending goods from one place to another, especially by ship
Discount: noun [ C ] UK /ˈdɪs.kaʊnt/ US /ˈdɪs.kaʊnt/
a reduction in the usual price
Maintenance: noun [ U ] UK /ˈmeɪn.tən.əns/ US /ˈmeɪn.tən.əns/
the work needed to keep a road, building, machine, etc. in good condition
Disadvantages of Online Shopping
Ease of use is the prime reason that drives the success of e-commerce. Though internet provides a quick and easy way to purchase a product, some people prefer to use this technology only in a limited way. They regard internet as a means for gathering more information about a product before buying it in a shop. Some people also fear that they might get addicted to online shopping.
The major disadvantages of online shopping are as follows.
- Delay in delivery
Long duration and lack of proper inventory management result in delays in shipment. Though the duration of selecting, buying and paying for an online product may not take more than 15 minutes; the delivery of the product to customer’s doorstep takes about 1-3 weeks. This frustrates the customer and prevents them from shopping online.
- Lack of significant discounts in online shops
Physical stores offer discounts to customers and attract them so this makes it difficult for e-tailers to compete with the offline platforms.
- Lack of touch and feel of merchandise in online shopping
Lack of touch-feel-try creates concerns over the quality of the product on offer. Online shopping is not quite suitable for clothes as the customers cannot try them on.
- Lack of interactivity in online shopping
Physical stores allow price negotiations between buyers and the seller. The show room sales attendant representatives provide personal attention to customers and help them in purchasing goods. Certain online shopping mart offers service to talk to a sales representative.
- Lack of shopping experience
The traditional shopping exercise provides lot of fun in the form of show-room atmosphere, smart sales attendants, scent and sounds that cannot be experienced through a website. Indians generally enjoy shopping. Consumers look forward to it as an opportunity to go out and shop.
- Lack of close examination in online shopping
A customer has to buy a product without seeing actually how it looks like. Customers may click and buy some product that is not really required by them. The electronic images of a product are sometimes misleading. The colour, appearance in real may not match with the electronic images.
People like to visit physical stores and prefer to have close examination of good, though it consumes time. The electronic images vary from physical appearance when people buy goods based on electronic images.
- Frauds in online shopping
Sometimes, there is disappearance of shopping site itself. In addition to above, the online payments are not much secured. So, it is essential for e-marketers and retailers to pay attention to this issue to boost the growth of e-commerce. The rate of cybercrimes has been increasing and customers’ credit card details and bank details have been misused which raise privacy issues. Customers have to be careful in revealing their personal information. Some of the e-tailers are unreliable.
ON-TOPIC ITEMS:
E-commerce: noun [ U ] UK /ˌiːˈkɒm.ɜːs/ US /ˌiːˈkɑː.mɝːs/
the business of buying and selling goods and services on the internet
Inventory management: noun [ U ] UK /ˈɪn.vən.tər.i ˈmæn.ɪdʒ.mənt/ US /ˈɪn.vən.tɔːr.i ˈmæn.ədʒ.mənt/ (also stock control)
the process of making sure that the right amount of goods, parts, and materials are available for sale
Delay: noun [ C or U ] UK /dɪˈleɪ/ US /dɪˈleɪ/
the situation in which you have to wait longer than expected for something to happen, or the time that you have to wait
E-tailers: noun [ C ] UK /ˈiː.teɪ.lər/ US /ˈiː.teɪ.lɚ/
a business that uses the internet to sell its products
Mart: noun [ C ] mainly US and Irish English UK /mɑːt/ US /mɑːrt/
a market or shopping centre
Retailers: noun [ C ] UK /ˈriː.teɪ.lər/ US /ˈriː.teɪ.lɚ/
a person, shop, or business that sells goods to the public
Cybercrimes: noun [ U ] UK /ˈsaɪ.bə.kraɪm/ US /ˈsaɪ.bɚ.kraɪm/
crime or illegal activity that is done using the internet
Selected and Edited by: Nasibeh Nouri
Javidan Language Centre
www.rashtielts.ir