Imagine being able to sit on a comfortable chair instead of walking around all over a store to look for an item.
If the object cannot be found in one place, driving to a different store isn’t necessary. Instead, all it takes is several clicks on the mouse and punches on the keyboard to specify the search.
Not only that, but long lines are avoided and turned into quick check outs that take only a couple of minutes.
According to a study from iCongo, a business Web site, 33 percent of adults who use the Internet are more likely to shop online than at a store because of the advantages that online shopping offers.
“It’s so much easier than going out to buy stuff because I can do it in the convenience of my home. I like how I don’t have to use any gas either because I don’t have to drive,” Thuyvu Pham, communications major, said.
According to iCongo, a vast majority of online consumers would rather shop online because they are able to purchase items anytime they want. They don’t have to worry about what time a store opens or closes because it’s available 24/7 online.
The study also found that 55 percent of online consumers believe that their purchases would be more expensive if they went to the actual store to shop.
“I think I save more money when I buy stuff on the Internet because I can always look up the sales and compare prices,” Raymond Hong, communications major, said.
Although online shopping has many benefits, it also has its disadvantages.
Some students believe that it can be a bit risky because they are unsure of whether the product will fit or work.
“I don’t like how I don’t get to physically touch or see what I’m buying. If the product doesn’t work out, then I have to go through the hassle of returning it because that could mean using more money to ship the product back,” Pham said.
Along with uncertainty, some consumers believe that paying shopping charges is a negative.
Hong said that they are too expensive, but he tries to outweigh the pricey charges with the fact that he isn’t using any gas drive to the store.
Even though there are disadvantages to shopping online, Internet consumers still choose to use Web sites such as eBay or Amazon, which are both in Time magazine’s “50 Best Web Sites 2009” list.
“Personally, I think eBay is my favorite shopping Web site,” John Dinh, freshman, said. “It’s reliable, has easy navigation and I can find anything on it.”
Some students who shop online also believe that the Web sites they purchase items from are safe, so they don’t have to worry about others finding out their credit or debit card numbers.
“If something bad happens, I can always claim fraud, but overall, I’ve only had all around good experiences with shopping online,” Dinh said.