online vs offline shopping essay writing

Online Shopping vs. Traditional Shopping Essay

Introduction, comparisons and contrast.

The advent of internet shopping in the late nineties created a revolution in the retail industry. Benefits that were previously inaccessible to the masses became a reality. Today, buyers can get the latest I-Pad from Apple at the click of a button. They can purchase the latest designer-colognes from Paris, even if they live in New York. One, therefore, wonders whether online shopping will replace traditional shopping. Through a contrast and comparison of these two shopping channels, it can then be possible to answer the latter question.

Some of the most advent supporters of online shopping are environmentalists. Many of them assert that online shopping eliminates the need for consumers to transport themselves to a physical store. This saves on fuel charges and paper. Similarly, traditional shopping from a supermarket or in a mall can also save on plenty of energy costs.

Customers can get everything they require under one roof, thus eliminating the need to transport themselves from one point to another. This saves on fuel and other charges that emanate from physical movement of people for shopping. On the other hand, these two channels differ in terms of their environmental-friendliness.

Individuals can use the Postal service to ship their online commodities. Since the postal service is bound to come to a certain neighborhood anyway, then fuel costs can be minimized. Such economies are unavailable in traditional brick and motor stores. Furthermore, one can buy multiple items from distant locations and save volumes of fuel. Traditional retail stores would require one to drive physically to the concerned store, even though it might be located all the way in China.

Both types of shopping avenues provide buyers with a certain level of comfort and ease. Customers go to online stores in order to avoid the overcrowding and hurling that is synonymous to traditional stores. This is quite helpful during the holiday seasons. Buyers can transform their shopping into a pleasant experience by simply avoiding these crowded areas. Similarly, some customers go to traditional stores in order to enjoy a different type of comfort.

They approach these physical stores in order to access immediate help from sales persons concerning certain items. Shopping from traditional stores allows retailers to consult about the features of a certain product and this causes them a certain level of ease and comfort. On the other hand, traditional retailers cannot offer the same level of comfort that online stores can.

In online shopping, buyers simply have to select an item and pay; everything else is handled by the internet firm. Conversely, shoppers from physical stores have to plan for their transportation to and from the brick and mortar store. If the products they are purchasing are bulky, then they must make special arrangements to carry the item to their homes.

All channels of shopping furnish customers with information about the features of products. It is possible to know about the sizes, features, and costs of products in online and traditional shopping. Conversely, the dependability of the information differs substantially depending on whether one is using online shopping or traditional methods. Many customers have complained about misleading information or unavailable information in online stores.

Buyers who need advise about using a certain product or need to inquire about its capabilities in traditional stores can easily get this information from sales persons. On the contrary, one cannot get this information easily from internet forums. Some websites may have contact numbers or e-chat forums; however, these are not available in all of them. Online shoppers only have pictures and product descriptions to know everything they need to know about a product.

This method may work for certain types of products that have low prices and minimal modifications. However, the same approach may not work for expensive and highly customizable products such as cars or houses. Few customers would buy houses based solely on a product description or picture they saw; many would want to see the spacing and features in that house. Automobile purchasers would also need to test-drive items before they can walk away with them. In this regard, internet channels fall short because they cannot provide personalized information or experiences.

It is possible to compare prices in these two avenues. One can walk from shop to shop and find the best offers in one’s location. The same thing happens in internet shopping. One can visit a number of websites and compare the prices offered by these entities. In contrast, it is much easier to compare prices on the internet than in physical locations. If a store was located in a different city, it would be impractical to drive all the way to that store simply to find out what their prices are. Therefore, online shopping is superior in this regard.

These two platforms are both vulnerable to theft or fraud. In physical stores, criminals may organize a massive robbery and this can cause substantial losses to the concerned entrepreneurs. Alternatively, customers may shoplift or get away with non payment in physical stores. Similarly, theft can occur in online stores when an alleged retailer either purports to sell non – existent products or sells counterfeit or inferior goods to clients.

The main difference between these two types of channels is that in physical stores, customers do most of the stealing. Furthermore, they use relatively simple methods to carry out these activities. On the other hand, the internet has created a new breed of wrongdoers. Most fraudsters are fake sellers rather than buyers.

A number of them tend to use very sophisticated methods to lure their ‘clients’ and defraud them. It takes a lot of intelligence and security measures to guard against these individuals. Therefore, buyers must be wary of these challenges when they select online shopping as their preferred method of purchasing.

Cases of missing information exist in these two approaches. A customer may purchase something from a brick – and – mortar store, and this item may not be easily examinable at the retail store. This may make it easy to find flaws in it. For example, someone may purchase a television set from an electronics shop, and when the buyer gets to his or her house, he or she may find that the keys on the remote control do not work as stated.

Similarly, one may buy a book from Amazon and find that it has several missing pages. These issues occur because sellers may have hidden certain information about their materials. On the flipside, it is easier for retailers to hide information about their products on the internet than in physical stores. Many online customers often complain about the hidden costs that come with internet purchases. Shipping costs and other miscellaneous charges may hide the true price of a certain commodity on the internet.

Furthermore, even the process of purchasing an item on the internet is never as short as retailers claim. One must register, enter a series of personal details, read the privacy policy, and enter details about one’s credit card information. It may take a phone call or an e-chat to find out about certain order details. Therefore, what should have taken fifteen minutes ends up taking forty five or fifty minutes. There are more loopholes on the internet to facilitate missing information as compared to traditional shopping

Internet shopping still has a series of flaws that physical shopping does not. Nonetheless, the convenience and flexibility offered by this method are unrivaled in brick and mortar stores. It is likely that these two methods of shopping will continue to complement each other in the future as the pros and cons of one method are neutralized by another.

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IvyPanda. (2020, April 25). Online Shopping vs. Traditional Shopping. https://ivypanda.com/essays/internet-shopping/

"Online Shopping vs. Traditional Shopping." IvyPanda , 25 Apr. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/internet-shopping/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Online Shopping vs. Traditional Shopping'. 25 April.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Online Shopping vs. Traditional Shopping." April 25, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/internet-shopping/.

1. IvyPanda . "Online Shopping vs. Traditional Shopping." April 25, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/internet-shopping/.

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Online Shopping vs Traditional Shopping, Essay Example

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Even before internet became a widespread phenomenon, futurists used to predict that a day will come when we may shop from the comfort of our homes. It might have seemed a strange idea in those times but now we finally understand what they truly meant. Online commerce has emerged as a serious challenger to traditional brick-and-mortar commerce. Both formats have their own pros and cons and it may be mistake to declare either online shopping or traditional shopping as the superior of the two shopping formats. People have different lifestyles and whether online shopping or traditional shopping may be a better option, depend upon the needs of the individual customers.

Online shopping is a better option when time and prices are the main concerns. Online shopping makes it easier to do quick price-comparison among different online retailers and do so inexpensively. Unlike traditional shopping in which one has to go from store to store for price comparison, online shopping tools allow price comparison among hundreds of online retailers in few seconds. In addition, one can purchase items online from virtually anywhere and anytime of the day as long as there is an internet access. Thus, online shopping may also appeal more to those who have very busy work schedule and cannot afford to spare few hours for traditional shopping. Traditional shopping may appeal more to those who actually like to experience or try the items in person and who enjoy the experience of shopping in mall as much as they enjoy purchasing the items. They view the time spent in traditional shopping also as an opportunity to bond with friends and family. Those who prefer traditional shopping may also care about prices but they have an idea of what they want to pay and do not want to spend too much time and efforts to find the cheapest-possible price. But traditional shoppers may switch to online shopping during difficult economic times because not only online shopping results in better deals, it also allows the shoppers to save on fuel costs. Online retailers understand this which is why many now offer an opportunity to customers to qualify for free shopping.

Whether online shopping and traditional shopping is a better option also depends upon the nature of the goods and services purchased. While online shopping is suitable for many items such as electronics, clothing, and grooming products etc., goods such as perishable food item and big-ticket splurges may be best suited to traditional shopping. Big-ticket splurges are specifically suited to traditional shopping because they often require huge financial investment and require personal inspection and/or test-trials. Some items are so complex or need to be customized that traditional shopping is the only option.

Traditional shopping appeals more when we also enjoy discovering new things in the shopping mall and do not always know what we want to buy. In online shopping, we usually know what we are looking for. But when we know what we want, online retailers have an advantage over traditional retailers. Online retailers do not have to invest in physical infrastructure, thus, they can display lot more varieties on their website than a traditional retailer.

Both online shopping and traditional shopping meet different needs, thus, it is common for most people to employ both shopping formats. Shopping is a lot more than just purchasing goods or services. Online shopping is a relatively new phenomenon, thus, it will continue to evolve and get better over time while traditional shopping format may continue to exist more or less unchanged.

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Home — Essay Samples — Business — Online Shopping — Comparison of Shopping Online Vs In-store Shopping

Comparison of Shopping Online Vs In-store Shopping

• Categories: Online Shopping Shopping

About this sample

Words: 500 |

Updated: 1 December, 2023

Words: 500 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

• Chen, Y., & Xie, Y. (2008). Online consumer review: Word-of-mouth as a new element of marketing communication mix. Management Science, 54(3), 477-491.
• Huang, Z., & Benyoucef, M. (2013). From e-commerce to social commerce: A close look at design features. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 12(4), 246-259.
• Kim, J., Fiore, A. M., & Lee, H. H. (2013). Effects of online shopping experience on risk perceptions and online purchase intentions: A cue‐utilization perspective. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 14(3), 299-315.
• Liang, T. P., Ho, Y. T., Li, Y. W., & Turban, E. (2011). What drives social commerce: The role of social support and relationship quality. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 16(2), 69-90.
• Liu, Y., Li, H., & Hu, F. (2013). Website attributes in urging online impulse purchase: An empirical investigation on consumer perceptions. Decision Support Systems, 55(3), 829-837.
• Manzoor, A., Rehman, C. A., & Sattar, A. (2017). Antecedents and consequences of customer satisfaction in online shopping: A case of Pakistan. Information Technology & People, 30(3), 625-645.
• Park, J., Lee, C., & Ahn, J. (2016). Effects of social commerce factors on social media trust, perceived value, and purchase intention. Journal of Business Research, 69(9), 3801-3808.
• Shim, S., Eastlick, M. A., Lotz, S. L., & Warrington, P. (2001). An online prepurchase intentions model: The role of intention to search. Journal of Retailing, 77(3), 397-416.
• Wang, D., Yu, C., & Wei, Y. (2012). Social presence as a double-edged sword: The effects of social presence on mobile shopping. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 17(3), 257-282.
• Yoo, B., & Donthu, N. (2001). Developing a scale to measure the perceived quality of an Internet shopping site (SITEQUAL). Quarterly Journal of Electronic Commerce, 2(1), 31-46.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay on online shopping/virtual shopping/e-shopping; with planning and model answer

This IELTS Writing Task 2 post is about ‘online shopping and its merits and demerits’ . Here, I’ve discussed the advantages and disadvantages of virtual/online/e-shopping and presented a model answer on this Task 2 question. This model answer can guide you to write an answer to any online shopping related essay.

Let’s have a look at the question we are going to discuss today.

The language of this task 2 question can be different in different exams.

Here’s another example of the same question:

An increasing number of people are buying what they need online.

What are the advantages and disadvantages for both individuals and companies to shopping online?

Nowadays, e-shopping or shopping online has an increasing trend among shoppers. It has both positive and negative sides. First, we need to make a plan for writing on this topic.

Here’s a short plan that may help you.

Planning and organisation:

Here is how I’ve planned the essay with a 4-paragraph structure:

• Introduction: topic + thesis (2 sentences can be sufficient): Introduce the topic – ‘online shopping getting more popular’. Then write a thesis on how you are going to show that there are some positives and negatives of the issue.
• Body paragraph on the reasons behind virtual shopping being so popular: You can write about straightforward ideas e.g. people get more convenience, and availability or choice of products. Give some real-life examples here.
• Body paragraph on the negative sides of online shopping: Again, present some very general ideas e.g. customers get cheated and people become more isolated. Give some real-life examples here too
• Conclusion: restate your ideas Online shopping has both advantages and disadvantages. You can give your personal opinion on how the disadvantages can be reduced.

Now let’s take a look at the model answer.

Model answer: expected band score – 7.5 to 8.0

In recent years, the rate of in-store shopping has plunged due to vast opportunities for buying different products including daily necessaries from hundreds of online stores. This essay will try to demonstrate chances such as convenience and product availability as the reasons behind the popularity of e-shopping whereas it will focus on swindling and isolation as the pitfalls of this issue.

Initially, the prime reason behind the popularity of e-shopping is convenience which can be easily understood from the thousands of virtual shops all over the world. To illustrate, people nowadays are busier than ever because of the fast pace of the world and they want to save as much time as they can for relaxation. Virtual shopping gives this magnificent prospect of time-saving and so people enjoy taking it. Besides, superstores sometimes run out of products in the precise moment when people need them which online shops rarely have this crisis. For instance, I needed a flat-screen monitor a few months ago but my local store had it out of stock. When I peeped into some online stores I found it easily on eBay.

Meanwhile, though shopping on the internet looks very promising, it is not without its setbacks. Many people, mostly the newcomers, regularly complain of getting tricked on virtual shopping and the rate of complaints is increasing at a faster rate. To explain, one of my friends has recently got swindled when he paid in advance for a smartwatch. Additionally, people often become isolated in their rooms through e-shopping which can affect their feelings and behaviour. As an example, a friend of mine started shopping online a couple of years ago even though the nearest superstore was only 500 metres away. His neighbours, nowadays, describe him as an ill-mannered and antisocial person which, needless to say, is the result of being home and becoming isolated from the outer world. 

In brief, virtual shoppers obtain greater benefits if compared to in-store shoppers. Converting such shopping to a stress-free experience, it is turning out to be progressively more convenient. However, as clients may sometimes get deceived and become cut off from the social world, concerned authorities should look into the matter cautiously. (360 words)

Here are some other Task 2 questions which can be answered taking help from the given essay example on online shopping:

• Some people support online shopping because it is convenient, while others argue that shopping on the internet poses threats. Discuss both views and give your opinions.
• Nowadays on-line shopping has become more popular than in-store shopping. Is it a positive or a negative development?
• Nowadays many people go shopping in their free time. Shopping has replaced many other activities that people used to choose as their hobby. What are the reasons for this? Is this a positive or negative development?

If you have written any answer to this question, you can post it in the comment box and we can discuss about it in details. 

Click here for a model answer to Cambridge 14 Test 4 Writing Task 2

Click here for a model answer to agree-disagree topic: elderly or young people as company leaders

Click here for a model answer to advantage-disadvantage topic: online shopping

Click here for a model answer to opinion essay: urbanization in countryside/ problem of housing

Click here for a model answer to opinion essay: qualities of a good supervisor/boss

Click here for a model answer to descriptive essay: advantages/facilities/benefits of vocational education 

9 thoughts on “ IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay on online shopping/virtual shopping/e-shopping; with planning and model answer ”

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