Tonight went as if it were any other night. I ate dinner, watched a little mindless television, did some homework and shopped online while sitting on my comfortable couch.
One of my lovely roommates joined me in this endeavor as we took the time to search and explore different options-finding deals on a myriad of websites and discovering gems, items we would never ever dream of being able to purchase.
Is this what shopping in the future is going to be like? Will online shopping get rid of our regular malls and outdoor shopping centers?
The truth is, online retail sales account to less than 7% of consumer spending. Does this number surprise you? It certainly did for me.
The deals you can seem to find online, along with special promotional codes exclusively for the site, give the consumer the impression that online prices are much more attractive than those in the store sometimes.
Although, the luxury of trying an item on to see if it has the perfect fit and the satisfaction of immediately having an item after purchase, drag down the pleasure of online shopping. And, let's not forget the dreaded shipping and handling price. Sometimes, this is what totally detracts me from buying online from certain companies.
But despite these setbacks, online shopping will never lose its hold on our leisure time. I have many friends, who like I, have shopping carts fully stocked on a variety of sites. It's pretty much like a hobby...you can trade and socialize about it with friends and enjoy the experience of shopping without going anywhere or even being in the same room as the person you are talking about it with! It also allows you to fantasize about an item or take longer to decide on a major purchase.
As I close up my computer tonight, my shopping carts will remain full and my favorite sites bookmarked, all ready for me to sit on the couch again in the next few days and start the whole process again. Because shopping from the couch, is here to stay. :)
Picture from: http://www.countryliving.com/homes/living-room-decorating-2009
One of my lovely roommates joined me in this endeavor as we took the time to search and explore different options-finding deals on a myriad of websites and discovering gems, items we would never ever dream of being able to purchase.
Is this what shopping in the future is going to be like? Will online shopping get rid of our regular malls and outdoor shopping centers?
The truth is, online retail sales account to less than 7% of consumer spending. Does this number surprise you? It certainly did for me.
The deals you can seem to find online, along with special promotional codes exclusively for the site, give the consumer the impression that online prices are much more attractive than those in the store sometimes.
Although, the luxury of trying an item on to see if it has the perfect fit and the satisfaction of immediately having an item after purchase, drag down the pleasure of online shopping. And, let's not forget the dreaded shipping and handling price. Sometimes, this is what totally detracts me from buying online from certain companies.
But despite these setbacks, online shopping will never lose its hold on our leisure time. I have many friends, who like I, have shopping carts fully stocked on a variety of sites. It's pretty much like a hobby...you can trade and socialize about it with friends and enjoy the experience of shopping without going anywhere or even being in the same room as the person you are talking about it with! It also allows you to fantasize about an item or take longer to decide on a major purchase.
As I close up my computer tonight, my shopping carts will remain full and my favorite sites bookmarked, all ready for me to sit on the couch again in the next few days and start the whole process again. Because shopping from the couch, is here to stay. :)
Picture from: http://www.countryliving.com/homes/living-room-decorating-2009
1 comments:
Very nice review and analysis. The "view from the couch" goes beyond the TV to the internet. I guess you will need to re-name the couch-potato to "carting" i.e., the ability to fill a virtual cart without purchasing Okay ... let's go Carting!
-- RMH Reese
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