Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, only one creature was stirring, and he wasn’t a mouse. The children were wrapped up and snug in their beds, whilst dad frantically hit the computer with his head. He’d added to basket not two weeks prior, yet the postman hadn’t turned up with the new deep fat frier.
It may not be the 1882 poem written by Benjamin Moore, but it’s more likely than ever that this sort of situation may happen. As technology has become accessible for even the most computer illiterate of people, it’s safe to say the market has changed, but is it necessarily for the better?
Prior to this job, I worked in retail for four years, and Christmas would fill everyone full of dread. From the 1st of December it would progressively become busier and busier until the second week of January when things would slow down. Back then there was no such thing as Cyber or Manic Monday, and Black Friday was something you only heard about in America.
It’s manic sales days like this that retailers are encouraging more of, much to the disappointment of sales assistants. The buzz created draws shoppers in who are aiming to complete their Christmas shopping, and it’s surprising to see the results are close to rivalling the popularity of the boxing days sales; although experts predict this will still be a chaotic day.
A New Opportunity
No longer does the shopper have to endure the horror of being crammed body to body to purchase a present for someone you don’t particularly like. When the weather is dire, a person can enjoy the warmth of their home whilst browsing the internet for their gifts.
There’s so many websites that make shopping that much easier. Amazon and Ebay only have online stores that people can access, but now the majority of high street retailers utilise an online section that can be taken advantage of. It’s possible to go instore and use a kiosk system that can deliver your product to a home or store with only a few details inputted.
It goes without saying that online shopping is incredibly easy to do. All it takes is a few taps and details inputted and you even receive an estimated delivery date. Certain websites also allow a user to pay an additional fee to ensure their item arrives sooner or perhaps even the next day.
An interesting development is the introduction of collection points. It can be a pain when a delivery comes and there’s no one in, leaving it up to a person to visit the post office in their spare time. There are a number of locations, such as high street shops, cafes and other places that will sign off an item for you until you pick it up.
Numerous people are attracted to online shopping due to their being much fewer traps. A physical shop is designed to persuade customers to spend money, ranging from banners, product placement and sales assistants giving you five seconds before asking “Do you need any help?”. Online you can browse at your leisure, with very few distractions in the way.
Something that doesn’t get reported a lot on is how online shopping allows you to buy items discreetly. This can be incredibly useful if it’s lingerie for your other half, as often it attracts a number of embarrassing stares. Nobody will judge you online, and in some cases it’s possible to have receipts that don’t give away what the purchase is for ultimate anonymity, just remember to wipe your internet history afterwards.
When observing online shopping it is truly amazing seeing how it all works, but it isn’t always as smooth as it may seem.
The Problems
One of the biggest problems comes with the weather we receive in winter. Without a moments notice, the heavens can open and next thing you know snow has covered every surface. It seems the UK are incompetent when this type of weather hits us, meaning that roads become treacherous to drive on.
This means that the gift you’ve bought is most likely going to be delayed. There’s not a thing next day delivery can do; if a delivery truck has jackknifed on the motorway they won’t be moving anytime soon. In previous years where we’ve encountered a big freeze, people that have ordered items early December haven’t received their gifts until early January.
Another major problem that can arise is what the final item is like. As you don’t have the chance to see the product until it arrives at your home, it can end up being too small, of insufficient quality or with extensive damage. Fortunately, due to Consumer Contracts Regulations, you have 14 days to return the item no matter what it’s quality is, although this can be a massive inconvenience.
Customer support can be a problem as well. If an issue arises and you need to contact a specific website, in most cases it relies on an email system that can take a considerable amount of time to receive a reply. If there’s only a few days till Christmas this can mean a person will be without a gift.
There’s also the experience of shopping. Some people genuinely enjoy browsing stores and trying items on as a leisure activity. Going online will always be popular, but some people will always drawn to the physical stores for their wants and needs.
Online Shopping, Will It Completely Steal Christmas?
With online shopping getting more popular as the years go by, will it one day completely take over Christmas sales? Although it’s way too early to start stating solid facts, as we’ve seen the introduction of sales such as Cyber and Manic Monday, it seem that this type of shopping has more of a presence than ever.
It’s both something to be admired and wary of. Smaller shops that don’t offer this sort of service can expect to lose out on business, but it gives the consumer more power when choosing what they want and how they want it. The next few years will be increasingly interesting in the online retail sector, and Neil Walker Digital will have their eyes peeled for these changes.
What do you think of this blog? Which do you think is better, physical or online shopping? Join the conversation on Twitter: @theukseo.