Differences Between Shopping Online And Shopping In-Store

With our increasingly busy schedule, it is definitely more convenient to switch on our computers and do our shopping online, but does it give the same amount of satisfaction as going to a physical retail shopping outlet?

Let’s look at why we think that online shopping in no way can replace retail shopping.

• The Sensory Experience

Online shopping is a gamble, we wouldn’t know what we are signing up for until the product reaches us. All the memes about what we see and what we get when purchasing online is actual experiences that we must be willing to accept when deciding to buy online.

Shopping in the malls, on the other hand, allows us to see, touch, feel and smell the products we are purchasing. We can know for sure that the dress we fell in love with actually fits and the vegetables we planned to cook for dinner are not half-rotten. In short, we can know exactly what we are spending our hard-earned money on.

• Bonding time

Online shopping is transaction between us, our computer and a stranger behind another computer. In shopping outlets, besides being able to communicate with actual human beings when making purchases, we can also take the time out of our home or office to spend time with our loved ones.

Admit it, when we are confined to our home or office, communications are minimal and most of us spend more time browsing the internet, watching television or carrying out other chores. When we are out and about with our loved ones, on top of the shopping, we get to make actual conversations that will help strengthen our bond with each other. 

• Specialised Malls 

Malls like Pertama Complex by UDA Group are one-stop centers to purchase niche products such as gadgets and sporting apparels. Buying experience will be much more pleasant when we can compare between sellers, prices and brands at one place, in contrast to browsing hundreds of websites, not knowing which ones are genuine and which are not. The time and energy taken to filter through the overflow of information on the web is just too overwhelming. 

• Proximity 

We may argue that going to shopping malls comes with the whole process of driving, wading through traffic, looking for parking and all those hassle, but it is not necessary for us to go to the big malls in the city centre.

There are many cozy neighbourhood malls such as Atria Shopping Centre, Angsana Johor Bahru and Angsana Ipoh that we can go to. We can even stop by these malls to have lunch or dinner on busy days or a cup of Joe on days we feel like we need a break. 

• One-Stop Centres

Shopping malls and event space nowadays are also home to many other facilities such as post office, banks, PTPTN kiosks and even Urban Transformation Centres such as the ones in Pudu Sentral and Angsana Seremban. In one trip to a shopping outlet, we can settle a lot of our chores, how does that sound?

Yes, online shopping can be a more convenient option, but, when we weigh in the pros and cons, we feel that when there is choice, it is better to take that walk or drive to a retail shopping outlet or mall to enjoy the process of shopping. As they say, the journey matters more than the destination. In this case, the experience is much more valuable than the purchase itself.