We are the internet generation, surrounded by smartphones and social media. A study has been carried out in the US, where people spend time on their phones roughly 5 hours a day. According to Nie & Erbing in the year 2000, they found that the more we use the Internet the less time we spend with “real people” (Nie and Erbring, 2000). True, We tend to spend more of our time on social media such as Instagram and Twitter than hanging out with our friends or families. Moreover, social media has become a market for businesses to promote their products and services. This encourages people to shop more. Thus, the existence of online shopping website tools gives access to a variety of products such as clothing, makeup, groceries, and furniture among others. It is very convenient and only one click away. Online shopping was first introduced in 1979 by Micheal Aldrich who was an English entrepreneur (Aldrich Archive, 1982). Online shopping is very popular nowadays, people all over the world are crazy about it, and is regarded as the trendiest way to shop. Online shopping is the most convenient way to shop. How about in-store shopping, is it not relevant?
The internet has revolutionized, and shopping has become a one-click button away. According to Tariq, Jafar & Arif in 2014, E-commerce is a Platform that allows shoppers to buy products from a distant place without having a physical presence and the transaction process becoming simple and convenient (Taraq, Jafar & Arif, 2014). For example, the consumer wants to buy makeup from the Sephora website, they do not have to wait in lines to pay. They do not have to experience the “pollution” shopping experience to browse for makeup. It is also beneficial for international consumers such as Brunei, we do not have a Sephora physical store, the nearest store would be in Sabah which takes hours to reach. With this Sephora website, we can save time and also car fuel. Even so, the dark side of online shopping, consumers can not touch or feel the product in a physical sense. It is understood that buying online products is very risky, what if the product size or color differs in real view, what if the foundation does not match your skin tone? Sometimes when the ordered product arrives turn out to be broken. From my past personal experience buying clothes online from Instagram. I bought an outfit for the festive Aidilfitri season, valued at RM600. It was a lovely grey ‘Baju Kurung’, but when my parcel arrived, it was a different design and the color was purple. The texture of the cloth was not what I imagined it would be, it felt inferior. I made a complaint but could not be returned, the seller refused to.
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From my past personal experience mentioned above, it was a major consumer concern nowadays of fraud and scam. Fraud committed online against individuals has become a global problem (Button, 2012; Levi, 2008; Smith, 2010). These can happen to consumers buying from small independent businesses online and unreliable/unknown websites. Unlike shopping from ASOS, Fashion Valet, Walmart, Amazon, and other well-known websites offered a money-back guarantee meaning if a buyer is not satisfied with a product or service, a refund will be made. These websites also secured our payment. However, it made you think about why risk your money and why make yourself a victim of fraud, credit card scams, bogus websites et,c when you can shop in-store. It has been argue by Wang, Chen & Jiang 2009, said consumers may not be buying online because of credit card fraud and unable to touch or feel the product (Wang, Chen & Jiang, 2009). It has been stating by Jubayer in 2015, that the reason consumers refused to shop on the internet is because of a lack of trust. Shopping offline can be so much more reliable, enabling shoppers to see the actual product before buying, and not have to worry about fraud. Shoppers can experience way much better and receive the product before paying. It is very important for the customer to feel satisfied with the products bought.
Back to the question, is offline shopping no longer relevant? Shoppers can not be dependent on online for instant purchase needs. Offline shopping which is also known as traditional shopping still will be important. Online shopping would not be helpful in urgent situations due to delivery services may take more than three days. However, offline shopping is not available 24 hours, unlike online shopping. Due to the rapid growth of online users, people tend to be more dependent on the internet which leads to changes in our habits and lifestyles, some people might just want to stay home rather than stuck in traffic. Moreover, some online shops now offer cash on delivery and home delivery. Robert Putnam in his book Bowling Alone, claimed that we are increasingly turning into “suburban hermits” who prefer to stay at home with television and computers rather than engaging in civic life (Putnam, 2000)
It may be concluded shopping online and offline is both crucial. It can not be justified, which has more benefits and which has more negatives. It all depends on the consumer preference. Some consumers believe offline shopping lacks variety and facilities compare to online shopping. Some people prefer traditional shopping as it is more comfortable. There is still so much to argue.
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