Advantages

Online shopping is popular among millennial consumers due to the convenience it offers. That is why if you’re looking for an all-around gift shop this Christmas, go online!

You can shop wherever you are. Whether you’re in school, in your room or even in public places, you can purchase anything as long as you have your phone on your hand.

Payments can be made instantly. And the good thing is since you can see the products all laid down on your table, you can already do an instant price comparison.

Products sold online come straight from the manufacturer, chances are, you can find a lot of great deals and prices. If you’re quite lucky, you might even encounter discounts in some online stores since the Christmas season is fast approaching.

The involvement of middlemen only increases the actual value of most goods. So, if you choose to shop online, you also get to save time, effort, and money for transportation and gas expenses.

Online shopping ensures that you get to have a private transaction. You get to avoid nosy people and be much more comfortable picking up items. For example, purchasing
undergarments and lingerie.

Some parcels can be picked up in the nearest package station while some can be delivered directly to your front door.

And of course, an electronic record of the receipt of your purchase is being issued as proof.

Disadvantages

The number 1 fear of online consumers is the chances of fraud.

The risks for credit card scams, phishing, hacking, identity theft, counterfeit products, and bogus websites are really quite scary. This is the very reason why a lot of people have trust issues when it comes to online retail.

Delays in shipment also happen from time to time. Worse, returns may sometimes be difficult if you have issues with the product bought.

Items may also be lost, detoured or delivered to the wrong address. This brings tons of inconvenience to customers who are in a rush to receive their items.

When you shop online, you are also responsible for doing the research. Online stores don’t have sales associates who could thoroughly explain their products. You have to do a lot of reading to make sure that you’re choosing the right item. Impulsive buying can only lead to regrets in the future.

Advantages

Nothing beats the satisfaction of seeing the items right on the spot.  This is the reason why we go to malls or other physical stores.

The time we see the items, we get the opportunity to inspect them for defects beforehand. This minimizes the risk of dysfunctional products. You can instantly determine the quality of an item you’re eyeing for.

Transactions are immediate and there is no need to wait for products to be shipped and to be delivered to you.

You no longer need to submerge yourself in issues such as tracking parcels and shipment to wrong addresses.

Also, you get adequate information about the products because of the sales associates among physical stores.

The chances of fraud are also minimal in in-store shopping as compared to online shopping. Another thing that makes shopping in a physical store great is because it’s budget-friendly.
Why?

Because it saves you from hidden charges and overly-expensive shipping fees.

Shopping in physical stores is also a fun activity. It helps us bond with family and friends when you consider it as leisure. After all, this is the essence of Christmas.

Disadvantages

The main inconvenience that shopping in physical stores brings is the number of customers you’re going up against.

Most likely, you are up for long queues and when stocks are only limited, you get nothing left of.

For people who don’t like going around for hours and hours scavenging for goods, then, shopping in physical stores is not meant for you.

In some cases, product choices may sometimes be limited in physical stores.

Most stores only supply products that they support. Some may also come biased to several brands.

Online shopping, in comparison, allows you to browse and compare various brands and prices. This, when done is physical stores, would require you to jump from a store to another.
This is undeniably a tedious task.

Physical stores only operate for 8-12 hours a day. People who work at day don’t usually have time to go to stores unless it’s weekend. This is why they often opt to purchase goods online.