In this modern era, online markets have become popular in many countries around the world and have been a new method of buying and selling products. The popularity of online shops has also become a contentious issue among people regarding whether it alters people’s behavior or not. Some people argue that the implementation of shopping technologies does not transform consumer’s lives. However, in my view, this technology has changed many things in people’s lives.
It could be argued that online shops do not impact people’s lives both in selling or buying goods for several reasons. Firstly, it will not affect significantly traditional methods, especially for offline trades, because the old methods still exist in this globalisation era. In many countries, such as Indonesia, India, the US, and European countries, people can easily find traditional markets in these countries, which sell foods, souvenirs, clothes, and many more without feeling competitive with online shops. Moreover, some people still prefer to purchase goods at offline markets because they offer interesting experiences, such as bargaining and meeting with new people.
However, there are several significant alterations in buying and selling when new technologies in shopping have emerged. First and foremost, as online shopping is convenient, it has become a preferable option when people do not have time to buy something offline. For a businessman, for example, when he wants to buy a new car, purchasing through the official website of the car is a good way without distracting time on his business. Secondly, from the seller’s perspective, selling goods through online systems is easier and cheaper than the old method. It is because they do not have to provide a certain place to sell their products and pay the rent costs. Therefore, over the last decades, there have been plenty of online shops on the internet, either in the form of an individual website or collective systems such as Alibaba and Amazon.
In conclusion, although online shopping does not affect directly on the trade of offline markets, it has gradually altered people’s behavior in selling and buying, since it offers convenience aspects and is less expensive. In my view, in the future, the popularity of online shops will continue to increase and surpass the offline markets.