The rising of e-commerce platforms has changed the shopping habits of customers all around the world in recent years. Notably, a wide variety of products that could have been bought online has expanded gradually, from groceries and personal necessities to electronic devices or estate properties, which allows people to shop comfortably. Although there is a remarkable shift in purchasing choices, physical stores still play a significant role in the buying routine of customers because of the unchanged benefits provided. Undoubtedly, there are 3 main features that customer can compare to make their choice on visiting offline or online stores, namely the prices, convenience and interaction with the store.
First and foremost, the price when buying at physical stores is very different from the online stores for many reasons concerning the application of current promotions, comparison of prices among stores, and the additional fee on products. The prices at physical stores are normally fixed and may not change for a long time while the price of online shops regularly changes based on the promotion campaign of the platform, that’s why sometimes product prices on online platforms can be cheaper than in physical stores, but sometimes they can also be higher. Moreover, price comparison is difficult at physical stores because buyers have to move to many places which spending additional costs and time for travel, whereas, online customers can easily compare the prices of an item quickly with just a few mouse clicks. Additionally, physical stores have to pay for a lot of costs such as rental costs, staff costs, and taxes, so prices at these stores are often higher than those online stores because store owners only operate on platforms, they will not have to pay the same costs as other physical stores, but only have to pay for the platform costs that they place their store.
Furthermore, customers can consider the ability of convenience when comparing in-store versus online purchases, namely time-saving, availability, and personal information security. As for online purchases, people can buy anytime, anywhere, even after a late night of work, people can still place an order. From there, it helps them save a significant amount of time, especially for busy people. Meanwhile, shopping at stores is usually for people who have more free time to spend and shop because stores have specific opening and closing times which often coincide with working hours. While online shopping certainly accommodates shoppers’ schedules, delivery delays range from two to seven days, depending on the distances of the online store. Unlike online stores, customers can buy and receive goods immediately when directly purchasing at traditional stores. Moreover, when buying online people must provide personal information, but when purchasing at the store, people are not required to provide personal information. This will help shoppers keep their personal information confidential, and avoid personal information stolen.
Last but not least, another one of the important differences between in-store and online purchases is the interaction of initial product selection, consultation during the purchase process, and support after the purchase. When purchasing in a physical store, customers can speak with the owner or a member of the sales team directly to check the product’s quality, ask questions, and get prompt assistance. Meanwhile, text messaging, email, or online chat are frequently used while making online purchases. As a result, customers won’t be able to immediately view the goods. At the same time, this purchase is based only on references to the volume of items sold on the internet or feedback from prior customers. To put it briefly, this interaction during the purchasing process is crucial since it gives customers a better understanding of the product before they decide to buy it.
To summarize, both online and offline stores has their own advantages and disadvantages considering the prices, the ability of easy purchasing and communication with the staff, which could adapt to the preferences of individuals and the current needs.