Pro:
Online shopping can be beneficial in many different ways to your day to day life. Many people can’t go days without ordering online. Online shopping can help people who are often disabled, have social anxiety, or even just don’t have the free time to go to the store.
“I love to shop online,” said Yahaira Montalvan. “Shopping online can help me accessorize and feel better about my appearance at school and work.” Feeling good and looking better will make me feel more determined to do my work as a student.”
One big pro of online shopping would be the variety of websites you can find that can differentiate to everyone’s styles rather than settling for what you find at your local stores. Anyone can go to Google or any search engine and search for whatever they’re looking for and have easier access to their niche.
“Online shopping has helped me express my interests,” said Baileigh Morgan, “I personally like to shop on Nordstrom so I can find brands that aren’t usually sold at retail stores in the area like Marc Jacobs and other higher end brands.”
Another pro to online shopping is often finding items cheaper online rather than in the store, which is inclusive to people who make less money than others but are still looking to afford nice things. Anyone can go onto Amazon and price match the item they’re looking for and compare the two prices.
“Most of my tech comes from Amazon,” said senior Kailyn Gore. “When I bought my airpods from Amazon I paid 50$ less than the price at the BestBuy store.”
Another one of the main pros of online shopping is home delivery because it offers time saving and comfort. If you order online, most people commonly pick the home delivery option instead of pick-up in store. Home delivery is good for people who are busy, elderly, or live far from stores.
“My grandmother is disabled,” said junior Layla Thomas, “She places mobile orders and Amazon deliveries for her basic hygiene needs and gifts for us.”
Cons:
Although online shopping can be highly beneficial, it can also be harmful. While online shopping offers easier convenience, it does have its downsides. Many people find it easier to shop online due to not having to leave home but the ease of clicking ‘add to cart’ has a range of potential problems that can turn into a more frustrating experience than enjoyable and easy.
“A con of online shopping is that I won’t know my right size,” said sophomore Colby Cordell, “Not every brand fits me the same so it’s more difficult to ensure that it will really fit me rather than going in store and trying it on.”
A big con that is seen in online shopping is sizing. When you shop online, you are unable to try on clothes or shoes before buying them. Sizing can vary a lot between different brands and countries. Sizing charts and product photos don’t always show how an item will actually fit or feel, and can sometimes be completely false.
“One downside of online shopping is the fact you have to pay for shipping,” said sophomore Aniyah Gause, “It also can take way too long to come in sometimes, making you wait longer.”
Paying for shipping is one of the main drawbacks of online shopping because it adds a whole extra cost to your purchase. Even if the item you are purchasing is on the cheaper side, shipping fees can make it even more expensive than if you were going to buy it in store. Many websites only add the cost of shipping only at checkout, which can be frustrating. Sometimes, if the customer doesn’t like the product and wishes to send it back, they could also have to pay an extra shipping fee.
“A negative of online shopping is that you never know what it’s going to look like in person,” said junior Irenee Espiricueta, “You really have to dig deep to find out if it’s actually a high-quality product or not.”
Not knowing what the product looks or feels like is a con because it creates uncertainty for the buyer. If you can’t tell if a product is high-quality or not, there’s a high chance that you could be wasting money on something that doesn’t meet your expectations. This can lead to frustration and extra effort to return or replace the product.
“Online shopping is a scam because it seems cheap and easy at first,” said sophomore Osdalia DeLeonVelasque., “ It tricks people into buying things they don’t need with fake pictures and reviews.”
