why buy goods online essay

13 top reasons why consumers shop online

The 13 Top Reasons Consumers Shop Online

Melissa Boice

March 19, 2021

Amazon Policies , Amazon Seller , Jungle Scout Data Science , News , Product Features , Uncategorized

Online shopping is here to stay — and for good reason. The convenience of tech-enabled shopping has become an essential mainstay in the age of COVID-19.

Ecommerce is continuing to dominate the consumer playing field as spending preferences and comfort levels radically shift with our new normal. And with the many perks of online shopping, it’s no surprise that consumers have turned to screens instead of stores.

In fact, 43% of consumers say they would be fine if they never shopped in a physical store again, and nearly three-quarters of consumers (73%) believe the majority of consumer shopping will happen online in the future.

Jungle Scout surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers to learn about motivations for shopping online and how the financial stressors of the pandemic economy are changing spending habits. Since Q4 of 2020, consumer priorities have centered heavily on how to cut costs — whether that’s favoring a cheaper product, selecting an item with free shipping, or comparing several products for the best deal.

Here are the reasons consumers opt to shop online, ranked by popularity.

The Top Reasons Consumers Prefer to Shop Online

1. Free shipping

The simple luxury of free shipping may be the difference between purchasing online or grabbing an in-store equivalent. From a retailer’s point of view, providing free shipping can also nudge shoppers to buy more and “balance out” the delivery costs. It can also incentivize conversion and avert cart abandonment — a habit of 46% of consumers.

2. Lower prices

Price is one of the strongest factors influencing a consumer’s decision to purchase: when shopping online, 70% of consumers are shopping for less expensive products. Coupled with the fact that more than half of U.S. consumers (56%) say they are living “paycheck to paycheck,” it makes sense that shoppers are looking online to explore the most affordable options.

3. Convenience

In 2021, convenience continues to be the gold standard. 37% of consumers say their online spending has increased over the last three months of 2020 — even while overall spending dropped. Consumers favor shopping online for ease alone. In a few minutes, you can order a product, confirm payment, and see its shipping status from the comfort of your home or in the palm of your hand.

Online Spending Q4 2020 (October through December)

4. Price comparison

Nearly 3 out of 4 consumers are becoming more conscientious of where they spend their money (offline and online). They can whittle down wishlists by assessing the competition and easily navigate from one product page to another to find the best price in a few clicks.

5. More product options

Consumers want to easily compare products by price, reviews, and features and have become more discerning in the product selection process. For almost all product categories, consumers prefer to shop online for greater variety. The only exceptions are essential products like groceries, cleaning products, and over-the-counter medicines and other items like beauty and personal care and alcohol.

6. Discounts

With online shopping, it’s easy for consumers to search for deals, join rewards programs, and get promotions sent right to their inboxes. Shoppers have also turned to tech-forward solutions for more savings; 45% of consumers also use deal-finding browser extensions or plug-ins like Honey, Pricescout, and Amazon Assistant.

7. Search for a certain brand

54% of consumers would describe themselves as brand loyal. So what’s the top reason that consumers buy from a specific brand? Tied for first is consistently lower prices than competitors and superior quality over competitors, followed closely by good customer service.

8. Fast shipping

Consumers want their products delivered as soon as possible . 48% of online shoppers are willing to pay extra money for faster shipping, and 55% of Amazon shoppers would do the same. Amazon has solidified its position as the most reliable retailer in terms of speed: 64% of consumers say when they need to get a product fast, they look for it on Amazon.

9. Safety (avoiding public stores)

Despite decreased COVID-19 cases and strides in vaccine rollouts, more consumers are shopping online to minimize potential exposure by avoiding physical stores. 60 % of consumers have a greater appreciation for Amazon now than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic; 60% of consumers say they are shopping on Amazon more frequently than they did before the pandemic, too.

10. See reviews

Social proof heavily sways consumer decision-making, too. 71% of shoppers are influenced by the product with the best ratings and reviews , and 68% of shoppers are influenced by reviews that contain photos or videos. The act of crowdsourcing opinions gives online retailers a big credibility boost by establishing trust between other consumers and the product.

11. Products only sold online

Some specialty, limited-edition, or branded products are exclusively available online. In that case, online shopping is the only avenue for purchase. Some direct-to-consumer brands like Warby Parker, Casper, and Allbirds built huge businesses entirely online and have since expanded to physical stores.

12. Find new brands

Consumers have turned to online retailers to explore their options. Only 12% of consumers never look for brand names, while 19% of consumers always look for a specific brand . By exploring their product options, shoppers can find new brands and create relationships with them more quickly.

Even with tighter budgets, consumers don’t want to sacrifice on the particulars — and they don’t have to. Whether it’s to cut costs, validate purchases with social proof, or have something delivered (or often all the above), online shopping is advantageous in more ways than one.

Melissa is a writer for Jungle Scout whose experience spans the tech and hospitality industries. Her passions include classical ballet and advocating for the Oxford comma.

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The reasons why consumers shop online instead of in stores

Chart of the Day : Drivers and barriers for online purchase

When I first got involved in digital marketing in the mid-1990s, online shopping via e-commerce was in its infancy. It's hard to believe now, but many consumers were reluctant to buy online, so it was important for retailers to understand the drivers and barriers to online purchase. Then tactics, messaging and incentives could be developed to encourage online purchase.

Today, purchasing online is accepted by many, but if you look across categories of purchase, there are some sectors where there is still reluctance to buy online, so online retailers still need to work on their tactics to encourage online conversion and multichannel tactics to encourage offline purchase in-store.

A new report from KPMG has some of the most detailed research evaluating the consumer psychology of purchase, broken down by different countries, so I'm showcasing some of the main findings here. I hope it will be particularly useful for students studying marketing qualifications who are looking to understand consumer behaviour and motivations.

Reasons consumers shop online

These are main reasons consumers give for online shopping.

You can see that convenience and price comparison are the main drivers. This chart also illustrates the importance of free shipping offers. The 40-page report also considers variation in perception by country and in different generation groups from Baby Boomers to Gen X and Millenials.

The 6Cs of Online Commerce

This research reminded me of a simple mnemonic I developed in one of our books which I think is still covered in many universities and colleges. These are the 6Cs of Online Shopping or Consumer motivation :

Customisation
Convenience
Cost Reduction

Considering these, most are covered, but community is not - this relates to UGC and reviews which are covered elsewhere in the research report.

The reason consumers prefer to shop in-store

It's also useful for retailers to consider the drivers for offline purchases since this suggests how online merchandising techniques like interactive product shots, VR and AR can help with the need to see/touch/try the product.

It also shows the importance of the trust factor and it is still important to reassure the credibility of the supplier and possible provide human-assisted options online.

Research details

Source : KPMG: The truth about online consumers
Sample : 18,430 consumers in 51 different countries aged 15 to 70 who have made at least one online purchase in the past 12 months and are in the top 65% of income earners in country.
Recommended member toolkit : Retail - Ecommerce marketing

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Pros and Cons of Online Shopping

6 Benefits and Drawbacks to Keep in Mind When You Shop Online

Pros of Online Shopping

Cons of online shopping, how to make the most of online shopping, money-saving tips for online shopping, frequently asked questions (faqs).

The Balance / Jiaqi Zhou

Online shopping is more popular today than ever before. U.S. businesses pulled in a record $285.2 billion from retail e-commerce sales in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For comparison, retail e-commerce sales were $69.2 billion in the same period one decade prior.

Due in part to new and growing technology, online shopping has become incredibly easy and convenient. It also offers a greater selection than one storefront, opening the doors to products and services that may not be available at a nearby brick-and-mortar store .

While online shopping comes with several benefits, there are drawbacks to know about, too. Let's dive deeper into the pros and cons of shopping online.

Key Takeaways

Online shopping is convenient and offers a variety of products you may not be able to find at your local stores.
It's easier to comparison shop online, where you can access prices, reviews, and product details with a click.
When you shop online, you need to wait for your product to be delivered to you, and you might spend more than you would if you went to a brick-and-mortar store.
There's also a risk of fraud when you shop online. You can combat this by choosing trusted stores and paying with a card that offers fraud protection.

Convenience

Greater selection

Easy access to information

Can be more expensive

Increases risk of fraud

Leads to longer wait times

Using your computer or another digital device for your shopping needs can be convenient, offer more options, and provide insight you might not find in person at a store.

The greatest benefit of online shopping is its convenience. Through the digital space, you can buy almost anything you want from the comfort of your own home. Since online stores are open 24/7 and accessible from anywhere with internet access, it's easy to fit online shopping into your life no matter how busy you are. You don't have to plan your purchases based on when a brick-and-mortar store is open and available to serve you.

Greater Selection

Because products online live within the digital space, online retailers are not restricted to shelves and often have more inventory on hand with a wider selection of products. Also, online shopping gives you the chance to buy anything from any retailer, no matter where you're located. If you're in the market for a new lamp, for example, you'll have more options available to you than you would if you only shopped at stores in your local area.

Easy Access to Information

When shopping online, you will often find more details about a business's products than you would get in physical stores. Instead of speaking to one or two sales associates in person, you can peruse product descriptions, recommendations of similar products, and reviews from other shoppers online that may help you make a more informed purchasing decision.

Online retailers also tend to have membership options, typically via email or newsletters, that give shoppers early access to sales, seasonal releases , and other events. This way, you can be one of the first to know of offerings from your favorite brands.

Shopping for items online can also have its pitfalls, including hidden price mark-ups, an increased risk of fraud, and the inability to use or wear the item you purchased right away.

Can Be More Expensive

Online purchases can cost you more for several reasons. Even though many major online retailers offer free shipping, they generally require you to meet a minimum to qualify for it. In addition, online retailers may use several strategies to encourage you to buy more items or more expensive items than if you were shopping in person.

Depending on the state you live in, you may be required to pay an internet sales tax , too. In Texas, for example, you may have to pay a tax on out-of-state purchases delivered into Texas or purchases made from online-only sellers.

Many online retailers take part in digital tactics to convince shoppers to make more purchases, often considered impulse buys . Some include using "limited-time" sale pop-ups that reset every time users reload the page, fake customer testimonials, or messages that promote higher-cost items.

Increases Risk of Fraud

Unfortunately, online shopping scams do exist. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), online shopping is among the most common fraud category for consumers. Some scammers pretend to be legitimate online sellers with fake websites or create fake ads on real sites.

Always pay by credit card rather than a debit card, as you can easily report fraud to your credit card company. Also, it is best to avoid online sellers that only accept payment via money transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. Scammers may encourage you to pay through these methods so they can access your money faster.

Leads to Longer Wait Times

When you shop at a brick-and-mortar store, you can generally walk away with the product you bought and use or wear it right away. Online shopping forces you to wait days, weeks, or even longer for your order to arrive. If you're in a time crunch and need a product right away, such as a gift, going to an in-person shop may be a better option for you.

These tips can allow you to enhance your online shopping experience.

Know Which Products to Buy Online

Some items are better to buy online than others because you can find countless consumer reviews, discounts, or other deals pertaining to them. For items you regularly use (such as a laptop, phone charger, luggage, or textbook), the internet may be the best place to compare offers. For things you require to have long-lasting value (like a car) or must get right away (such as groceries), shopping in person may be best.

Additionally, if there's a brand you trust or are familiar with, it may be best to bypass third-party sellers and purchase directly from their website in order to avoid potential counterfeit products or unauthorized resellers.

Read Reviews

Before you check out, read reviews on the retailer's website as well as third-party sites like Google and Facebook. This can help you find out if the retailer is legitimate and whether there may be any potential issues with the product you're about to invest in. Reviews are beneficial for small businesses , too. Ninety-seven percent of consumers read online reviews of local businesses, according to marketing consultancy BrightLocal.

Some companies have more nuanced review options than others. Clothing rental service Nuuly, for example, lets customers add photos of themselves wearing products with written reviews, enabling future customers to make empowered, smart purchasing decisions.

Examine Product Details

If you’re interested in a product, read its description. Make sure you know what it’s made out of, whether it comes with a warranty, what sizes are available, and so on. By doing so, you can avoid unwanted surprises that cost you time, money, and headaches when the product arrives.

There are many ways to save some money while making online purchases. Consider these tips to improve your online shopping experience.

Comparison Shop

If you have a specific product in mind, it's in your best interest to comparison shop, similar to how you would when looking for life insurance. Look at various online stores that offer what you want. Then, compare prices so you can find the best deal.

As you comparison shop, read product descriptions very closely. The FTC recommends looking out for words like "refurbished" or "vintage," as this could mean a product will arrive at your door in less-than-perfect condition.

Follow Online Retailers on Social Media

Online retailers often promote their sales and discounted items on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media channels. If you follow some of your favorite companies on social media, you may be one of the first to see and purchase the latest offers.

Use Money-Saving Apps or Plug-ins

There is no shortage of apps or plug-ins that allow you to save money online without the hassle. Some examples are Honey, Swagbucks, Capital One Shopping, and Rakuten. You can also look for coupon codes online on sites like RetailMeNot.com and Coupons.com.

How do you get your money back from an online purchase?

This process varies by retailer. Some may automatically refund your money when you report a problem with your purchase; others may require you to return the product first. You may not be able to get your money back at all, especially if it's after the retailer's return window. If you're buying something that may not work for you, like clothing, check the retailer's refund policy before you buy.

How has the internet changed shopping?

The internet has completely changed the shopping experience. People have access to products from around the globe. Payments are instant, and recommendations are tailored to your shopping and browsing habits. Brick-and-mortar retailers have had to respond by launching websites and improving their in-person customer experience.

U.S. Census Bureau. " Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales ," Page 1.

U.S. Census Bureau. " Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales 4th Quarter 2013 ," Page 2.

Texas Comptroller's Office. " Taxes: Online Orders - Texas Purchasers and Sellers ."

University of Michigan. " Impulse Buying: Design Practices and Consumer Needs ," Pages 6, 9, and 11.

Federal Trade Commission. " Consumer Sentinel Network ," Page 8.

BrightLocal. " Local Consumer Review Survey ."

Nuuly. " Forget Me Not Mini Dress ."

Federal Trade Commission. " Online Shopping ," See "Comparison Shopping."

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Chart showing: Top Reasons People Shop Online (2024)

Why Do People Shop Online?

There’s no denying that more and more people are shopping online every day. But why do people shop online instead of visiting a brick-and-mortar store, where they can get a feel of the products in person?

Why shop online: top reasons consumers do so


1. Free delivery	50.9%
2. Coupons and discounts	39.5%
3. Customer reviews	32.6%
4. Next-day delivery	31.8%
5. Easy returns policy	31.4%
6. Simple online checkout	30.4%
7. Loyalty points	25.7%
8. Social likes and comments	22.4%
9. Eco-friendly credentials	18.6%
10. Cash on delivery	18.2%

According to the latest statistics , the ease and convenience of online shopping dominate consumers’ list of top reasons to shop online, with around half of their main motivations directly related to these factors.

The top reason consumers prefer to buy items online is the free shipping option offered by ecommerce stores. More than half (50.9%) of consumers list it as one of the main reasons they shop online.

In other words, they would much rather enjoy the ease of having their purchase delivered to them at no cost instead of going out to a store to physically view and inspect the product, purchase it, and obtain it immediately after purchase—even if it means having to wait.

The possibility to pay for the product upon delivery also has a role to play in consumers’ willingness to shop online. In fact, nearly one-fifth (18.2%) of consumers say among their top reasons to shop online is the ability to pay with cash on delivery. So aside from enjoying free delivery services, online shoppers also like the option to make cash payments only when they receive their product. Being able to return their purchases easily is also a motivating factor—31.4% say it’s why they buy things online.

The convenience of getting purchases delivered to them that online shopping offers also extends to its speed. Of internet users’ top reasons to shop online, next-day delivery is one of them. Just under one-third of online shoppers (31.8%) say it’s a motivating factor behind their online purchases. Another factor related to convenience is the easy checkout process, for which 30.4% of consumers list as one of their main reasons to shop online.

Why shop online: factors beyond convenience

Though ease and comfort form the basis for the popularity of online shopping, there are other reasons consumers enjoy it.

For some of them, the ability to save money and earn store points are also their top reasons to shop online. Statistics show that 39.5% of consumers say having coupons and discounts to apply to their online purchases drives them to shop online, while 25.7% do so because they’re able to collect loyalty points.

Others say feedback and commentary from other internet users are reasons to shop online. Around one-third (32.6%) are motivated by customer reviews, while 22.4% are driven by social likes and comments.

Want to learn more?

Top Online Shopping Categories
Top Places to Shop
How Often Do People Shop Online?
Busiest Shopping Days of the Year in 2023

Why do people shop online? A comprehensive framework of consumers’ online shopping intentions and behaviors

February 2022
Information Technology and People ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print)
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Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
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Essay on Online Shopping 1000+ Words

Online shopping has transformed the way we buy goods and services. With the advent of the internet, the world of commerce has shifted to digital platforms, making shopping easier, more convenient, and accessible to millions. In this essay, we will explore the many advantages of online shopping, from its convenience and affordability to its impact on traditional retail stores and its role in our modern lives.

Convenience at Your Fingertips

Online shopping offers unparalleled convenience. Shoppers can browse and buy products from the comfort of their homes, avoiding long queues and crowded stores. This convenience is especially valuable for people with busy schedules or limited mobility.

A Vast Selection of Products

Online stores provide a vast array of products that cater to diverse tastes and needs. Whether you’re searching for clothing, electronics, books, or specialty items, the internet offers an extensive selection with just a few clicks.

Competitive Prices and Discounts

Online retailers often offer competitive prices and frequent discounts. The ability to compare prices from different sellers allows shoppers to find the best deals, saving them money. Additionally, online coupons and promotions further enhance the affordability of online shopping.

Access to Customer Reviews

Before making a purchase, online shoppers can read customer reviews and ratings. This valuable information helps buyers make informed decisions, ensuring they select high-quality products that meet their expectations.

Convenient Payment Options

Online shopping platforms offer a variety of payment options, including credit cards, digital wallets, and online banking. This flexibility makes transactions convenient and secure for shoppers.

Doorstep Delivery

One of the most significant advantages of online shopping is doorstep delivery. Shoppers no longer need to travel to physical stores; instead, their purchases are delivered to their homes, saving time and effort.

Avoiding Impulse Buying

Online shopping can help shoppers avoid impulse buying. In physical stores, tempting displays and in-store promotions can lead to unplanned purchases. Online, buyers have more control over their choices and can stick to their budgets.

Accessibility for All

Online shopping breaks down geographical barriers. People in remote areas or those with limited access to physical stores can now access a wide range of products and services, leveling the playing field for all consumers.

Impact on Traditional Retail

The rise of online shopping has led to changes in the traditional retail landscape. Many brick-and-mortar stores have expanded their online presence to remain competitive. Additionally, some traditional retailers now offer online shopping options to meet the changing preferences of consumers.

Environmental Benefits

Online shopping can have environmental benefits. With fewer people driving to physical stores, there may be a reduction in carbon emissions. Additionally, some online retailers are committed to eco-friendly packaging and sustainable practices.

Conclusion of Essay on Online Shopping

In conclusion, online shopping has revolutionized the way we shop and has become an integral part of our modern lives. Its convenience, affordability, vast selection, and accessibility have made it a preferred choice for millions of consumers worldwide. As technology continues to advance, online shopping will likely become even more accessible and efficient.

While online shopping offers numerous advantages, it’s essential to exercise caution and practice responsible consumerism. Shoppers should be mindful of their budgets, protect their personal information, and support reputable online retailers.

Online shopping is not just a trend; it’s a reflection of our evolving society and the way we adapt to new technologies. As we embrace the convenience and benefits it offers, let us also be conscious consumers who make informed choices, ensuring that online shopping continues to enhance our lives while respecting the principles of responsible shopping and sustainability.

Also Check: The Essay on Essay: All you need to know

Drawbacks and Benefits of Online Shopping Essay

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Introduction

Benefits of online shopping, drawbacks of online shopping.

Online shopping is a form of e-commerce that involves the use of internet-connected computer hardware and credit cards. The user also needs to have a secure password that will enable him or her to access the services. Online shoppers are required to have different passwords for different shopping websites.

The process of online shopping involves opening the site where one prefers shopping, selecting the good or service needed by clicking on the specific item that the shopper wants, and then clicking on the ‘add to basket’ portal. After the item is moved, the buyer then clicks the stop button. Before entering money details, the customer ensures that the website uses ‘https’ and not ‘http’.

Such a browser assures the user that the site is secure in terms of handling money. The user then enters his or her credit or debit card particulars on the site. The site will display some verification characters for the user to enter. These ‘Captcha” details verify that the machine is being operated by a person and not a fraudulent software or robot.

After the buyer has completed entering the required details on the website as prompted, he or she then waits for the goods or services to be delivered to his or her authorised points of delivery. With this hint in mind concerning online shopping, the information given so far is enough to declare the shopping strategy as both risky and advantageous. The study dwells on proving this claim.

One of the benefits of online shopping is that it makes the customer have quick access to items that are identical regardless of where he or she does the shopping for them. For example, one is able to access items such as certain types of clothes, Compact Discs (CDs), books, cookeries, and even electronics. The only major requirements that the buyer should ensure that he or she has are the particulars of the item, which he or she verifies when it is delivered.

Bonsu and Darmody (2008, p. 356) argue that online shopping enables people to save energy that could have been used to travel to the shopping malls or to the markets for certain items. Online shopping is particularly advantageous, when the item that the buyer wants is similar in various shopping points. Such an item does not require the buyer to select a particular item from a variety of closely related or similar items.

For example, if it is a particular book by Shakespeare for instance, the book is not likely to be different in terms of price from one shop to another in a certain market region. With such items, the buyer can comfortably do online shopping. Constaninides (2004, p. 115) reveals that online shopping is also beneficial because it saves time.

Most of the online shopping service providers offer free delivery of services to their customers for goods of a specific value. The buyer is able to save a lot of time, which he or she can spend doing other beneficial activities. The time that shoppers spend in travelling, selecting, packing, and carrying the items is reduced. Therefore, online services such as shopping enhance efficiency.

According to Bonsu and Darmody (2008, p. 356), online shopping is also beneficial to customers in that they can obtain commodities that are not easily accessible due to distance and complexity of specificity. Some items that customers may need are very specific in nature.

Hence, identifying and selecting them physically in the shelves of the supermarket may be tedious. For example, electronic gadgets have specific codes that may easily confuse customers who have no previous experience in them. Choosing the specific item from a variety of others may attract confusion and hence a probable wrong choice of what the client requires.

In some instances, goods or services are not available in the proximity of the customer. In such cases, online customer can search through the websites and identify the item from far since delivery is guaranteed. For example, a customer may want to buy a certain model of a car that is not available in his or her country. Sometimes the buyer may not know where to get a certain item.

However, the buyer can access such goods and services through online advertising that the sellers offer. Online shopping has also enabled sellers to publicise their goods and services. A good example of shopping sites is the OLX where sellers post a picture of the items they want to sell, their description, and price. In addition, online shopping has little or no interference from competitors.

According to Bonsu and Darmody (2008, p. 355), unlike in supermarkets, shopping malls, shops, and hotels where customers line up to be served, online shopping is personal. Customers will use their computers, mobile phones or iPads to access the items that they want to buy. There are no cues and scramble for scarce items as it happens sometimes in shops and supermarkets.

Clients can order for items that they may not be confident to pick in the company of others in the supermarket. Such items include medicine for diseases that are stereotyped such as HIV/AIDs and other STDs. Thus, online shopping guarantees privacy and convenience.

Moreover, online shopping has been very beneficial for the physically challenged. Since these people find it difficult to travel, open fridges and shelves in supermarkets, and/or even to carry their shopping, they prefer using this service. Online shopping service saves them the strenuous activity hence enabling them to shop comfortably just like their normal counterparts.

Although e-commerce has been embraced in many economies of the world, there are several challenges that face its advancement. One of the drawbacks of online shopping is that it is not a very safe and secure transaction. The Secure Test consultancy firm that is based in the United Kingdom conducted a research on the safety of e-commerce.

Out of 100 websites that the consultancy investigated, the company concluded that there were many flaws in terms of handling of customers’ details by various websites. The methods of handling security details of customers were very insecure. Such flaws included mishandling of customer passwords and email addresses.

Mismanagement of the customer’s data is a great loop that online attackers use to hack registered e-commerce sites. Another drawback is lack of compliance with the required standards for the use of credit card by the issuing companies. Credit cards are required to be compliant with the PCI-DSS standards, which are the international standards that should guide the security of credit card services.

However, in a recent survey of credit compliance in the UK, only 14 percent of the 65 companies that were involved had complied with the PCI-DSS standards. Surprisingly, even large website companies such as Littlewoods were found to lag in terms of compliance. Companies such as the New Look are also not compliant. However, they do not keep details of customers’ credit cards and passwords.

In fact, customers should revert to PayPal, which is more secure. Constaninides (2004, p. 111) argue that websites are hacked using SQL injection where fraudsters use the registered websites to perform fraud on online customers. The other drawback is that online shopping websites cannot be trusted. Websites that host most of the shopping sites portals are never screened for authenticity.

Without scrutiny, such companies can be operated by people with ill motives hence injuring innocent customers. For example, Fasthosts Company has fallen to this trap. Last year, this company, which is based in the UK, was ordered to have its customers alter their FTP and all their passwords to their emails due to data breach. If this step were not taken as a quick remedy, many online shoppers would have lost their money.

With the advancement of computer technology, e-commerce has been adopted by many economies in the world today. Online commerce involves the use of internet-enabled computers to carry out shopping on company websites. The buyer pays for the services using credit cards or debit cards with special passwords. There are various advantages and disadvantages of using online shopping.

The benefits include saving time and energy used in shopping, easy access of goods and services that are not available in certain regions, access to goods and services by physically challenged persons, and enhancing efficiency. However, several drawbacks are evident such as insecurity, poor credit card compliance by the providers, and website hosts that cannot be trusted due to poor authenticity.

Finally, from the above discussion, e-commerce has more advantages in relation to disadvantages. Hence, it should be adopted in the world with the necessary input in security.

Bonsu, A & Darmody, A 2008, ‘Co-creating Second Life: Market—Consumer Cooperation in Contemporary Economy’, Journal of Macromarketing, vol. 28 no. 4, pp.355-368.

Constaninides, E 2004, ‘Influencing the Online Consumers Behaviour: the web Experience’, Emerald Research Journal , vol. 14 no. 2, pp.111-126.

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There are tons of online shopping sites where you can buy everything from plane tickets and flat-screen TVs to food, clothes, furniture, office supplies, movies, and lots more. While shopping online is convenient and fun, there are some disadvantages. Know the cons to realize the benefits of shopping at a traditional store.

The Pros of Shopping Online

There are, of course, distinct advantages of online shopping:

Time Convenience

In comparison to a brick-and-mortar store with fixed hours, online shopping venues are available any time, day or night. This is especially useful for parents with small children, anyone who works throughout the day, and during times of inclement weather.

Shopping Apps

Shopping from an app is a convenient luxury. Whether you're homebound or able to visit a store, shopping from your phone is a uniquely awesome experience.

Price Comparisons

When you visit a store, you most likely settle for whatever price the vendor has placed on a particular item. With online shopping, you can compare prices from hundreds of different vendors. Grocery store price comparison apps are a great option if you're not interested in doing this manually.

Discounts and Notifications

Online stores want to keep you as a customer, so they may offer deep discounts, rewards, and cash back if you sign up for their newsletters. This can keep you updated on all the best upcoming sales. Coupon codes—like the ones you can get from coupon code sites —are also extremely popular when shopping online.

Infinite Choice

Shelf space in a physical store is limited, which means the variety of goods is limited. This isn't true with online stores, where choices are abundant. If you don't see what you want at one store online, move on to the next one. As the consumer, you have the power to do that.

No Size Limitation

Another benefit is when the product you want to buy is too big to haul in your vehicle. Buying a boat from an auction site or ordering a tiny home online are just two examples of situations where your car just won't do the job.

Private Shopping

Ordering online is the preferred way to get something discreetly. Nobody has to see what you're filling your cart with, and some places even offer inconspicuous packaging so your delivery person is also none the wiser.

Zero Parking Struggles

Finding a parking spot can be a big reason you don't stop at a store. Especially around the holidays, there's a major benefit of no congestion when shopping online. When it's really busy, you might not even remember where you parked your car !

Home Delivery for the Disabled

Buying oversized items and not having to worry about parking are benefits everyone can take advantage of, but if you're physically disabled to the point that you can't drive or walk through a store, online shopping might be your only solution to ordering food, essential items, and other goods.

Easy Access to Consumer Reviews

It's easy to access consumer reviews for pretty much any product you can think of online, which makes for informed purchases. If you're not sure if you're up to buying something, conduct a little research by checking out customer reviews.

No Pressure Sales

If you don't want to experience awkward approaches by eager salespeople, you don't have to put up with that online. While you could consider pop-up ads a similar experience, they're a bit easier to suppress. Car auction websites are a great example of this.

Fewer Impulse Buys

This one depends on your shopping habits. If you find it easier to buy things you see in passing as you walk through a store's aisles, online shopping could save you money and even help you make healthier choices.

More Payment Methods

Another benefit of online shopping is that you can pay for things differently than you can at a physical store. Some retailers support PayPal, Bitcoin, or zero-interest payment plans, for example.

The Cons of Shopping Online

Here are a few disadvantages of internet shopping that might deter you from making your next purchase online:

No Inspection Ability

Things you order online could be larger or smaller than how they appear in the pictures, or the measurements listed for the product could have been written down incorrectly. And when you buy clothes online, you can't feel the material, see how it fits around your waist, or notice how it's made. Most online stores make it easy to return items for this reason.

Can't Always Talk to Someone Immediately

If you have a question about what you're about to order, or what you just ordered, you can't just walk up to an employee. You might instead have to wait a full day or longer to get your question answered. This situation is improving, however, as many sites have added an instant chat service or automated bot-answering screen to address concerns and answer questions on the spot.

Must Wait for Delivery

Need something no later than this afternoon? Not many online shopping sites have same-day delivery, and none of them offer the on-the-spot, take-home advantage that a physical store does. Some online shopping sites take weeks to deliver your order (though, they're in the minority).

Shipping Problems

You're more likely to have your package arrive broken, wet, melted, etc., or not arrive at all, when you're not the one who picked it up yourself. Even packages that do arrive could sit outside long enough for theft to occur.

Shipping Costs

Depending on what you buy, you could spend the same amount on just shipping costs, or sometimes even more. In-store shopping has no need to charge extra for shipping. Plus, depending on where you live, you might pay a bit more due to special taxes for online shopping.

Privacy and Security

Privacy and security are legitimate concerns for any online shopper. Your payment information could get stolen from the site, or someone who works there could copy your bank details and use them later on their own purchases. It's also hard to immediately recognize whether an online store is real or just there to scam you.

There are precautions you can take when shopping online to make the experience more secure. For example, pay attention to whether the site uses HTTPS , and protect your online accounts with secure, but different , passwords.

Legality Concerns

While this isn't a widespread problem, you could accidentally buy something that's illegal where you live. The product might very well be available from the website you're on, but it could also be illegal to order in your area. It's much easier for a website to offer these kinds of products than a store because websites can be created quickly and hosted all over the world with less oversight or concern for international shoppers.

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Essay on Online Shopping in 100, 200, and 300 Words.

Updated on
Dec 23, 2023

Shopping is something that many people love. It is particularly cherished during festive occasions such as Diwali, Navratri, Christmas or New Year etc. The shopping world has changed and evolved majorly providing us with various options of the same. The convenience of online shopping platforms has now come into play. Those days when individuals have to take on a long journey of shopping are now past us, all thanks to the various online shopping platforms that are now at the tip of our fingers. This is just a brief introduction to how to write an essay on online shopping. Now let’s have a look at the samples of essay on online shopping.

Table of Contents

1 Essay on Online Shopping in 100 words
2 Essay on Online Shopping in 200 words
3 Essay on Online Shopping in 300 words
4 Advantages

Essay on Online Shopping in 100 words

The way of shopping has been revolutionized by online shopping. It has made it possible and convenient to shop virtually from literally anywhere.

The sheer convenience of shopping is one of the biggest advantages of online shopping. For those individuals who are busy and struggle to find time to visit stores, online shopping is a boon.

Payments are easy this way with the variety of options available such as debit card, cash on delivery, etc. However, there are some drawbacks to online shopping as well. One of them is the delivery of the wrong item or a different item than that seen online. So one should be cautious and should make informed decisions.

Essay on Online Shopping in 200 words

In today’s world, as science and technology are progressing, a lot of things have become more convenient for us. One such thing is online shopping. Over the years due to its high demand and convenience, it has become very popular. It involves virtually placing an order on any e-commerce website without the need to go to a physical store. Various items such as shoes, gadgets, household products, and even groceries can be ordered from the comfort of your couch.

Some of the key benefits of online shopping are mentioned below:-

Crowd Avoided:- since online shopping is virtual, going to crowded places is avoided.
Convenience:- we can shop from the convenience of our homes.
Variety in products:- on different platforms, a vast range of products is available.
Variety in payment options:- Debit card, cash on delivery, etc payment options make it all the more convenient.

Although there are many pros of online shopping, there are some drawbacks as well. There have been many instances where wrong or damaged goods got delivered. There can be instances where a product may not match its depiction when delivered in terms of color, etc.

Some websites even scam people and are fraudulent. Hence, it is important to take caution while shopping online.

Essay on Online Shopping in 300 words

During the 1990s, the concept of online shopping came into play and since then, it has grown exponentially. Its principle lies in the ease of browning a wide variety of products on various e-commerce platforms. The e-commerce platforms have played a central role in enabling different businesses to connect with a global audience.

There are various advantages of online shopping, one of them being the ease of online shopping. With virtual stores, you can shop whenever you want and from wherever you want. The limitations of time don’t apply to the online stores. They are accessible 24/7.

Wide Range of Products

When you shop online, you don’t have to limit yourself to only some products. Online shopping opens a portal to a wide range of products to select from.

Saves time and money

When you shop online, you don’t have to go to stores. You can shop from the comfort of your couch. That saves time. And generally, online stores have some kind of offers and discounts going on which saves you money.

Although online shopping has many advantages, there are also certain cons that it carries with it. Some of those cons are mentioned below:-

Shipping issues

There can issues with the shipping such as the product may get damaged during its shipping or it may get delivered to the wrong address.

Return Policies

If the product is different and the customer wants to return it or get a refund, there can be certain policies that prevent the same.

Different item Delivery

There can be instances where the product, when delivered, is different from the one shown in the images online. Returning the same can be a hassle too as it has to be repacked for some resellers.

Hence, when shopping online one should always be cautious and take calculated decisions.

Deepansh Gautam

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Buying things on the Internet (Corrected essay)

Buying things on the Internet, such as books, air tickets and groceries, is becoming more and more popular. Do the advantages of shopping in this way outweigh the disadvantages?

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

----------------------------

Sample essay written by Nguyen Yen

In recent years, there has been a growing trend that people tend to buy things on the Internet. This present both pros and cos, however, in my opinion, its benefits are much more significant than the drawbacks.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend that people tend to buy things on the Internet in online shopping . This present both pros and cos cons , however, in my opinion, its benefits are much more significant than the drawbacks.

The phrase “buy things on the Internet” is already used in the essay topic. Try to shorten it by using a suitable buzzword, such as “online shopping”

Words such as 'people' and 'ideas' have the potential to be vague. So, avoid saying “people tend to” if possible.

The second sentence in the introduction has too many commas. Break it into two simple sentences if necessary.

On the one hand, shopping online online shopping brings to the consumers some disadvatages. Initially, since people are unable to touch or to see the products they want to buy in reality, it is always hard for them to examine the quality of these products. As a result, they might purchase the items with poor quality. In addition to that, as the consumers do not feel happy with the items they had bought online, they tend to abandon these products or dont do not use them at all. This is definitely a watse waste of money. Moreover, buyings thing on the Internet often makes people confused since there are a great number of shops on the Internet. To be specific, the buyers might see the same products in several shops, but the prices for these items can be very different, ranging from reasonable to prohibitedly expensive price . Consequently, they will not know which products they should purchase.

The second sentence is too wordy, due to the fact that the words “ people ”, “ they ”, and “ them ” all have been used despite being unnecessary. Since the main focus here is the products, not the people using them, I suggest rewriting the whole sentence into passive voice .

Avoid using contraction (“ don’t ”) in an academic context.

The ideas and sentence structures being used here are kinda repetitive. Regarding of online shopping, there are many issues that are worth mentioning ( shipment delays, misleading online marketing, annoying advertises, etc)

On the other hand, I am of the opinion that shopping online online shopping brings people a number of benefits. First, shopping online online shopping allows the consumers to browse for products and checking comparing the prices between these online shops. In this way, people can make a better decision to buy what they like after taking prices, sizes and models of the products into consideration. To speak From my experience, I used to buy an elegant dress es at virtual shop s , which was cheaper compared to that of some shops near my houses. Second, buyings things on the Internet helps people save a great deal of time. That is to say, since people nowadays are often so caught up with work and study, shopping online online shopping is a wise choice which doesn’t does not require them to go the the stores. With a click of mouse With just a click , they can buy the things they need and the shippers will deliver their products to the customers as soon as possible. Third, since there is a high demand of buying things online, many people can realize their dream of starting up their own business and achieve success in the long rub run. This can be seen as a positive trend because it creates good job opportunities for the people and thereby help people to improve their income and well-being. This also contributes to boost ing the economy of a nation in general l .

While the second body paragraph is very long (216 words!), its quaility doesn’t appear much better than the first one. Try to write only 70 words, you will definitely see an improvement.

Many idioms are introduced in this paragraph: “a great deal of time”, “in the long run”, “to be caught up”, “to take in consideration”, “with just a click”. However, the attempt to use them isn’t really succesful, due to some spelling mistakes.

The vocabulary is kinda limitted here. However, there are a variety of connectives (“on the one hand”, , “first”, “in this way”, “thereby”, etc).

In conclusion, although buyings things on the Internet exerts some adverse aspects, the advantages can justify these.

Too short and unconvincing. Need to give more emphasis.

Words: 418 words

Overall: 6.5

Task Response: 7

✓ addresses all parts of the task (the essay has answer the required question, and write more than 250 words) ✓ presents a clear position throughout the response ✓ presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to overgeneralise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus

Coherence and Cohesion: 7

✓ logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout ✓ uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use ✓ presents a clear central topic within each paragraph

Lexical Resource: 6

✓ uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task ✓ attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy (the writer uses very few topic-related words. And when they are used, mistakes are presented “shopping online” ) ✓ makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but they do not impede communication

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 6

✓ uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms ✓ makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce communication (lots of the article “the” are missing, so I cannot give a 7 score here)

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This essay is corrected by Anh Tran - Let's Write Something Group .

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Other sample essay

With the advent of technological advancement, 21st century has witnessed a boom in e-commerce. The number of online shopping websites is increasing exponentially. Shopping online has its upsides and downsides but the positives of this technological blessing far outweighs its negatives.

Firstly, online shopping saves one from travel and traffic problems. I live in the outskirts of Karachi and commuting to the city for buying stuff is not an easy task for me. Further, Karachi is an overly-populated city with the worst traffic situation, all this makes it more difficult to travel. This problem is hugely resolved by the e-buying facility. Everything is simply a click away, whether it is groceries, air tickets, clothes or books. Whatever I order is duly received at my doorstep, without my having to embark on long, hectic shopping-trips.

Secondly, buying things on the internet provides you with a wide range of options. Consider yourself in a gigantic super-mart having access to every type of item you can imagine! On the internet there is no physical space limitation, therefore the variety available for a single item is endless. Also, there are countless websites where you can compare product prices, specifications, extra features, deals and a lot more. One such website is Compare.Pk, where you can select an item and compare it with similar items of other brands for specifications and prices. All this not only provides convenience to customers but also exposes them to a very huge market for buying the most appropriate item.

In conclusion, it can be unambiguously agreed upon that the advancement in e-buying has resulted in convenience for buyers. One only has to select and order an item and it arrives at his doorstep. Also, the available options for a single commodity are endless, so that a person can compare and buy the best.

(Written by Narmeen Habib )

Corrected Essay:

With the advent of technological advancement, 21st century has witnessed a boom in e-commerce the number of online shopping websites is increasing exponentially. Shopping online has its upsides and downsides but the positives of this technological blessing far outweighs its negatives . The positive impacts on online shopping undermine its negative sides because the advanced technology can save our time and give more options for purchasing .

The opening paragraph does not contain a clear thesis statement. It is important to tell what you are going to talk about and where you are positioning on the views.

Phrases ‘ a boom in e commerce’ and ‘ is increasing exponentially’ have similar meaning. It is better to keep it in short, but clear sentence.

Firstly, online shopping saves one from travel and traffic problems. Online shopping does not require people to travel . I live in the outskirts of Karachi and commuting to the city for buying stuff is not an easy task for me. Further, Karachi is an overly-populated city with the worst traffic situation, all this makes it more difficult to travel. As living in Karachi, an over-populated city with its congestion problems, many citizens like me have to overcome difficult situation only for buying stuff in the city centre . This problem is hugely resolved by the e-buying facility. Everything is simply a click away, whether it is groceries, air tickets, clothes or books. Whatever I order is duly received at my doorstep, without my having to embark on long, hectic shopping-trips . This platform enables consumers to experience shopping activities in simple ways. Take the biggest e-commerce in the word, eBay which provides wide varieties of products, for example. As a student, I often ordered books, air tickets, and fashion items. Likewise, many housewives in my neighbourhood prefer to purchase groceries through this website. If eBay was never exist before, buyers like us might have to spend longer times taking long trips to get our shopping lists. This example tells about how an effective shopping is advantageous as a time saver.

Firstly is ommited as the topic sentence is not too clear enough to represent the main idea.

The use of ‘I’ in your example does not cover people’ problems in general, so I have changed ‘I’ into ‘ many citizen like me’

Everything is simply a click away needs to be elaborated . Please see the changes.

You only mention groceries, air tickets, clothes or books without giving explanation. If you want to score higher, it is your task to present your ideas in details. I have made some detailed explanations with this.

Secondly, Another benefit is that buying things items on the internet serves unlimited choices provides you with a wide range of options . Consider yourself in a gigantic super-mart having access to every type of item you can imagine! On the internet there is no physical space limitation, therefore the variety available for a single item is endless. Also, there are countless websites where you can compare product prices, specifications, extra features, and deals and a lot more . One such website is Compare.Pk, where you can select an item and compare it with similar items of other brands for specifications and prices. All this not only provides convenience to customers but also exposes them to a very huge market for buying the most appropriate item.

You need to link both main ideas in the first sentence using transitional phrase. But remember, reliance too much on this will score you lower. Use them when necessary .

The word ‘ things’ is a weak lexical resource. It is better to use some alternative vocabs like stuff, items, daily needs , etc.

A wide range of options have been mentioned in the intro, you need to paraphase it. Serves unlimited choices.

You do not need to use exclamation mark. Present your sentence in a smooth way.

Consider yourself in a gigantic super-mart having access to every type of item you can imagine!. This sentence also does not make a sense.

And a lot more is vague. You’d better omit this phrase.

In conclusion, it can be unambiguously agreed upon it is true that the advancement in e-buying has resulted in convenience for buyers. One only has to select and order an item and it arrives at his doorstep. Also, the available options for a single commodity are endless, so that a person can compare and buy the best.

You have to summarise your main points and reiterate your opinion. Some ideas presented are sidetrack.

Your opinion does not state your opinion clearly.

It can be unambiguously agreed upon is counted as 6 words. It is always good to be succinct and keep straight to the point.

Let me give you an example of this: In conclusion, the disadvantages of e-commerce trend are overshadowed by the benefits resulting from modern technology. I am convinced that online shopping is one of great innovations of people doing transaction as it reduces time and provides more options.

Overall: 7.0

· Task Response: 7

✓ addresses all parts of the task (the author wrote 303 words)

✗ presents a clear position throughout the response (the way you present your idea in the intro is too generic)

✓ presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to overgeneralise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus

· Coherence and Cohesion: 6

✓ arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression

✓ uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical

✓ may not always use referencing clearly or appropriately

✗ uses paragraphing, but not always logically ( missing links between intro and conclusion)

Lexical Resource: 7

✓ uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision

✓ uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation

✓ may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 7

✓ uses a variety of complex structures

✓ has produces frequent error-free sentences

✓ has good control of grammar and punctuation but may make a few errors

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This essay is corrected by Eddy Suaib .

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Essay on Shopping

Students are often asked to write an essay on Shopping in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Shopping

What is shopping.

Shopping is an activity where people buy goods or services. It is done in shops, markets, or online. These places have a variety of items like clothes, food, electronics, and more. People can choose what they need or want.

Types of Shopping

There are two main types of shopping: in-store and online. In-store shopping means going to physical shops. Online shopping is done on the internet, using websites or apps. Both types have their own benefits.

Why We Shop

People shop for many reasons. Some shop for basic needs like food and clothes. Others shop for fun or to buy gifts. Shopping can also help people feel good and enjoy their time.

Shopping and Economy

Shopping is important for the economy. When people buy things, it helps businesses grow. This can lead to more jobs and wealth. So, shopping not only satisfies our needs but also helps the economy.

Smart Shopping

250 words essay on shopping.

Shopping is an activity where people buy goods or services. It can be done in different places like shops, malls, or online. People shop for many things like food, clothes, toys, and books. Shopping can be fun and exciting, especially when you find something you really like or need.

There are two main types of shopping: in-store and online. In-store shopping means going to a physical store to buy things. You can touch and see the items before you buy them. Online shopping is when you buy things on the internet. You can shop from home or anywhere with a computer or phone. It’s easy and convenient, but you can’t touch or see the items before buying.

Why do People Shop?

People shop for many reasons. Some shop because they need things like food or clothes. Others shop for fun, to pass time, or to find new things. Shopping can also be a way to relax and enjoy. Some people even shop as a hobby.

In conclusion, shopping is a common activity that people do for different reasons. Whether it’s in-store or online, shopping can be a fun and exciting experience. It’s a way for people to buy what they need or want, and sometimes, it’s just a way to have fun and relax.

500 Words Essay on Shopping

Shopping is a common activity that we all do. It means buying things we need or want. We can shop for food, clothes, toys, books, and many other things. Shopping can be done in many places like stores, markets, and even online. It is an important part of our daily life.

Places for Shopping

There are many places where we can go shopping. Supermarkets are big stores where we can buy many different things like food, clothes, and household items. Smaller stores or shops sell specific things. For example, a toy store sells toys, a book store sells books, and a clothing store sells clothes.

Another place to shop is at a market. Markets can be indoors or outdoors. They often sell fresh food, handmade items, and second-hand goods. Some markets are only open on certain days of the week.

Why Do We Shop?

We shop for many reasons. We need to buy food to eat and clothes to wear. We also shop to buy gifts for others on special occasions like birthdays or holidays. Sometimes, we shop for fun. It can be exciting to buy new things, especially if they are things we have been saving up for.

Responsible Shopping

Even though shopping can be fun, it’s important to be responsible. This means we should only buy things we need or can afford. We should also think about the environment. For example, we can bring our own bags to the store instead of using plastic bags. We can also choose to buy things that are made in a way that is good for the environment.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

What Really Makes Customers Buy a Product

Hugh N. Wilson,
Emma K. Macdonald,
Shane Baxendale

It can be more important than word of mouth.

On a cold English autumn evening recently, we three found ourselves together in the bar of our business school, Cranfield School of Management , along with some clients. Emma, an Australian by upbringing, did something entirely unexpected: she ordered the quintessential summer drink of Wimbledon, a Pimm’s . She didn’t say this was a good idea, or praise Cranfield’s Pimm’s, she just ordered it. Most of the group instantly followed her.

Hugh N. Wilson is a professor at Cranfield School of Management and the director of the Cranfield Customer Management Forum.
Emma K. Macdonald is an associate professor at Cranfield University’s School of Management in the UK, the research director of the Cranfield Customer Management Forum, and an adjunct fellow of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute at the University of South Australia.
SB Shane Baxendale is a doctoral student at the Cranfield School of Management in England and a statistician at MESH, a market research consultancy, based in London

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Ielts essay # 1178 - buying things on the internet is becoming more and more popular, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, buying things on the internet, such as books, air tickets and groceries, is becoming more and more popular., do the advantages of shopping in this way outweigh the disadvantages.

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Get your favorite articles delivered right to your inbox, 10 reasons buying local is great for you and the planet, by lori starling.

Help keep One Green Planet free and independent! Together we can ensure our platform remains a hub for empowering ideas committed to fighting for a sustainable, healthy, and compassionate world. Please support us in keeping our mission strong.

Are you tired of shopping in a crowded Walmart where everyone is literally rushed, the produce is shipped in from who knows where, and natural, cruelty-free products are few and far between? If so, then give shopping locally a shot!

Finding out where your local service and food businesses and farmers’ markets are located in your area is only a click away online. If you are not enirely sure why buying locally is important, please check out this handy list. Does your family not understand why you only want to buy your food from farmers’ markets or buy homemade soap from your neighbors? This list would be for them too.

1. Fresher food is available at your local market.

A lot of the time, the food at the farmers’ market comes directly from that specific farmer and was picked within the week! Talk about your food being super fresh compared to the store-bought food, where who knows how long the transportation time was from the farm to the store (and it probably had a stop or two in between). There is only one way to get your produce fresher than the farmers’ market: by driving to a local farm that offers a pick-your-own program! Picking your own strawberries, peaches, blueberries, and more is a great way to become more grounded in the earth and get connected with your food!

2. There is way less packaging involved.

According to scientists, in 2010, around eight million tons of plastic trash ended up in the ocean. What is even worse is that the number is expected to increase tenfold over the next decade! Plastic is a global issue, and it can be easily combatted by choosing reusable over plastic. If you choose to buy locally, most of the items being sold have limited packaging. Bring your own reusable bags, and you should be good! Even better, choose to shop local, ditch plastic, and join One Green Planet’s #CrushPlastic movement.

3. Buying local helps the local economy.

When you buy local, it stays local. More jobs will be created in your town, the community will prosper, and people will be more connected than ever to their own town. Your money helps businesses local to you, as well as your neighbors, hence reason number four.

4. Buying local helps Support your neighbors.

Whether you are buying a product from the farmers’ market or using a local service business, you are not only supporting the local economy but also supporting your neighbors. The farmer down the road, the mechanic that owns the local automotive repair shop, or the woman that sells her homemade skincare and bath products, appreciate their customers so much more. Why? Not only do they get to meet you, a person who uses their products face to face, but your Support helps them and their businesses survive. You help feed their families, pay their bills, and put a roof over their family’s heads. It is a huge deal to buy locally for this reason alone.

5. You know where your food comes from if you buy it at the market.

This is often something that not enough people consider. How is your food produced? What types of pesticides or herbicides are being used on your produce? Does the farmer use any form of permaculture? Does that natural body butter contain ingredients that use palm oil? This reason only really applies to farmers’ markets, but you and everyone else have the right to know where the food is coming from. This connects you to your food and allows you to make healthier choices for yourself.

6. Buying local is actually better for the planet.

Not only does shopping or buying locally from the farmers’ market or other local markets reduce waste from packaging, but it also reduces the use of fossil fuels. Food miles not only consume energy but they contribute to poor air quality, and you will be served older food, which could have effects on your health.

7. The experience is way more fun.

Going to the grocery store would not seem like the most ideal place to have a good time. At least, I don’t think so. When you go to the farmers’ market or local indoor natural market, a lot of times you will see smiling faces, hear live music, eat awesome food, and get locally-grown, fresh food for a steal. There are also some farms, known as “pick-your-own,” where you can actually pick your own food at the farm (such as strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins, etc.). This is especially fun when you have young kids.

8. You get to meet your farmers.

If you get to know the farmers that are producing your food and products, you not only know exactly how they are produced or grown, but you can sometimes get the hook-up. Have you ever heard of a CSA program , (community-supported agriculture program)? If not, it is definitely something to look into in your area. It is a way to directly Support your local farmers, get a weekly fresh batch of produce and goodies, eat seasonally, and sometimes even be able to pick the food in your weekly order. CSAs are not only good for the planet and the local farmers, but they are healthier for you. Often, a CSA is cheaper in the long run as well.

9. It can help you save money.

A lot of the time, buying local, organic produce from a local farmer (whether it is in a CSA program, at the farmers’ market, or organic food co-op), it is cheaper than buying it in a conventional grocery store. In conventional grocery stores, sometimes it will say that the produce is “organic” and “local,” but if you take the time to look further into where it actually comes from, there are still chemicals on the produce to preserve its look, (so it can travel more distance and remain looking fresh), and some hike up prices because of the label. Sometimes, when it says “local,” it can actually be grown from around 100-200 miles away from the store it is being sold in.

10. Buying local gives you the opportunity to buy in bulk.

This is not just referring to buying produce but also to bath products. As stated in reason number two, to shop local, there is less packaging, hence making it easier to add more to what you are buying. Personally, at one of the farmers’ markets I attend, the woman that runs the natural body care company that I purchase my bath items from uses all recyclable and refillable containers for her products in the first place. This makes it so much easier for me to just bring back the empty container to get it refilled. Also, buying in bulk often times saves money. Now, who doesn’t like that?

No matter if it is your local service business or your local food market, give shopping locally a chance. If you do, you will not only experience fresher food and kinder service, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are helping your neighbors and the planet.

Image source: Caroline Culler /Wikipedia Commons

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Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your own food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!

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Buying College Essays Is Now Easier Than Ever. But Buyer Beware

Tovia Smith

Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market for essays that students can buy and turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it. Angela Hsieh/NPR hide caption

Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market for essays that students can buy and turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it.

As the recent college admissions scandal is shedding light on how parents are cheating and bribing their children's way into college, schools are also focusing on how some students may be cheating their way through college. Concern is growing about a burgeoning online market that makes it easier than ever for students to buy essays written by others to turn in as their own work. And schools are trying new tools to catch it.

It's not hard to understand the temptation for students. The pressure is enormous, the stakes are high and, for some, writing at a college level is a huge leap.

"We didn't really have a format to follow, so I was kind of lost on what to do," says one college freshman, who struggled recently with an English assignment. One night, when she was feeling particularly overwhelmed, she tweeted her frustration.

"It was like, 'Someone, please help me write my essay!' " she recalls. She ended her tweet with a crying emoji. Within a few minutes, she had a half-dozen offers of help.

"I can write it for you," they tweeted back. "Send us the prompt!"

The student, who asked that her name not be used for fear of repercussions at school, chose one that asked for $10 per page, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"For me, it was just that the work was piling up," she explains. "As soon as I finish some big assignment, I get assigned more things, more homework for math, more homework for English. Some papers have to be six or 10 pages long. ... And even though I do my best to manage, the deadlines come closer and closer, and it's just ... the pressure."

In the cat-and-mouse game of academic cheating, students these days know that if they plagiarize, they're likely to get caught by computer programs that automatically compare essays against a massive database of other writings. So now, buying an original essay can seem like a good workaround.

"Technically, I don't think it's cheating," the student says. "Because you're paying someone to write an essay, which they don't plagiarize, and they write everything on their own."

Her logic, of course, ignores the question of whether she's plagiarizing. When pressed, she begins to stammer.

"That's just a difficult question to answer," she says. "I don't know how to feel about that. It's kind of like a gray area. It's maybe on the edge, kind of?"

Besides she adds, she probably won't use all of it.

Other students justify essay buying as the only way to keep up. They figure that everyone is doing it one way or another — whether they're purchasing help online or getting it from family or friends.

"Oh yeah, collaboration at its finest," cracks Boston University freshman Grace Saathoff. While she says she would never do it herself, she's not really fazed by others doing it. She agrees with her friends that it has pretty much become socially acceptable.

"I have a friend who writes essays and sells them," says Danielle Delafuente, another Boston University freshman. "And my other friend buys them. He's just like, 'I can't handle it. I have five papers at once. I need her to do two of them, and I'll do the other three.' It's a time management thing."

The war on contract cheating

"It breaks my heart that this is where we're at," sighs Ashley Finley, senior adviser to the president for the Association of American Colleges and Universities. She says campuses are abuzz about how to curb the rise in what they call contract cheating. Obviously, students buying essays is not new, but Finley says that what used to be mostly limited to small-scale side hustles has mushroomed on the internet to become a global industry of so-called essay mills. Hard numbers are difficult to come by, but research suggests that up to 16 percent of students have paid someone to do their work and that the number is rising.

"Definitely, this is really getting more and more serious," Finley says. "It's part of the brave new world for sure."

The essay mills market aggressively online, with slickly produced videos inviting students to "Get instant help with your assignment" and imploring them: "Don't lag behind," "Join the majority" and "Don't worry, be happy."

"They're very crafty," says Tricia Bertram Gallant, director of the Academic Integrity Office at the University of California in San Diego and a board member of the International Center for Academic Integrity.

The companies are equally brazen offline — leafleting on campuses, posting flyers in toilet stalls and flying banners over Florida beaches during spring break. Companies have also been known to bait students with emails that look like they're from official college help centers. And they pay social media influencers to sing the praises of their services, and they post testimonials from people they say are happy customers.

"I hired a service to write my paper and I got a 90 on it!" gloats one. "Save your time, and have extra time to party!" advises another.

"It's very much a seduction," says Bertram Gallant. "So you can maybe see why students could get drawn into the contract cheating world."

YouTube has been cracking down on essay mills; it says it has pulled thousands of videos that violate its policies against promoting dishonest behavior.

But new videos constantly pop up, and their hard sell flies in the face of their small-print warnings that their essays should be used only as a guide, not a final product.

Several essay mills declined or didn't respond to requests to be interviewed by NPR. But one answered questions by email and offered up one of its writers to explain her role in the company, called EduBirdie.

"Yes, just like the little birdie that's there to help you in your education," explains April Short, a former grade school teacher from Australia who's now based in Philadelphia. She has been writing for a year and a half for the company, which bills itself as a "professional essay writing service for students who can't even."

Some students just want some "foundational research" to get started or a little "polish" to finish up, Short says. But the idea that many others may be taking a paper written completely by her and turning it in as their own doesn't keep her up at night.

"These kids are so time poor," she says, and they're "missing out on opportunities of travel and internships because they're studying and writing papers." Relieving students of some of that burden, she figures, allows them to become more "well-rounded."

"I don't necessarily think that being able to create an essay is going to be a defining factor in a very long career, so it's not something that bothers me," says Short. Indeed, she thinks students who hire writers are demonstrating resourcefulness and creativity. "I actually applaud students that look for options to get the job done and get it done well," she says.

"This just shows you the extent of our ability to rationalize all kinds of bad things we do," sighs Dan Ariely, professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University. The rise in contract cheating is especially worrisome, he says, because when it comes to dishonest behavior, more begets more. As he puts it, it's not just about "a few bad apples."

Felicity Huffman And 12 Other Parents To Plead Guilty In College Cheating Scandal

"Instead, what we have is a lot ... of blemished apples, and we take our cues for our behavior from the social world around us," he says. "We know officially what is right and what's wrong. But really what's driving our behavior is what we see others around us doing" or, Ariely adds, what we perceive them to be doing. So even the proliferation of advertising for essays mills can have a pernicious effect, he says, by fueling the perception that "everyone's doing it."

A few nations have recently proposed or passed laws outlawing essay mills, and more than a dozen U.S. states have laws on the books against them. But prosecuting essay mills, which are often based overseas in Pakistan, Kenya and Ukraine, for example, is complicated. And most educators are loath to criminalize students' behavior.

"Yes, they're serious mistakes. They're egregious mistakes," says Cath Ellis, an associate dean and integrity officer at the University of New South Wales, where students were among the hundreds alleged to have bought essays in a massive scandal in Australia in 2014.

"But we're educational institutions," she adds. "We've got to give students the opportunity to learn from these mistakes. That's our responsibility. And that's better in our hands than in the hands of the police and the courts."

Staying one step ahead

In the war on contract cheating, some schools see new technology as their best weapon and their best shot to stay one step ahead of unscrupulous students. The company that makes the Turnitin plagiarism detection software has just upped its game with a new program called Authorship Investigate.

The software first inspects a document's metadata, like when it was created, by whom it was created and how many times it was reopened and re-edited. Turnitin's vice president for product management, Bill Loller, says sometimes it's as simple as looking at the document's name. Essay mills typically name their documents something like "Order Number 123," and students have been known to actually submit it that way. "You would be amazed at how frequently that happens," says Loller.

Using cutting-edge linguistic forensics, the software also evaluates the level of writing and its style.

"Think of it as a writing fingerprint," Loller says. The software looks at hundreds of telltale characteristics of an essay, like whether the author double spaces after a period or writes with Oxford commas or semicolons. It all gets instantly compared against a student's other work, and, Loller says, suspicions can be confirmed — or alleviated — in minutes.

"At the end of the day, you get to a really good determination on whether the student wrote what they submitted or not," he says, "and you get it really quickly."

Coventry University in the U.K. has been testing out a beta version of the software, and Irene Glendinning, the school's academic manager for student experience, agrees that the software has the potential to give schools a leg up on cheating students. After the software is officially adopted, "we'll see a spike in the number of cases we find, and we'll have a very hard few years," she says. "But then the message will get through to students that we've got the tools now to find these things out." Then, Glendinning hopes, students might consider contract cheating to be as risky as plagiarizing.

In the meantime, schools are trying to spread the word that buying essays is risky in other ways as well.

Professor Ariely says that when he posed as a student and ordered papers from several companies, much of it was "gibberish" and about a third of it was actually plagiarized.

Even worse, when he complained to the company and demanded his money back, they resorted to blackmail. Still believing him to be a student, the company threatened to tell his school he was cheating. Others say companies have also attempted to shake down students for more money, threatening to rat them out if they didn't pay up.

The lesson, Ariely says, is "buyer beware."

But ultimately, experts say, many desperate students may not be deterred by the risks — whether from shady businesses or from new technology.

Bertram Gallant, of UC San Diego, says the right way to dissuade students from buying essays is to remind them why it's wrong.

"If we engage in a technological arms race with the students, we won't win," she says. "What are we going to do when Google glasses start to look like regular glasses and a student wears them into an exam? Are we going to tell them they can't wear their glasses because we're afraid they might be sending the exam out to someone else who is sending them back the answers?"

The solution, Bertram Gallant says, has to be about "creating a culture where integrity and ethics matter" and where education is valued more than grades. Only then will students believe that cheating on essays is only cheating themselves.

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Task 2 Sample Answer- Shopping

In most developed countries shopping is not only about buying the goods you need, it is also perceived as entertainment. Is it a positive or negative development? Give your own opinion and examples based on your experience.

In many developed nations, consumerism is not only about buying the everyday things we need to survive but is also seen as a form of entertainment. This essay will argue that this is a very negative development because of the detrimental effect marketing and advertising has on people and the fact that it is a very unproductive hobby.

The main reason people buy luxury items is because of the influence multinationals’ marketing campaigns have on them. We are constantly bombarded with messages telling us that if we buy a certain product we will be happier, more beautiful or more complete. In many ways, these companies trick us into buying their products, when all we need to be happy are much simpler items. For example, fashion chains like Chanel and Prada tell people that they are only good enough if they wear nice clothes and use glamorous models to make people feel unsatisfied with their appearance.

Shopping for goods you don’t really need is also not the most productive thing you can do with your time. Not only is it a huge waste of money; it does nothing to develop a person either physically or intellectually. If we compare this activity with other popular pastimes like sport, reading or even watching movies, we can see how unfulfilling shopping really is. For instance, most of my friends who spend their weekends shopping have nothing else to talk about, other than their purchases, whereas my friends who use their time more wisely are often much more interesting to talk to.

In conclusion, people should only shop for the necessities and not for pleasure because they are being manipulated by transnational companies and there are also much more constructive ways for people to spend their free time.

For more information on IELTS Writing Task 2, please check out our Task 2 page .

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Online shopping is a form of e-commerce that involves the use of internet-connected computer hardware and credit cards.
We're all shopping more online as consumer behaviour shifts
The survey found a 15-30% overall growth in consumers who made purchases online across a broad range of product categories. Many of the categories see a double-digit percentage growth in online shopping intent, led by over-the-counter medicines, groceries, household supplies and personal care products. And McKinsey noted that "consumer intent ...
20 Pros and Cons of Shopping Online
You should know the pros and cons of online shopping if you like to buy things online. More people than ever before are shopping online... should you?
Essay on Online Shopping in 100, 200, and 300 Words.
The way of shopping has been revolutionized by online shopping. Learn more by reading the sample essay on online shopping.
Buying things on the Internet (Corrected essay)
The phrase "buy things on the Internet" is already used in the essay topic. Try to shorten it by using a suitable buzzword, such as "online shopping". Words such as 'people' and 'ideas' have the potential to be vague. So, avoid saying "people tend to" if possible. The second sentence in the introduction has too many commas.
Essay on Shopping
What is Shopping? Shopping is an activity where people buy goods or services. It is done in shops, markets, or online. These places have a variety of items like clothes, food, electronics, and more. People can choose what they need or want.
What Really Makes Customers Buy a Product
What Really Makes Customers Buy a Product. On a cold English autumn evening recently, we three found ourselves together in the bar of our business school, Cranfield School of Management, along ...
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping
Advantages of Online Shopping. Incredible convenience: In comparison to a brick and mortar store with fixed hours, online shoppers can choose any time of the day or night to get on the Web and shop. This is especially useful for moms with small children, people that are home-bound, or simply in times of inclement weather.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Buying things on the Internet (Corrected essay)
The phrase "buy things on the Internet" is already used in the essay topic. Try to shorten it by using a suitable buzzword, such as "online shopping". Words such as 'people' and 'ideas' have the potential to be vague. So, avoid saying "people tend to" if possible. The second sentence in the introduction has too many commas.
IELTS Essay # 1178
Sample Answer 3: [View: Online Shopping trend has more benefits] Online shopping has become increasingly popular in recent years, and it has changed the way we shop or sell a product. This essay will argue that the benefits of purchasing goods on the Internet outweigh any potential drawbacks.
How to answer the question: Why should I buy your product?
When your prospect says "Why should I buy from you?" there are many good reasons besides "we are the cheapest." Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc.
10 Reasons Buying Local is Great for You and the Planet
3. Buying local helps the local economy. When you buy local, it stays local. More jobs will be created in your town, the community will prosper, and people will be more connected than ever to ...
Buying College Essays Is Now Easier Than Ever. But Buyer Beware
What was once limited to small-scale side hustles has mushroomed into so-called essay mills on the Internet, becoming a global industry.
Task 2 Sample Answer- Shopping
In most developed countries shopping is not only about buying the goods you need, it is also perceived as entertainment. Is it a positive or negative development? Give your own opinion and examples based on your experience. In many developed nations, consumerism is not only about buying the everyday things we need to survive but […]