The growth of e-commerce has been exponential in recent years – particularly in the tech sector which has been utterly transformed by online sales. However, while most of us are now all relatively au fait with shopping online, there are some particularly sound reasons why buying our gadgets, devices and e-readers over the internet makes considerable sense.
Online store vs real-world shop
If you’re debating whether to buy your next e-reader in a physical store or from a web retailer, below are some convincing reasons why the online option could be better.
Online often means better value: The web has revolutionized how we shop and given retailers the world over the chance to reach out to local, national and international markets. If you have a particular e-reader model in mind, try doing an online search before committing to a sale from just one supplier. You’ll likely find lower prices or a better deal from a range of online retailers – especially compared to off-line prices which are usually higher due to the increased overhead suppliers incur through staff, premises, stock, and so on.
Online means more choice: Linked to the above, online retailers will almost always have greater access to different products and models. Indeed, in many cases, the retailer might not even hold the stock offline and rather act as an intermediary between you and the original manufacturer. This retail model increases the number of products they can stock virtually – while also increasing the amount of choice you’ll have.
Buying online avoids the hassle of visiting multiple stores: While it’s true some people enjoy visiting physical stores and handling goods (particularly perishable food or clothing), when it comes to tablets and e-readers, we’re all pretty familiar with the overall shape and physical dimensions of most products. In most cases, it’ll be the spec or size that’s the swaying factor in which particular product you choose – and these specifics are almost always displayed next to the product shots online anyway. Also, if you want further details on an item, try searching YouTube (the world’s second-largest search engine) – you’ll almost always find someone’s already uploaded content about your device. One small caveat to the convenience of having products delivered rather than visiting stores physically – you should ensure the supplier uses reliable shipping services, like those offered by firms like Shiply US.
No sales pressure from pushy staff: In the modern, offline retail landscape, employees are more often than not working on a part or full commission basis – meaning it’s very much in their interest to nail a sale. If, like most of us, you hate being pestered by pushy sales staff, online offers a far more relaxed buying experience, without being badgered to purchase. Moreover, there’s no long sales queue to endure once you finally decide which e-reader you’re going to buy and your purchase will be automatically logged in their sales system, meaning you’ll already have all the documentation you need in case of returns or exchanges.
Markus lives in San Francisco, California and is the video game and audio expert on Good e-Reader! He has a huge interest in new e-readers and tablets, and gaming.
