|
by Susan Kurth Clot de Broissia
I made my first online purchase in 1997,
at a time when only an estimated 16% of U.S. adult women were
using the Internet1, and only 36% of that group was actually making
purchases online.2
Having just started a job with Netique.com®, an online
gift boutique, I saw first-hand how an e-commerce site was run,
what happened to my credit card information, and how virtual
customer service worked. I became completely comfortable
with the concept of shopping online and made that first purchase.
Two years later, I complete a greater percentage of my purchases
online than at a department store, specialty boutique or through
a catalog.
BENEFITS OF SHOPPING ONLINE
Convenience
As a professional woman who works long
hours, online shopping has been a welcomed convenience.
I can shop at any hour, any day of the week from the comfort
of my home or office.
Shopping online is also ideal for mothers
who would otherwise need to take their young children with them
or wait for someone else to take care of them when they want
to go shopping. With online grocers, drug stores, and clothing
stores, it is now possible to run virtually any errand when it
is convenient for you.
Especially during busy times and holidays,
there is no need to drive all over town to find the perfect gift
for each person on your list. A few Internet companies, like
Netique.com, will even gift wrap, prepare personalized enclosure
cards, and handle all the shipping of your gifts.
Access
The Internet has opened a whole new world
of possibilities for the shopping connoisseur and for people
whose shopping alternatives have previously been restricted due
to geographic location or physical limitations.
Now the person living in a remote hinterland
can discover and purchase treasures that previously were available
only by shopping exclusive boutiques in metropolises such as
New York City.
For those with loved ones overseas, shopping
online offers the opportunity to shop in the foreign country.
When shopping for my in-laws, I purchase gifts through online
businesses located in France. This saves both time
and money because I no longer need to worry about international
shipping costs or delays, nor do I need to deal with customs
issues.
Saving Money and
Great Deals
If you are a bargain hunter, it pays to
start shopping online. Because e-commerce sites generally do
not have the same overhead costs as brick and mortar stores,
the savings are often passed onto the consumer in the form of
lower prices.
Another bonus for online shoppers is that
many e-commerce sites are also trying to build repeat business.
Many offer special benefits for their prior customers, such as
discounts, gift certificates, or other promotions not offered
to the general public.
Product Information
and Comparison
Online shopping allows for quick comparison
shopping. No need to drive all over town to get the best
price. Some sites like www.mysimon.com
offer one-stop comparison shopping for certain categories such
as books or electronics.
Also, descriptive information about products
is available with the click of a mouse. Many sites, such as Amazon.com
and CDNow.com, offer consumers a chance to read and submit customer
reviews of products.
Fewer Mailing Lists
Shop through a mail order catalog just
once and suddenly you are on dozens of other catalog mailing
lists. Why? Because catalog companies sell or share
their mailing lists with each other.
However, online catalogs are more protective
of their customers' information. Because of the notoriety of
spam, any online retailer who does not want to develop a bad
reputation will post a privacy policy that states exactly what
they will do with your personal information. Most
online retailers will never share your personal information with
anyone outside the company.
Faster Ordering
As long as you can type, filling out a
form is one of the fastest ways to place an order. One
thing I absolutely love about shopping online versus catalog
shopping is that I no longer have to spell out my long last name
or repeat my address three times to the customer service representative
who takes my order.
I am thrilled to see that traditional catalog
companies like Coldwater Creek and J. Jill are starting to sell
their products online.
1999: WOMEN HAVE DISCOVERED ONLINE SHOPPING
Unlike in 1997, when female online consumers
like me made up only 30% of online shoppers, today the gap has
narrowed greatly. CommerceNet/Nielsen reports that the
percentage of female consumers has jumped 80% in just nine months
with women as active buyers in all major product categories.
Female consumer buying power has increased over 100% in four
of the five top buying categories (clothing, books, CDs/videos,
computer hardware). The fifth category, travel, saw an
increase of 63%.
If you have not shopped online yet, and
want to learn more, please read Netique's article on Online
Shopping which includes useful resources and information
about security issues.
1. According
to E-Marketer (June 1999)
2. CommerceNet/Nielsen Internet
Demographic Study (April 1999)
Happy shopping!
|
