Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the internet using web browser. Whereas traditional shopping is an activity where customers visit different shopping centres in order to purchase different goods.
HISTORY OF ONLINE SHOPPING & TRADITIONAL SHOPPING:
English entrepreneur Michael Aldrich invented online shopping in 1979.During 1980s he designed manufactured sold, maintained many online shopping systems using videotext.
In ancient Greece, the agora served as a market place where merchants kept shop to sell their goods. Market places dating back to the middle Ages expanded as shopping centres such as the New Exchange, opened in 1609 by Robert Cecil in the Strand.
Advantages of online shopping
Convenience
Ease of comparison shopping
Extensive product mix availability
24/7 Availability
Disadvantages of online shopping
Lose the tactile experience
Shipping adds to the cost
Returns can be costly
Waiting
Advantages of traditional shopping
Consumers can test the product
The owner cannot lose money
People without internet can visit stores
Rip-off merchants can be caught
Disadvantages of traditional shopping
Time consuming
All the stores may not have the exact items
Limited time
Differences between Online Shopping and Traditional Shopping
- Online shopping saves time
- Online shopping is quite flexible
- In case of online shopping thousands of different products are available in one website
- There is a high chance of actual product different form perceived product
- Online shopping is transparent
- Traditional shopping doesn’t save time
- Traditional shopping is not that flexible
- In case of traditional shopping it is not possible
- Traditional shopping there is no such risk
- It is not transparent
List Of Online Shopping Applications And Traditional Shopping Centres
Online Shopping
Apps
- Amazon
- Flipkart
- Snapdeal
- Myntra
Traditional Shopping
Centres
- New market
- Gariahat market
- City centre I
- City centre II
Today Internet is not only a networking media, but also as a means of transaction for consumers at global market. Internet usage has grown rapidly over the past years and it has become common means for delivering and trading information, services and goods. Since online shopping is growing tremendously in the current business scenario.