Shopping Malls Vs Online Shopping – Which Is Better?
For many years, a shopping mall was the center of all shopping activity for many people. However, with technology came online shopping, which in many ways, revolutionized the way people shop and do business. Many businesses adopted this new trend by setting up online stores to complement their physical stores. Currently, the decision to visit the local mall or shop online is a matter of personal preference, and the reasons for preferring one mode of shopping to the other vary, depending on who you ask. Below is a brief comparison of these two concepts.
The Similarity between the Shopping mall and an Online Store
The one thing these venues and online stores have in common is the wide variety of products and services that you can find in one place. The concept behind malls is to have an all-under-one roof design, whereby different vendors, retailers, service providers and other businesses can offer their products and services. Therefore, shoppers don’t have to move from one location to another, trying to find a particular brand or business.
Some of the common facilities that you can find in one of these venues include grocery stores, fast food outlets, cinema halls, supermarkets, banks, gaming arcades, electronic stores, and many more. The same concept applies to online shopping, though in a virtual state. Online shopping allows you to conveniently shop from multiple stores, simultaneously. However, online shopping has a slight advantage in that the range of products and services offered are limitless, whereas the shopping mall has to deal with space constraints.
The Advantages of Shopping Malls over Online Stores
Buying your stuff from the shopping mall is ideal, especially when it comes to buying personal effects such as clothing and jewelry. Some items require you to first, try them on, before you can buy. Buying clothes, underwear, jewelry and other personal effects, online, poses various challenges. First, it may not be possible to tell the exact color, size, and texture, among other attributes. When it comes to other items such as watches and jewelry, it may be impossible to verify the authenticity. Even though these attributes may be indicated, and some images of the items posted online, it is only through visiting the shopping mall that you can try out an item, verify the authenticity, and be satisfied before buying.
With the wide range of facilities that are physically available in these malls, you can take your family along to have a treat. You may choose to do an all-inclusive family shopping, grab something to eat in the restaurants, take your children to the video game arcades, watch a movie, visit the beauty salon, pay some bills, among other activities. With online stores, you can just shop.
The Advantages of Online Stores over Shopping Malls
Many people have busy schedules, hence finding the time to go to the mall, whether alone or with their families is impossible. You need considerable energy and time to go shopping. Apart from this, getting stuck up in traffic, having to wade through crowds of people, or having to deal with the hustle and bustle of children running around in the shopping mall is not the ideal shopping experience that some people would like. For this reason, they would rather stay at home and shop online, since it is more convenient. The comfort of your home or office, as well as the considerable time-saving is appealing to many shoppers.
In summary, both concepts seem to have their share of advantages and disadvantages. As such, the decision to shop either online or visit the shopping mall lies with individual circumstances, as well as preference.
