Should You Shop Online This Holiday Season?
According to most news reports, this year is the busiest year of online shopping ever so far. Even more than that, online mobile shopping is also becoming very popular. So, if you haven’t adopted the trend of online shopping yet, should you consider it this year? Here are some thoughts on whether you should dive in and do your Christmas shopping online this year.
The Pros of Online Christmas Shopping
There are a lot of perks to shopping online. The first perk is price. Many online retailers offer great pricing on their online items because they are able to save money by not having a brick and mortar building. Plus, many online retailers encourage saving money with coupon codes, which you can get by subscribing to their mailing lists or following on social media.
Another huge perk is avoiding the malls this time of year. It can be so crowded and take so much time to shop at the stores, that shopping online can save a lot of time and stress.
The Cons of Online Christmas Shopping
However, there are several drawbacks of online Christmas shopping. The first thing to consider is shipping costs and time. Even though the price may be less, you may have to pay for shipping. Then, you have to consider the shipping time. Many places offer free shipping, but it is slow mail service and may not arrive in time. You could be forced to pay for 2nd day or overnight shipping, which can be very expensive.
Finally, if you need to return the item for any reason, it can be really hard to return the product to online retailers. If you bought it from a store, you just take it back to the shop.
Ways to Save Online This Year
The benefit of shopping online is to save money, so make sure you understand that you can find coupons and discounts online. For example, you can find coupons for Sears online, and save more money compared to shopping in the store. Then, you can combine it with free shipping and still being able to return the item to the store, you’re probably better off.
