By: Addison Strack

Online shopping has been a popular practice for a while, and it became even more widespread during COVID. Many people find it very convenient that you can order almost anything from the comfort of your home.
Online shopping clearly has many advantages, but there are also some disadvantages to go along with it.
One very obvious advantage of online shopping is how easy it is. You have the ability to browse endless amounts of clothing without having to leave your home. This limits your exposure to things like the flu, and allows you to save time by avoiding the struggle of commuting to the store and back.
Online shopping also typically has a better variety of products, due to the fact that there isn’t limited shelf space like there would be in a physical store.
Online shopping also may help you to reduce the amount of impulse buys you have. There will be less pressure from employees showing you different sales and deals, and you may be more likely to purchase only what you had in mind when you began shopping.
A final pro of online shopping is the access to customer reviews. When online shopping you are able to see what other people think of the product you are wanting to buy, and that may help you make your decision on whether or not it is a good purchase.
Although online shopping has multiple benefits, there are also some negative aspects to the practice.
One con is that you can’t try things on. If you are purchasing clothes online, you may have to order multiple sizes to find out which fits best, instead of being able to try them on in the store.
Many stores also charge for shipping depending on what, and how much, you buy. Different stores also have different return policies. Some stores require you to pay to return items, and some you can only return for store credit.
If you have questions about an item, you also aren’t able to talk to an employee right away, like you would be able to in a physical store.
One final con is that you have to wait for delivery. Some items may only take a few days, while others may take up to a couple of weeks. It also isn’t uncommon for a package to be lost or stolen, or to be delivered much later than expected.
Overall, online shopping has many positives and negatives. If you would like to read more about the pros and cons of online shopping, feel free to check out the website below.