Perhaps as important in some ways as the current generation’s advancements in the areas of medicine and technology, is the ability to access a wealth of information with just a few clicks of the keyboard. The Internet is truly an amazing place for us people to find information on just about anything, as well as to perform other tasks such as shopping and buy things online.
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Aside from finding information, the Internet has also become an important tool for many other aspects of our lives. It can be used to keep in contact with friends and family, used for online banking purposes, for paying bills, and of course, for shopping for just about anything imaginable. In fact, online shopping has grown to the point of actually being the preferred source of making purchases of goods and services. So what are the common things that people buy online? Here is a list of the most common things people typically buy online.
1. Electronics Purchases
While purchasing electronics in person is still preferred by some people, many have chosen to shop for their electronics online. Because of the many product reviews available online from customers who have purchased the product you’re interested in buying, the potential buyer has a lot of relevant information about the product to help him make the decision of whether or not to buy. Thanks to the easy return policies and coverage and protection offered on damaged or defective goods, this makes the online purchase a safe bet so that if they are unhappy with their purchase they are not stuck with it.
There are several sites available that sell reliable electronics products online, both in the United States and in other countries. For Australian shoppers, one such reputable site that sells quality electronics is The Good Guys.
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2. Software Sales
Because of how important the computer has become to daily life, it is not surprising that software sales have flourished online and became one of the popular things people buy online. Sales of operating systems software, anti-virus software to protect the computer, and other PC software programs are commonly purchased on the Internet.
3. Entertainment: Music, Television, and Movie Sales
This may be the age of illegal downloads, however, there are still plenty of people who legally purchase their favorite albums, music singles, movies, or television episodes online. Consumers have the ability to purchase a single tune at the iTunes Store, or buy a whole album. There are also many other online shopping venues where new and used CDs, and DVDs can be purchased.
4. The Age of The App
Apps are everywhere, and there is one for almost everything these days. With the extreme use of computers, tablets, and smartphones, there is a host of apps, both free and paid varieties, that can be downloaded. There are apps for everything from recipes, social networks, games, maps, and online banking, just to name a few. Google’s famous apps store, Google Play, allows users access to music, movies, and books on both the Internet and their mobile device.
5. Purchase Airline Tickets and Make Travel Plans Online
The web has transformed the holiday industry. With sites such as Travelocity.com, Expedia.com, and other travel sites, consumers have the ability to use the same tools available to travel agencies. People can leisurely browse through dozens of flight options and prices, and book flights right from their computer. Reservations for hotels, lodges, and rental cars can also be made right from home using one of these travel based websites.
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6. Purchasing Books
Buying books online has become more favorable than purchasing books off bookstore shelves, mainly because people just don’t have a lot of spare time to visit the bookstores. Amazon is a great place to shop for books online, offering a huge selection of both new and used books. Several popular bookstores such as Barnes and Noble also have websites online. This makes it easy to shop for books online, compare prices for the best deal, and have your purchases delivered right to your doorstep.
7. Shop for Clothing
Many people choose to shop for clothing online because they can do so anytime of day or night. Online shopping also offers much more variety that can be found in the local mall. Online clothing shopping is the perfect solution for those who dislike hitting the department stores. Online shopping also allows more room for discounts, as there are now more discount websites, such as Raise, than ever before to choose from in order to save money on your purchases.
8. Shoe Purchases
Shopping for shoes online might be more difficult than shopping for clothing due to the fact that you do not have the option to try the shoes on for fit before purchase. However, with the convenient return policies most online retailers offer, it is usually not a problem because they are willing to exchange or refund the purchase price. Just like with toys, consumers have a much wider selection to choose from than by sticking with local retailers.
9. Buying Toys and Games Online
Purchasing children’s toys and games online is much easier than taking the kids along to the toy store. Many items are also available online that cannot be found in the store. This is also a great way to shop for birthdays and holidays in your spare time, and have the items delivered to your home, saving you time and hassle.
10. Home and Kitchen Products
From furniture and home decor items to kitchen appliances and utensils, many people prefer to shop for home-related products online. Online retailers offer a wide range of options, allowing shoppers to compare prices, read reviews, and find unique or specialized items that may not be readily available in local stores. The convenience of having these purchases delivered directly to their doorstep makes online shopping for home and kitchen products increasingly popular.
Conclusion
Online shopping is truly the shopping trend of the present and future, allowing people to buy things online and increasing shopping selections, offering more deals on the same products from different sellers, and providing a convenient shopping experience anytime, day or night.
Yes, I’d like to say Internet has evolved a lot in the recent past years. We Can get anything from Online Now-a-days. Starting from Necessary commodities to any thing. even we can order delicious Pizza,, Burgers from well Known Sellers:) Thanks !1
Hey yeah, that’s one of my favorite online purchases too, Srikanth…. Pizzas! 🙂
I have purchased books a few times online and recently my sister ordered her new laptop from an online store. Sometimes even things like bed-sheets can be ordered online without any tension about the quality.
Online stores have made really large improvements in these few years.
Nice article Peter 🙂
That reminds me of a book that I’ve purchased 3 years ago from eBay. That was my first online purchase and it was a great deal and good buying experience too. I wonder where did I put that book…. 🙂
Here in India, I would rate buying online recharge/top-up & paying service bill online a bit higher than that of Electronics purchases, as it comes up with more lucrative online offers. However electronics companies have also started attracting more online buyer’s with their lucrative Credit/Debit card offers, most of the people still prefer buying these expensive electronics items offline, after checking them physically.
My thoughts exactly, Raj! Especially when it comes to buying gadgets, I prefer to shop them offline. However, I will still check their prices on online stores just for references.
I too do the same Peter, just bought my HTC One from a nearby store after checking it on many online store. Though I was getting it at a lesser price online, I still preferred to go to the nearby store to buy one of my choice & with full satisfaction.
That’s the advantage with buying gadgets at a real store. We get to hold, feel and test the gadget out on the spot before buying. On the contrary, we can only look at images of the gadget if we buy online and this is kind of risky because the gadget might get broken or damaged when it’s on the way coming to your doorstep by courier. In this case, returning the broken/damaged gadget and ask for a new one or a refund would take more of your time and it’s quite a bit of a hassle. Some items are better off buying from a real store and electronic gadgets are certainly one of them in my humble opinion.
Nice research bro ! i commonly use internet to purchase electronic goods (computer peripherals) ..am glad to see this on the top of the list ..here in India , people don’t shop clothes very much as electronic peripherals …Anyways , thanks for sharing this information .
Regards,
Pramod
I personally don’t buy apparels online either. Even if those websites have return policies if customers are not happy with their orders, I still prefer to buy them on the spot/at a real store as I get to put them on, try some different colors combinations and etc before buying them.
Purchasing online is indeed one of the advantages in this modern age. With the fast-paced of life we have, online shopping is a very convenient way to save time and energy rather than going from mall to mall in search for good deals and products.
Although online shopping is very much convenient and I’m one of the online shoppers as well, I still prefer to go shopping at a real mall sometimes enjoying some quality time with family. Personally, I don’t think searching from mall to mall for good deals and products is a hassle at all. In fact I’m quite enjoying it. I still remember when I purchased my iPad, I went to at least 6 different malls to look for the best deal. 🙂
Haven’t tried it yet but planning to purchase one online real soon especially the ‘xbox one’ .. just hoping. Nice post Peter.
Nhick
Hello Peter,
Really a research made by you, well if talking about me its about your first point i.e. electronics, i made most of my electronic purchases online mostly from ebay whether it is my mobile phone or any other gadget.Anyways great post.
Ajit
I actually discovered purchasing online only a year ago (mean made my first purchase on the web) and since then I only get used to it more! It all started with electronics, but now I think purchasing online is far more convenient than looking for something on local shops – and buy books and clothes on the web too. I suppose that in 5 years time the e-commerce will make no less than half of all sales.
Yeah online shopping is certainly booming. I think a secure payment system plays a part in contributing to this success as well. I wouldn’t buy my first book from eBay if it wasn’t because of PayPal. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Victoria!
Hello Peter,
Really, you have good searched. Now a days everyone wanna buy online. Due to this time saving and no bargaining.Purchasing online is indeed one of the best advantages. online shopping is a very convenient way to save money and you can easy choose anything by the help of internet. so i think online shopping is one of the best way to buy online anything.so i always prefer to online shoping.Thanks for this post.
There are lot of things that people purchase online like electronic items and other accessories. This is my experience that i had when i was working with an e-commerce company
Purchase through the Internet is very entertaining, and my personal experience I have purchased many programs, accessories and some clothes through the internet and I was happy to do so. There are many chances to get what you need with discounts, i did that many times with Amazon.lol