Web Shoppers Avoid Crowds Online

 Amelia Gonzales, staff writer

 

Here we are again, facing the long lines, heavy traffic, crowded stores and cold weather.

Yes, it’s that time of year. Just after so many have found themselves out of debt , we are placed right back in debt by the holiday shopping season.

As a child, one of the most memorable moments about Christmas was shopping for items for those who I love. Every year, I put a lot of thought and consideration into what I wanted to give each person. Ten years ago, I did not have an option for how to conduct my shopping. It was just the act of doing it.

Then, of course, online shopping came storming in like a fierce winter storm. The amount of sales conducted online increases each year. Many retail stores have found that this new way of shopping is one of their greatest threats, being that sales over the Internet have shown no decline in revenue. Many enterprises have found themselves searching for new marketing strategies.

 Online shopping, like traditional shopping has its pros and cons. One of the main reasons many choose online shopping over traditional shopping is for the convenience of not having to step a foot out the door. This is a definite plus for those who do not have the means of transportation or lack of mobility.

Knowing what a person wants and a minimal amount of knowledge of how to conduct business can save a person a great deal of time and energy. Online shopping keeps those who are incapable of remaining calm away from those who can. This new era makes it possible to shop for items that are impossible to get locally or even nationally. The availability is virtually limitless, and, unlike retail stores, online shopping can be conducted any day and at any time.  It can create a sense of comfort and calmness for such hectic decisions.

Still, like everything else that is created for the better comes obstacles as well. Shopping online is even easier for thieves to steal right under your own nose. The computer world sees theft through the act of hacking. Hackers can get personal information anywhere, from your name, to your social security number, to information that can lead to the destruction of your identity. There also is the inconvenience of items not fitting, a product not working, or just having a change of mind.

Online shopping is just that. It is created to shop, not to return. It is harder to get credit or money back on something that is bought online.

Then there are the drawbacks of traditional shopping. Like shopping online, shopping in stores can be a hassle for returning. There also is the limited amount of popular items that hit shelves and are gone just as fast as they are put on. Many people have to wait until after Christmas Day to get what they wanted. Then, behind every great sale there are the people who think everyone should cater to them first, since they have the idea that their money is greener than others. There are the oversized baby buggies in the hard-to-get-around stores, and the kids who want everything and will not shut up until they get it.

Still, no matter amount of hassle created with Christmas shopping the whole concept of it seems to have been forgotten. I have never found that all these annoying aspects of shopping will keep me at home on a computer. I would rather surround myself with something traditional and memorable when shopping for those who I care about.

I happen to enjoy a handful of shopping bags that are filled with absolutely nothing for me. It’s not the safety or the convenience that make the holidays, it’s the thought that I am trying to keep what I remember as a child and pass those traditions on to my own children.