by Alex Li

Created on: June 26, 2008

The article, Online Shopping: Risky (but Better) Business, written by Kaycee Sorensen illustrates the simplicity of online shopping through several claims. Sorensen argues that "consumers should shop online because, despite fears of safety and identity theft, its simplicity, the convenience of comparison shopping, and access to a variety of merchandise can make online shopping the logical and best choice for consumers."

This article takes an in depth analysis at several fears and uncertainties most online shoppers have, which contributes to their reluctance to shop online. Although Sorensen's paper was well organized and constructed toward a strong argument in favor of online shopping, there are still several statements I can make in favor of shopping the old fashioned way including, but not limited to, the inability to test products or physically try on clothes, the probability of identity theft, shipping costs, and online return policies.
Sorensen starts off by discussing her Old Navy experience and how that instance led her to be more open towards the idea of online shopping. She starts off by shopping for a new pair of jeans at the Logan Old navy. However, since she wears an uncommon size, she was unable to find the right pair of jeans. A sales associate suggested that she visit OldNavy.com and browse through a wider selection of merchandise not available in stores. After given all the specific information, she was able to find the pair of jeans she wanted with ease. Sorensen claims through her experience that online shopping not only has a wider selection of products, but is also easier and cheaper than shopping the old fashioned way. I feel I can agree with this argument and is one of several convincing claims she addresses.

Sorensen also argues that most people nowadays are reluctant to shop online because of several fears and uncertainties. These fears and uncertainties include the inability to feel or try on clothes or the material of other products, identity theft, transaction security, and privacy. However, Sorensen's counterargument states that the inability to feel the product or try on clothes is somewhat depleted with a tool called "My Virtual Model Inc." which virtually allows online shoppers to "try on clothes" prior to purchase. Consumers' can reduce the risk of identity theft by simply looking for an icon and the bottom right corner of the browser which ensures that particular site is safe and secure, meaning no one can steal personal information

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