5 of 25

Write now Article Tools

Everybody loves a good bargain which is why online shopping has really taken off. Obviously the convenience of buying goods online has also enticed people into buying from online shops rather than shopping in their local high-street stores, but mostly it is because people have become so fed up with being ripped-off over the years. Consumers are aware that businesses need to make money, but for many years high-street stores monopolised the sale of mid-range and high-end priced goods making it very difficult for ordinary people to get the best deal. However, the advent of online shopping has fundamentally changed this situation.

For many years music lovers in the United Kingdom (and there are a lot of them) were forced to pay much higher prices than people on the Continent, and there was very little they could do about it. It seemed that large retailers were colluding to keep prices artificially high, so that you could expect to pay the same extortionate price for an item whichever shop you entered. However, the internet opened up a wealth of possibilities for consumers. Soon Britons were able to buy their CDs and DVDs online and pay the prices that their European neighbours were paying rather than the price that they would have to pay in a shop on the high street.

Large high-street chains were rather slow to see the impact which online shopping would have on business, and so it was some time before they started adjusting their prices. Although it is still cheaper to buy CDs and DVDs online, they have come down considerably over the years. Without the internet shopping revolution it is doubtful this would have ever happened as British consumers were powerless to express their dissatisfaction with the way they were being treated.

Online shopping has also made buying larger, more expensive items cheaper as it has enabled people to carry out research, to read reviews, and enquire about prices, without being persuaded by a 'helpful' shop assistant working on commission into buying an item they do not really want. By shopping online people are able to take their time and make the right decision for them, rather than relying on the selective information given to them by assistants.

Shopping online may not be cheaper on products at the lower end of the scale such as when grocery shopping, which is probably why high-street stores still dominate the market. People are in the habit of doing their weekly shop, looking around at what new products there are and if there are any offers. It may not be any more expensive to buy groceries online, but when it comes to food people seem to like to see what they are getting in the flesh, rather than having to wait for it to arrive. Overall, though, online shopping has helped bring down the price of goods that can be purchased via the internet and in a high-street shop, which is clearly no bad thing.

Learn more about this author, Michelle Wilkinson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Is shopping online really cheaper??
We want to hear your view. Write now!