DEFINITION
v Online shopping is the process of buying goods and services from merchants who sell on the Internet. Since the emergence of the World Wide Web, merchants have sought to sell their products to people who surf the Internet.
v Online shopping is the process whereby consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller in real-time, without an intermediary service, over the internet. If an intermediary service is present the process is called electronic commerce.
ADVANTAGES
ü Available 24 hours a day.
ü shopping online is being able to quickly seek out deals for items or services with many different vendors.
ü Provide or link to supplemental product information.
ü Allow customers to comment or rate their items.
ü Ability to rapidly switch suppliers and vendors without disrupting users' shopping experience.
ü Save transportation expenses.
ü Save time.
-no need to find a parking place, and walk throughout the store until she locates the products she needs.
-No need to stand in long lines at the cash register.
DISADVANTAGES
ü Lack of ability to inspect merchandise before purchase.
ü Costumers are at higher risk of fraud on the part of the merchant than in a physical store.
ü Identity theft is still a concern for costumers when hackers break into a merchant's web site and steal names, addresses and credit card numbers.
ü Online shopping doesn't permit customers to touch products or have any social interaction.
ü doesn't allow them to take the merchandise home the same day they buy it.
ü Quality products at risk of fraud.
About Shopping Online