Do you ever wish it could be Christmas all year round? Well, that is what it feels like after a hard day of work and there is a newly delivered package on the front doorstep. The best part is there was no reason to leave the comfort of the couch, or even put on pants. This is just one example of how online shopping is better than traditional in store shopping. Online shopping offers more convenience, comparability, and cost effectiveness than traditional shopping.

Shopping online is more convenient and relaxing than shopping in a store. Because when going to a physical store to go shopping a whole day must be planned out of it. First one must get ready because most people do not like to go out in public looking shabby and un-kept like they just got out of bed. Then one must decide which stores to go to in order to get everything on their shopping list. Next you have to get in the car and drive to the store and spend at least an hour searching for things on the shelves, and in the aisles, standing in line to pay for them, and getting everything out to the car and loaded up. Not to mention all of this must be accomplished with crowds of people and traffic slowing you down. Then it is on to the next place on the list to repeat the cycle over again. If one were shopping online all of his or her shopping could be done before the in-store shopper even gets out of the driveway. Because when shopping online all one needs to do is wake up, and turn on the computer. In doing so a whole world of shopping possibilities are at the shoppers fingertips, there are literally thousands of stores online to choose from. All one has to do is type what they are looking for into an online search engine, or any popular online store. Then when you have found what you want, add it to the cart, check out, and it will show up on the door step in just a couple of days. All of this is done from the comfort of the home with no crowds to deal with, or traffic to wait in and fight through. Online shoppers also benefit when it comes to being able to comparison shop. Being able to compare similar items from different stores when shopping is a very important part of the consumer process. Online shoppers have it easier when comparing multiple items for purchase, because shopping online offers more selection for comparison. Another advantage is the opportunity to read customer reviews from people who have already bought and handled the exact thing being considered for purchase. With just a click of the mouse you can search any store in the city, county, state, country, or even the world. And you can do all of this right from your couch while still in your pajamas, without having to waste time and money driving from store to store, but some people prefer the hands on approach to comparison shopping. Walking into a store will afford that shopper an opportunity that online shoppers never get, the chance to touch an item and hold it against themselves and feel the quality first hand before purchasing it. But traditional shoppers have it harder when trying to compare multiple items, because they could drive from store to store all day, and still only see a small portion of what is offered. Driving or walking from store to store not only takes a lot of time, but you can only get to six or eight different stores in a day in a small localized area. It is not only the time that it takes to get to all of these stores but the cost to do it.

Some people believe that shipping costs make online shopping less economical, but when everything that it takes to actually go to the store is factored in, I think shopping online is more cost effective. Some factors to consider when preparing to go to the store to do some shopping are, the cost of gas to get there, the cost of food you will eat when you are out, and the time spent going to the store. First of all, the cost of the gas to get to the store can be staggering, with the average price for a gallon of gas in San Diego at $3.73; it does not take long for the fuel bill to add up when out driving around all day from store to store. Also, while you are out shopping all day and walking around to different stores you are going to get hungry. If you are shopping alone a meal will cost you around $10, but if you go out with a significant other or maybe you have a couple of kids. Then the cost of feeding everyone, snacks for the kids, and something to drink while walking around can pretty quickly reach over $100. The last thing you should consider when choosing to go to the store instead of shopping online is time. What is your time worth to you? Instead of fighting through traffic and crowds or herding your kids from store to store all the while testing your patience and sanity, you could go the beach, or the park, or stay home, and read a good book, and relax. After you add up all of the costs of traditional shopping and going to the store, spending a few dollars on shipping doesn’t seem like a bad idea. A lot of online retailers even offer free shipping on most orders. The only down side to shopping and buying online is the wait, but I would rather wait 3-5 business days to receive my merchandise than be in a bad mood all week after going to the store for a day.

If you are like me and prefer to spend your free time relaxing and doing things you actually enjoy, then I would suggest giving shopping online a try. Not just because it is more convenient than going to the store, or because it offers more avenues for comparison shopping than the traditional hands on approach, or even that it is more economical. Shopping online is all of those things but most importantly it saves time so you can do more of the things that you enjoy. Especially in this new technology, convenience driven society that we live in today, there is no good reason not be shopping online.