Top Online Shopping Platforms

Top Online Shopping Platforms

By: Airah Shane Alojado

These days, it seems like everything is going digital. From news articles and recipes to yoga tutorials, you can find almost everything on the internet.

Many people find this way of life more convenient, because they can complete their daily chores from the comfort of their own home. I think that’s why some people like to shop for their clothes online. With the click of a button, you can order anything you want, and have it delivered directly to your front door. For someone with a busy lifestyle, this seems ideal.

Where else can you do shopping, even at midnight, wearing your jammies? You don’t have to wait in a line or wait till the shop assistant helps you with your purchases. You can do your shopping in minutes even if you are busy, apart from saving time and avoiding crowds. Online shops give us the opportunity to shop 24 /7 and also reward us with ‘no pollution’ shopping.

Online shopping is one of the greatest aspects of the internet today. By choosing to shop online you will be able to enjoy many benefits, some of which are self explanatory, others that are not so apparent. With this article, we will begin with the less apparent benefits of online shopping. Many people are unaware that they have the ability to save even more money by shopping at an online retailer. You see, just as actual department stores are always in competition with each other, so are online retailers. They all fight among each other in order to offer consumers the best deal, in order to lure them to their products.

With online shopping, you, the consumer, benefit greatly from this never ending battle of the retailers. Everyone is always in search for a great deal, online shopping can offer you just that. Another excellent example of the money saving benefit is what is called "Online ONLY" deals. These are deals that are typically offered by retailers that also possess offline sales structures. The benefit of this is that they will often offer extensive discounts and savings only to those who purchase specific items online.

Things to remember when Buying from Online Stores

When you are buying from online stores make sure that you check out the following.

· Does the online store value your privacy and confidentiality? Is their privacy policy available to read if you want to see it?

· How long have they been in business? Are they reputed in business with great reviews from customers?

· Does the online store have a way to contact them?

· If you’re unhappy with your purchase, do they have a refund policy?

If you take care of the above, Online shopping can be a very rewarding experience because of its numerous benefits.

Given below is my list of 10 reasons why shopping online is better than conventional way of buying.

8 Benefits of shopping online

1. Convenience. The convenience is the biggest perk. Where else can you comfortably shop at midnight while in your pajamas? There are no lines to wait in or shop assistants to wait on to help you with your purchases, and you can do your shopping in minutes. Online shops give us the opportunity to shop 24/7, and also reward us with a ‘no pollution’ shopping experience. There is no better place to buy informational products like e-books, which are available to you instantly, as soon as the payment goes through.

2. Better prices. Cheap deals and better prices are available online, because products come to you direct from the manufacturer or seller without middleman being involved. Many online shops offer discount coupons and rebates as well.Apart from this, online shops are only required to collect a sales tax if they have a physical location in our state, even if we buy from a store across the world.

3. More variety. The choices online are amazing. One can get several brands and products from different sellers all in one place. You can get in on the latest international trends without spending money on airfare. You can shop from retailers in other parts of the country, or even the world, all without being limited by geography. A far greater selection of colors and sizes than you will find locally are at your disposal. Apart from that, the stock is much more plentiful. Some online shops even provisions in place to accept orders for items out of stock and ship it when the stock becomes available. You also have the option of taking your business to another online store where the product is available.

4. You can send gifts more easily. Sending gifts to relatives and friends is easy, no matter where they are. Now, there is no need to make distance an excuse for not sending a gift on occasions like birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and so forth.

5. Fewer expenses. Many times, when we opt for conventional shopping, we tend to spend a lot more than planned. There are other outside expenses on things like eating out, transportation, and let's not forget impulse buys!

6. Price comparisons. Comparing and researching products and their prices is so much easier online. Also, we have the ability to share information and reviews with other shoppers who have firsthand experience with a product or retailer.

7. No crowds. If you are like me, you hate crowds when you're shopping. Especially during festivals or special events, they can be such a huge headache. Also, it tends to be more chaotic when there are more crowds out and this sometimes makes us feel rush or hurried. Grumpy, annoying, and smelly people also annoy me when I'm out shopping. Plus, parking becomes a huge issue. All of these problems can be avoided when you shop online.

8. Less compulsive shopping. Often times when we're out shopping, we end up buying things compulsively that we don't really need. All because shop keepers pressure us or use their selling skills to compel us to make these purchases. Sometimes, we even compromise on our choices because of the lack of choices in those shops.

Technology facilitates many things for us to make our life easier than what we can imagine. We used to go shopping when we need to purchase something, but now we do not need to do that or even to go out and leave our homes because everything is reachable and can be easily found in front of us through few clicks. Aliexpress is the online shopping website which have recently increased rapidly to meet the growing demands and satisfy the needs of customers. Online shopping sites can be found now in large numbers which helps you to look for what you need on different websites and purchase the best or what suits you more. Here is a quick glance at the best online shopping sites in the world to make it easier for you to find the best items that you need to purchase.

1. Amazon

It is known as the most popular and ranked as the largest online retailer in the whole world and not just in the United States. It was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It started as an online bookstore and quickly diversified to offer everything you need. It provides its customers with several features such as multiple easy payment methods, discounts, quick checkout, fast delivery and a wide range of items at good prices. 2. eBay

It is one of the most popular online auction and shopping websites that can be found in the whole world. It was founded in 1995 by Pierre Omidyar and is headquartered in San Jose, California, United States. It helps you to buy and sell different products which makes this site beneficial for both buyers and sellers.

3. Asos

It is the largest online retail store in the United Kingdom that specializes in presenting everything related to beauty and fashion including accessories, men’s and women’s wear. It helps you to narrow your search through making use of trends and collection features in addition to the ability to buy and sell pre-owned clothes through the online marketplace that is presented to you. 

4. Walmart

It is an American multinational retailer that provides you with everything you may need such as electronics, video games, home furnishing, clothes, jewelries, toys, automobiles, gifts, sports and other items at good prices to meet your budget and satisfy your needs. 

5. Etsy

It was launched in 2005 and is based in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. This e-commerce website specializes in offering different vintage, handmade and factory-manufactured items that you may need such as clothing, jewelry, art, beauty products and more. You have also the ability to check top picks that are chosen by other Etsy members like you.

6. Mr Porter

It is an online retailer that was launched in 2011 and specializes in offering what is related to men’s style including shoes, clothes and accessories to make you a stylish man. You can find products for major designers such as Alexander McQueen and Ray Ban.

7. Alibaba.com

It specializes in e-commerce businesses which are based on the internet and is the largest online business-to-business trading platform in the world especially for small businesses. It was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Hangzhou, China. This website is more known in China and Asia and it provides its customers with different features such as the ability to compare between products, quick checkout, secure payment gateway and fast deliver of products to their homes.

8. Nasty Gal

It is an American online retailer that offers all what is needed by young women such as shoes, fashion clothing and accessories. The company was founded in 2006 by Sophia Amoruso and its headquarters is located in Los Angeles, United States.

9. Zappos

It is an online shop specializing in shoes and clothing and it is known as the largest online shoe store in the world. It was founded in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn and its headquarters is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

10. ModCloth

This American online retailer was founded in 2002 by Eric Koger and Susan Gregg-Koger. It is headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States and it offers clothing, décor and accessories which differ in their designs as they are vintage, inspired by vintage items or designed by independent designers.

Happy Online Shopping! 😊