Online Shopping Is Long Way Behind In-Store Shopping

In the past few years, online shopping has grown by leaps and bounds. Its popularity is growing at such a pace that many believe that more people shop online than offline.

Do you also think that’s the case?
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If yes, you couldn’t be more wrong.

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Brick-and-mortar stores are still the preferred choice of the majority. And this reflects in the sales figures of different brands. For instance, in 2017, Walmart’s in-store revenue was $461.9 billion while its online revenue didn’t even cross $16 billion. Similarly, in the same year, Kroger collected $100 billion from its offline stores and only $22 million online. The same trend holds true for all major US brands.

Given the huge disparity in the sales generated by the two mediums, it would be fair to say that online shopping, for all its advantages, has a long way to go before it can present a serious challenge to in-store shopping.

And when you think about it, that’s actually not surprising. While online shopping is super convenient, is it really much fun? Buying a new summer jacket online in the middle of the night is really comfortable, but is it something you enjoy or look forward to doing a few days in advance?

Offline shopping is a lot more than buying what you need. People frequently plan a whole day out with friends or family, with shopping being one of the several planned activities. They combine it with watching a movie, eating out, and other activities.

Another thing that works against online shopping is that you can’t experience the product prior to purchase. While you can buy the summer jacket that you need at a click of the button without leaving your home, you won’t get to feel the fabric or try it out to see if it really fits you.

These are things you can do only when you shop offline.

Additionally, online shopping is not a viable option when you need something urgently. For instance, if you have a formal dinner planned for the evening and realize just a few hours before that your little black dress no longer fits you, only offline shopping can get you out of the hole.

Have a look at the interesting infographic below to see how big the gap between offline and online shopping really is.
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