How to Convince Your Grandparents to Shop Online

Is there anybody in your household that refused to believe shopping online is more convenient than shopping at brick and mortar stores? I'm raising my hand for my grandma, or anybody who has parents or grandparents that didn't know the benefits of online shopping. If you're trying to convince them to buy what they need on the Internet, here's some help from your author.

1. Online stores are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Even though I don't shop on a whim, there are days when I just feel like going online to replenish my stock of special brand of soap. I can only get it from an online store located in Philadelphia. I would shop after dinner and I don't have to drive to Philly. Your grandma has to know she can do the same thing with her supply of laxatives.

2. Avoid trying to find handicap parking spots.
Even older people have trouble getting into parking spots near the store entrances. Worse, on a crowded Saturday, five grandmas could be up in the Speedy Checkout lane and still take 20 minutes to get their two bottles of shampoo unloaded. But once we're in line, we have to wait. If we shop online, we don't have to endure this suffering. Tell your grandma you can get her some petunias for Grandmother's Day by ordering it online instead of driving to HEB. You can also remind her that on your birthday, she didn't have to drive to an Apple store in the mall to get you an iPad.

3. The days of cutting and clipping coupons are over.
My biggest problem when shopping at Walgreens or CVS are old people doling out a hundred coupons to the cashier to save a couple pennies on a box of Band-Aid. Even though my grandma sympathizes with me, I still need to remind her that by simply visiting the Walgreens website, she can get the same discount without having to cut and clip discount coupons. Moreover, if she signed up for the mailing list, she will get discounts and store offers in her email everyday. And I also tell her she didn't need to print and cut those online coupons either!

4. Compare prices without the hassle.
Assist your older folks to tasks such as bookmarking websites. I get all the online stores websites, bookmark them, and let her display all the websites all at once by clicking "Open all Tabs". Then she can compare prices of high blood pressure medicines between Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, or Walmart without having to drive around the entire town.

5. Not all antiques can be bought from downtown stores.
Grandma collects shells, but there are not very many antique or specialty stores that carry collectible seashells. eBay and Craigslist however, have people selling all kinds of items for collectors such as your grandparents. Why go downtown when they can get them online? On eBay, they can bid as well as choose the Buy it Now option. If she can get the rare shells at a fair price, perhaps she can even trade her collections and make some money!

The Internet is not just for the young and the business-minded. You can teach your parents and grandparents to be Internet-savvy, despite their aversion to the technology. By showing them how convenient it is to buy online, they will eventually learn to adopt Internet shopping as part of everyday life.