What's Next for Online Shopping?

With gas prices at an all time high in the US, Americans are going to have to save money on everything else they buy. The cost of diesel fuel for the trucks that deliver goods is rising worldwide and the trickle down effect is causing increases in almost all consumer goods and services. Comparison shopping and getting the best price will become more crucial as prices go up and income doesn't.

Everyone shops for something...tools, groceries, cars, insurance, clothing, bedding, furniture, vacation packages, books, cell phones... and gone are the days of driving around town to shop for the best prices. It's a rare day when most of us don't buy something. If we're not buying, we're thinking about it and we want the best deal we can get. The internet is the best place to find out if we're getting a good deal. It's a time saving way to browse choices, check prices, and make comparisons. It's simple to browse online retailers then look for retail stores in our area to see what they offer and again evaluate where we'll get the best price, online or off. Online often wins.

Consumers around the world have become more comfortable with online shopping. While we still have some concerns about online security, the more we shop online, the less we worry. Shoppers are also becoming less unyielding about seeing and touching what they plan to buy and rely more on reviews from other consumers.

Even hesitant shoppers will soon see that the advantages of online shopping extends to more than the money they save on their purchases; no gas, parking, crowds, or tired feet. For those who are still doubtful, haven't people been ordering from catalogs for years? And smart shoppers always check a store's return policy.

Who shops online? Recent data from Hitwise shows that people living in rural areas of the UK are big online shoppers. WebProNews states that of the 145 million adults surveyed for The Media Audit, 55.8 percent shop online. A shopping blog from India tells us that with more computers and the increase in cyber cafes, online shopping in India jumped from $11 million in 1999-2000 to around $58 million in 2003-04 and is climbing. We already know that working mothers with little time to even breathe and the over 55 crowd with disposable income are online shoppers. It isn't just for Christmas anymore.

Change comes in many ways and the gas crunch will force us to look at our shopping habits. Since we really don't have to have it today, the cheapest option may be online shopping. It could be delivered as early as tomorrow. And many online retailers offer free shipping. Even without free shipping, consider what gas for the trip would cost and if several items have been combined into one order, it may be that the shipping cost is cheaper.

Ebay is proof that we are going to shop and do it online.