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The advent of the Internet as a shopping medium has enabled shoppers to gain shopping benefits such as convenience and time-saving, better information, and price savings. This lecture aims to provide a better understanding of the benefits of Internet shopping by identifying and discussing the advantages of Internet shopping over traditional storefront shopping. I roughly classify the advantages into the following four points, namely, first,convenience and time-saving; second, powerful research instrument;third, lower search costs and better product selection, and last better price information and lower prices. Let's begin with the first one: convenience and time-saving. Shopping on the Internet offers convenience and time-saving benefits to shoppers,as compared to shopping in traditional stores. Changing consumer lifestyles and lack of time may make it more difficult for consumers to shop at physical locations such as stores and shopping malls. Shopping on the internet address this problem as shoppers can shop in the comfort and convenience of home. The Internet operates 24 hours a day,seven days a week,and can be accessed anywhere in the connected world;shoppers can expect to browse and purchase goods on the Internet anytime,unlike traditional storefronts that have fixed opening hours. Shoppers can also purchase goods that are unavailable at their location and are able to bypass restrictive import policies,as the Internet allows shoppers to make purchases from vendors in other locations around the world. |
