How we shop has evolved tremendously over the years, especially in the last few decades, and the internet has played a crucial role in this. Whether you want a new pair of sneakers or a bunch of bananas, online shopping makes it possible for you to get what you want, right to your doorstep.Â
Acquiring the things you want is more convenient than ever before. When the cream blush you’ve had your eye on for months finally goes on sale, you no longer need to run to the mall. Instead, a couple of clicks, a little bit of waiting, and it’s yours!
But are there any downsides to the convenience of online shopping?
Let’s talk about shopping in general first. How often are you convinced to buy something, not because of how much you want or like it, but because of how good the deal is?
Maybe you walk into a store and see that their jeans are on sale. You notice they don’t carry your size, so you settle for a pair that doesn’t quite fit, but you’ll make do (they’re a good price, after all). Now you’ll have an extra pair of jeans that you don’t feel super comfortable in, but at least you got them on sale.
Maybe you think a top is cute, then you see a “buy 1, get 1 50% off” sign, and suddenly you need two. How could you turn down a deal like that? Even though you don’t like any of the other styles or colours too much, you have to choose one to take advantage of the offer.
Ultimately, shopping is about retailers finding a way to get you to spend more money, but you’ve already heard that.
Now, let’s talk about online shopping.Â
No more employees checking on you every few minutes while you try things on. No more having to wait in line to check out. No more scouring the racks to see if they have one item left in your size.Â
Online shopping is a convenience like no other. On top of relieving any social anxiety that comes with buying an outfit for an event or going back-to-school shopping, online shopping also means you don’t need to get ready, find a mode of transportation, and spend hours browsing stores until you find what you’re looking for.
Instead, you can spend as much or as little time as you’d like scrolling online through the clothing items stores have in stock. You can find out in seconds if they carry the size you want, and you can even search for the specific item you are looking for to save yourself more time.Â
You may even see an Instagram ad notifying you about a new sale this weekend. You add all the things you’ve had your eye on to your cart, and then some. When a deal is that good, you should just buy whatever looks cute because you’ll use it eventually, right?
When you finally check out, you notice the total is much higher than you had anticipated. In fact, none of the items in your cart appear to be 70% off. When you take another look at the ad you saw on Instagram, you notice it says “up to 70% off select items,” but the words you overlooked were in a smaller font than the ones you actually noticed.
You realize you do not want to spend that much money, so you use the process of elimination to reduce your item count from 15 to 3. You can now purchase three pieces that you truly love. Even though they’re not super affordable, you are satisfied with your amended shopping list.
As you navigate to the payment page, you are faced with a pop-up message: “Spend $39.95 more to qualify for free shipping”. But it’s not worth it unless you get free shipping, right? What’s just a little more money?Â
Making online purchases is more complex than just asking for what you need and getting it. There are many little decisions one must make before finally completing an order. You may not have an employee telling you how cute a dress looks on you, but you do have pop-ups reminding you that there are always opportunities to spend more money.
Another important consideration when purchasing online is what influenced you to seek out a product in the first place. Maybe it was an influencer referring to a skin care product as their “holy grail” in a video they were paid to make. Or maybe it was a celebrity who always speaks highly of a jewelry brand that they own.
Living in today’s age of the internet means you can decide you want or need something and have it purchased all in under ten minutes.Â
A moisturizer that helped someone on the internet treat dry skin would also be great for you, even though your skin is super acne-prone, don’t you think?. A hair straightener that is advertised by your favourite TV star and costs hundreds of dollars must be amazing and so much better than the straightener you already own, right?Â
The internet has created convenience in ways we never could have imagined in the past. But this does not mean that it always has our best interests in mind.Â
Just taking a few moments to ask yourself how much you like, want, or actually need a product can make a huge difference. Think about how often you’ll use it, and whether you are just purchasing it because it is trendy, cute, or aesthetically pleasing. Consider deals, and ask yourself whether they are truly as great as they sound, or are they simply pushing you to make a purchase you otherwise wouldn’t.
Just like many sales representatives in stores, advertisements, deals and pop-ups are created to encourage you to shop more. It is your job to take a step back and think before spending your money. Is convenience really all that great? Or is it costing you more than you’d ever intended to spend?