A growing number of fashion brands who decide to jump into the web and sell their products online. Since the veteran Mango , through the expected Zara and even the recently released White , all have in common that are leaders in the sale of fashion items and accessories and feature a significant volume of sales, but not want to miss out on the Internet.
image source: texasenterprise.utexas.edu
Having an online version of its stores, plus bring economic benefits, is also a valuable method of communication with users using the tools of Web 2.0. It is very easy to link the garment page we like, comment on and evaluate it, publish the latest developments in the collection on our blog, compare prices, find the clones of the most exclusive fashion brands or buy the latest look of it girl of the moment. In short, the network everything is faster and dynamic, shops give them valuable information about tastes, trends, purchase intent, etc., plus indirect advertising of your products which sometimes become exhausted in no time thanks to the viral marketing techniques.
Moreover, online sales can mean the only means available to us to buy certain items in the absence of establishments near the mark. However, it is not always so, in fact, it is customary for many users who buy online have a wide range of establishments in your area. In the latter case, why buy anywhere if we have a store nearby? Buy online has a number of advantages and disadvantages which I list them below.
Advantages of buying in the store online
no waiting. for me it is one of the main advantages of buying online, you avoid the endless queues at the checkout and testers as well as the burdens of shops crowded to overflowing.
no timetable. the online store is open 24 hours, 365 days a year, schedule flexibility almost impossible to match by a physical store. no rush because they are going to close, we can spend hours and hours surfing the web, no matter where you’re just looking or buy.
all ordered. each garment in her section, ordered by price, or color, or style and no mountains items on tables where it is impossible to find a size or a certain model, especially in sales.
availability of stock. on many occasions you go to the physical store for the latest news you have seen in the online shop and either because they have not arrived, or because they are exhausted, come back you home like you were gone or something in originally did not intend to buy. in the online shop you have the stock information instantly available what you see is what you get.
exclusive promotions. to boost sales and promote their online stores, manufacturers often release valid tenders for virtual version only and include attractive discounts.
custom delivery. at home, at work, in the shop … there are usually several possibilities for delivering your purchase as comfortable as possible.
packaging. sometimes usually send the items into useful decorative boxes or accompanied by practical reusable bags.
Disadvantages of buying at the online store
you can’t try. behold the great disadvantage of online shopping, either as a matter of size (unification size ya!) or because you do not feel well, sometimes the item not just be to your liking.
shipping. personally i consider it a lesser evil because sometimes they can be free (promotion, minimum spend, store pickup, etc.), however it is true that it makes little sense to pay some shipping if you have an establishment near your residence.
it seems but is not. on the web you can not see the fabric texture or quality of the finishes, that dress that looks beautiful anywhere in your hands may seem a simple cloth.
returns. although sometimes they are free and can be performed in the physical store is not always the case and we must recognize that hurts having to pay for the return of an item that you have not been previously tested.
timeout in receipt of purchase. usually shipments take a few days to arrive but however fast it is, can forget “buy and release” .
not everything is online. sometimes brands sold online only part of their products and not the entire catalog.
go shopping. the online shopping does not replace the pleasure that for some has to go shopping with friends and all that that entails (laughs, comments, opinions …).
In my personal balance, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of buying in the online version of fashion brands what in yours? Do you prefer shopping online or physical store? Why?
