The year 2020 met us with the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemics can have major impacts on the society, as is evident from the COVID-19 scourge. This is one health challenge that has gone on to affect every aspect of our lives. Its effect can be felt in our health system, travels and tourism, the financial sector, retail shopping and in the society in general.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, countries around the world are taking extraordinary measures to secure the health and safety of its citizens, ensuring the battle against this disease is won in no distant time. As a response of the COVID-19 pandemic, restrict the world over, have instituted containment measures to restrict the movement of people in order to prevent further spread of the disease. This necessitated the shutdown of retail outlets and businesses that cater to our everyday needs.
As a result, online retail stores have taken over to fill the gap. Surveys carried out by different research firms show that the online retailing industry has witnessed a boom. This is as consumers adjust to the situation of their inability to walk down a nearby store and purchase what they need. It’s no surprise therefore, that many customers have embraced the world of virtual shopping to meet their various needs.
Overnight, it seems everyone has caught the bug of online shopping. From my 69-year-old grand mum in the countryside of Idaho to my 8-year-old niece in Glasgow, everyone seems to have something to shop for online. The strict social distancing rules in place have made online shopping a viable alternative. It’s funny how the average buyer’s preferred shopping method has changed dramatically over the course of a few weeks. Well, they’ve been forced to. It’s a classic case of adapt or die at play.
So, as the COVID-19 scourge rages on, these are the reasons why an online store should be your next port of call as you decide to shop for a few essentials for yourself and your family members.
- Convenience: Convenience remains one of the highest perks of online shopping. Many people may not have discovered the glaring advantages that accrue to shopping online prior to the lockdown measures. And now that they have, they are forced to beat themselves up in exasperation thinking, why hadn’t I thought of this earlier? Where else can you comfortably shop in the early hours of the morning while still in bed and have it delivered just as you rise up to brush your teeth? You won’t have to face a rude shopping assistant, who might just spoil your mood for the rest of the day. With online stores, there are no queues to beat, and no standing in line waiting for your turn while you’re forced to start up small talks with the next person in line, in order not to appear rude. Also, with online stores, you have access to thousands of products at your beck and call. I for one love reading classic literature. These are hard to find in physical paperbacks. Now I have access to their digital versions online. It’s been a jolly good ride ever since.
- Price comparisons: With online stores, you can compare prices and products of different brands very easily before settling with the brand with the best offer. Bored to hell the other day, I decided to glance through an online store when I stumbled upon an item I had purchased weeks earlier from a departmental store. The price I saw on the online store and the price I had bought mine for from the retail store were miles apart. I felt fleeced. Just to be sure I had not stumbled on a fake product online, or maybe a replica, I ordered it immediately. When it was delivered, later on, I knew I had been conned out of my hard-earned money. This experience changed my perspective about shopping online. With physical stores, you can’t go around looking for the best offer. And even if you could, how many stores can you go to before you lose interest through physical exhaustion? Also, where’s the time to go window shopping when everyday work, kids and academics are fighting for our time.
- Send Gifts to loved ones: This period, we are all vulnerable. Little gifts can help friends and loved ones who may be having tough times You surely cannot visit friends and families in faraway towns and cities during memorable events. So, the next best thing is to send gifts across to support them especially on birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and other such occasions.
- Shop over distance: This period you cannot hop into the plane traveling to a place like, say China in order to purchase an art relic you’ve been eyeing over the years. Not with the travel international travel bans here and there. Online shopping will help you shop over distance.
- No crowds: Even before the social distancing guidelines and all, I was one person who hated crowds. I wouldn’t be caught dead shopping during the festive periods when large crowds are expected in the malls. I timed my shopping to only times when I knew it was just me and no other person. This means there were selected places where I shopped. The lockdown has given me a leeway in avoiding all the hassles that crowds bring, and I’m surely sticking with this trend even after the pandemic is over.
Tips for secured shopping online during COVID-19
- Shop at a trusted site: Examine the site for trust indicators and make sure it has TLS/SSL encryption.
- Do not give personal information: If you’re asked for personal information, call verified customer care channels to
- Use strong passwords: Your account in all e-commerce sites should be created with strong passwords involving a complex mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols.
- Deals in your email: Avoid deals sent to your email that seem too good to be true. There will be emails with COVID-19 related subjects, links and attachment. Deal with them with suspicions.
Finally, with the extended lockdown in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there would be a lot more shopping done through online channels. These are unprecedented times and any platform to help us cope and minimize the devastating disruptions to our everyday life is welcomed. However, while you shop online, it’s important you adopt the highest level of safety tips to protect yourself.