Online shopping has revolutionised how we consume goods and has also changed how businesses and companies market and sell their products and services. It has even eliminated the need for a shop front altogether. 

But why do Brits, in particular, love online shopping? Some surveys suggest up to 95% of UK citizens shop online regularly. It’s no surprise either; whether you’re looking for women’s Superdry jackets or some simple toiletries, online retailers have it all. 

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Less Stress

Shopping can be stressful and somewhat annoying at times. If you are working until 4 or 5 pm, the last thing you want to do is go into a shop with hundreds of other people. The place is cramped, you can’t get everything you want, you have to wait in line for hours, and it can be a generally unpleasant experience. 

This unpleasantness is eliminated entirely when shopping online. You can take your time, you aren’t under any pressure from other shoppers, and you can almost always get everything you want to buy delivered right to your doorstep. 

Ease of Use

Shopping online is easy; that is the long and short of it. You can have a week’s worth of groceries on your doorstep in less than 24 hours, and you don’t even have to get out of your pyjamas or leave the house. 

In the United Kingdom, in particular, many people use public transport, which makes it very difficult to do a large shop, especially if you have to carry it by yourself. 

Discounts and Specials 

Online shops are the places to find some of the best discounts and specials around. Nowadays, there are more online specials than in-store specials; this has driven more people to not even bother visiting shops anymore. 

Numerous yearly sales are now massive online, namely Black Friday and Cyber Monday. People don’t try and fight each other off at the shops anymore; instead, they wait, with their mouse in hand, for the specials to go live. 

Variety

One of the most significant advantages of shopping online is the variety available. With a few clicks, you can have Apple, Sainsbury’s, H&M, and Amazon all open at the same time and buy everything you want and need to buy. 

There isn’t a store on the planet that can offer you the same variety that the internet can, and when you know it has everything you need, most people don’t bother shopping any other way.

Quick Refunds and Returns 

Online shopping allows you to buy quickly and return goods and get refunds rapidly as well. Some online retailers require you to post the item back, while others will come to your home or office and take the goods back. 

You also get your money back instantly, or you are able to buy another item of equal value just as quickly. Once again, no need to stand in any lines and fight for your refunds. 

Easy to Buy Rare Items

There will be times when you don’t just want to buy groceries, clothes, or a new phone. You may want to buy a unique book, a rare Pokemon card, or something else that isn’t sitting on a shelf at a store. 

The internet gives you a way to find these rare or hard to find items. Even if they aren’t hard to find, such as wanting to buy American candy or Kenyan coffee, the internet and online shopping is your friend and will make it happen. 

Auction Websites 

If you can’t find what you want on an online store, you will certainly find it on an auction website like eBay. The site not only has everything from cutlery sets to cars, but there is also a really good mix between brand new and used goods. 

eBay isn’t only filled with second-hand goods; many smaller stores and suppliers now use the platform as their shopfront, and you can also get really cheap shipping rates. 

Availability

There are very few shops that are open 24/7, including holidays like Christmas and New Year’s Day. Online stores never close. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or how late it is; you can log in and buy what you want to buy. 

The only thing that changes is delivery options and times, as you might get your order a little later than usual depending on the holiday and time of year.