For most people, buying a new tech toy should be done only at a physical location. It’s easy to see why—you can actually hold the piece of tech, give it a bit of a test, and see how compatible it is with you and how you use your devices. However, nowadays, returns make all that possible from the comfort of your own home—if you don’t like a product, you can just send it back. Easy returns enhance the rest of the online experience, as apart from testing out products in-store, there are few ways that physical stores beat online stores for tech. Here are a few ways in which online stores have an advantage over physical stores.
The Selection
Shopping online gives you access to almost any technology that’s ever existed, if you look hard enough. By going to a physical location, you’ll just see the devices that the company has decided are economically viable for them to show—devices that they get a good enough markup on, or devices from manufacturers with whom they have partnerships. Shopping online allows you to look at reviews, decide on which device sounds like it will be best for your needs, and then get it to see if it is. With such a huge selection, you can also take your time without being rushed through the buying stages.
The Passion
It takes a lot of money to open up a physical store. However, with the advent of e-commerce solutions, passionate individuals can open up a business and sell the items they know about—whether it’s laptops, fresh produce, or even CBD platforms have tailored solutions that are perfect for them. This means that you can buy from somebody who is super passionate about the specific niche item you want to buy, and if you’re not sure, you can just engage in conversation with them. They’re much more likely to have expertise about a specific product than somebody working at Walmart.
The Prices
Buying a device at a store means you pay not just for the manufacturing, middlemen, and shipping, but for the staff, the space, and everything else. That’s why shopping online is almost always cheaper, even when you shop with the same store’s online shop. Due to the amount of stores that you can easily access online, you’re much more likely to find a seller offering a great deal, or if not, a seller offering a great first-buyer discount.
Passive Upselling
When you buy a product in store, that store makes a lot of money from trying to upsell you extended warranties, accessories, and other tech additives that you don’t need or want. You also run the risk of going in for a specific item and getting talked into buying a much more expensive item. Online, you might still opt for an upgrade, but nobody is hassling you about it. You have much more time and scope to make your own decisions and avoid the sales technique of time pressure… unless the store is doing a lightning sale. Most stores also offer a live chat option, as consumers are coming to expect this, so if you need to talk to somebody in real time about a product, you can! In the unlikely event that they try to actively upsell to you, you can just ignore them or close the live chat!
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