CONVENIENCE is one of the main drivers of ecommerce and it is crucial that online stores recognise its importance if they are to succeed, a renowned internet psychologist says.
Internet psychologist Graham Jones, an associate lecturer at the Open University, says shoppers particularly like the way online purchases are then transported directly to their doorsteps.
Whereas previously people would have spent hours walking the aisles, browsing for the items they wanted, now there is no longer any need to visit a bricks and mortar establishment.
The convenience of online buying is one of the main reasons it has become a success, despite the fact that many people enjoy the social aspect of going to the shops.
Jones also argues it is highly significant for internet companies to realise that the fear of carrying large and bulky items home from the shops is gone, making bigger purchases much easier.
“People value their time more than they value shopping,” Jones says.
“Ecommerce retailers who do not provide this in-and-out convenience are losing money to companies that do offer that, such as Amazon.”
“One of the reasons why ecommerce is so popular is because it is fast and enables people to fill more of their time with social activities or other more emotionally engaging things,” Jones concluded.
The decline of shopping as a social activity may also be driving the increasing popularity of coffee shops and eating out.
This is because people are seeking more other types of social experiences to replace those they had shopping with friends, Jones suggests.
