Time to put my BBA (Bachelor's in Business Admin) to work. The world is moving more and more towards using technology to increase efficiency and every day tasks. Shopping online is incredibly convenient as time is the most valuable resource in this day and age, so shopping online, ordering something you need, and having it arrive at your door without leaving your house is huge for most people. Things like hotels and plane tickets are being booked through online, rather than in person at a very fast rate. This is because it is far quicker to find what you want, rather than drive all the way down to the location, have an agent try to sell you stuff you don't really want. That applies to quite a few situations.
It's all happening quite rapidly thanks to the internet. It is going to be a slow process for the less wealthy countries where internet isn't accessible at basically every step (thanks to wi-fi). Some of the technical innovations out there to aid with this are quite fascinating. It is still a WIP, but Amazon really wants to push for using drones to deliver customer packages within 30 minutes from the moment of purchase (in larger cities). They are trying to find a way to make it comply with air space laws. Also, in some areas it is crowded on the streets, or people live far from something. In many places, you have to account for at least 20 minutes of driving one way just for something, traffic pending.
I would guess the country you come from one or more of the following is true:
-Internet isn't widely used
-Most items are on the cheaper side (see Low Price Items below)
-Logistics management (see below) isn't in place, so shipping would cost a fortune
-Areas are tightly packed, so you have tons of varying stores all in close proximity
In some countries, it has gone as far as ordering your groceries online and having them delivered. Less time away from home, means more time to relax for customers, time saved, and operations for an online only store are very cheap compared to owning a physical store somewhere within the city. It's an all around win-win for the most part.
A few flaws with selling through online is:
-Logistics management: Shipping can cost the buyer a fortune, so in some cases, shipping is just way too expensive, even if it is convenient.
-Reduced suggestive sales tactics: In stores, stuff is set-up in a certain way into enticing you to buy things. Online, you can sort of sell things through suggestions, but people tend to go directly for what they want, and aren't exposed to walking by something
-Security: It is a lot easier to have your info hacked, or be unsure of how trustworthy the store online really is. In a physical store, it is pretty safe (ALTHOUGH, I swiped my debit card once at a shop, the next day, my account was hacked from someone in the Carribean and they took out $1,000. My bank noticed, froze the account, and yes I got it back since they thankfully have such a feature, some banks don't. Don't ever let a place swipe your card!)
-High Price Items: Lamborghini's, or any expensive item like Jewelary, just to name a few. The clients for high price items typically like to physically inspect the goods, due to the amount of money they are about to sink on it.
-Low price items: The opposite of the above, items that are worth so little that cost more to ship than their value is. These are typically inexpensive, but heavy items. When an item costs more to ship than the product itself costs, it is no good, unless combined into a larger order sometimes.
The only things I buy in store these days is groceries, or call for take-out. Games are either digitally online to save on tax, or Best Buy because of free shipping. I am too cheap to pay $2,25 for a bus when I can save that, go online, and have it arrive free in 2 days.
This may or may not be a small piece of a report or two I had to write throughout my studies.
