We know from news reports, from talking to family and friends, and from our own shopping patterns, that etailers are taking more and more business away from brick and mortar stores.
What makes online shopping such a compelling proposition?
If you listen to the likes of Gerry Harvey, it's all about the price. It is certainly a big factor (and there will be a long post about that) but to me it is not the #1 reason.
It's about WHAT we can buy.
The world is our oyster
Before internet shopping became a reality, we were at the mercy of what Australian department store buyers and retailers chose to stock. With a relatively small population, only a fraction of the brands and products available internationally made their way to our country. And if you didn't fit into the mainstream, your choices were severely limited.
With the birth of online shopping, both our awareness and access to products expands exponentially.
Instead of getting what is
good enough, we can get
the best.
We can now buy a wide range of designer goods at renowned international department stores such as
Nordstrom,
Saks Fifth Avenue and
Bergdorf Goodman. There are great pure-play etailers at all price points, from
Net-a-Porter to
Shopbop and
Revolve Clothing to
ASOS. And of course a whole range of local and international designers and chains stores are selling directly to us online.
Without online shopping I wouldn't have bought this Michael Kors bag (Net-A-Porter)
or this A Wear dress that wins complements everytime I wear it (ASOS)
or this lovely Kate Spade bag (Nordstrom)
All the above etailers ship to Australia. But even if an e-store doesn't offer international shipping, we can use one of the many parcel forwarding services available to get our hands on what we want.
Niche markets (retro, vintage, goth, you name it) are well serviced by etailers such as
Modcloth and
Mame Clothing.
Online shopping is especially great for those living in regional areas, who can now shop for brands and products available in capital cities and beyond.
One size does not fit all
It's not just about brands and designers, it's also about size and fit.
I once went with my MIL to the plus size section at Myer and the options suitable for young people were few and far between. Now there area a myriad of websites catering for that market (
Dream Diva locally and
Baby Phat Plus Size internationally for starters).
I was completely uninspired by the "fashion" available during my pregnancy. They were either matronly, or overly expensive, or both. If only I knew about
ASOS's maternity range back then. I could have been a more stylish mum-to-be!
The internet also brings Australian shoppers access to different fit options such as shoe widths and pants lengths that are traditionally unavailable here.
Custom made
To me, one of the best things about shopping on the internet is getting in touch with independent designers directly.
Websites like
Etsy and
Madeit are in effect global arts and crafts markets, providing fantastic reach to both designers and shoppers. I've purchase items from Etsy sellers in the US, Canada, France and right here in Australia. The service I received from the sellers have been exemplary without fail - the passion for their creations really shone through. In a few cases I was able to purchase items that were either made to my specification, or were designed with my input. It would have been next to impossible to do this before the internet without paying prohibitive prices for the privilege.
The seller named these earrings after me!
I gave the seller an idea and she came up with a design way beyond my expectation.
So even if the Australian dollar devalues by 50% against the US dollar and the British pound tomorrow, we are not going to stop shopping online, because now that we know what we can get our hands on with a few clicks of the mouse/trackpad, there's no turning back.
