This Happened When We Asked Five Customers How and Why Online Shopping is Succeeding 😲

Just like you, we at Peadeals.com want to better understand how and why online shopping is succeeding. We reached out to five female millennial users on our platform from different walks of life to get their genuine opinions on several topics related to online shopping.  Women are the primary shoppers online and so we really value their opinions.

Let’s be clear, the internet is now the number one destination for shoppers.  Ever Since 2016, shoppers have been buying more goods online than in brick & mortar stores.  According to Forrester Research, last year alone, 190 million US consumers made some sort of purchases online.

To better understand how and why online shopping is succeeding, we asked the five millennial women their honest views on several topics related to online shopping.  From their answers, you will get an idea of what’s been working, what doesn’t, and how the online shopping experience is likely to evolve in the near future.

We asked

• Winona, 29
• Roselyn, 25
• Farai, 29
• Pauline, 31
• Haley, 27

What’s your overall opinion of online shopping as compared to other methods of shopping? 💬

Winona: I prefer purchasing online as I find it’s always better priced than what you can get in stores.  The only qualm I have with online shopping is that I sometimes find the experience dissimilar or not nearly as exciting as it is to go into the store, purchase the item and leave with it.  Waiting for delivery can be painstaking with online shopping especially when you just can wait to have the item!  If I purchase online, I will look into the sellers’delivery options before I make the decision to buy.  If the shipping it is too expensive, or they use a shipping company I do not like, then I’d rather buy in-store.

Roselyn: I buy nearly everything of mine online unless I need something absolutely last minute– like literally the same day!  It’s just so convenient for me.  I have my go-to sites to look for the best value on items, such as Peadeals.com, and I prefer to make my final order from Amazon.  For everything I purchase, I usually compare prices and reviews on other sites with those on Peadeals.com before I make my choice.

Farai: I do a blend of online and offline, coz I still also enjoy the experience of going shopping in-store.  At the same time, you sometimes need something quickly and you can only get instant by walking in to the store.  What I hate when I need something instantly and I look for it in the stores, I am usually disappointed that it isn’t available.  Whereas, online I almost always find what I am looking for. With that said, I spend more of my money online due to that availability of variety and convenience. I love how a lot of the major stores now offer free delivery and returns, which is a peace of mind in case you dislike the items.

Pauline: I fully prefer online to offline now, mostly because of the convenience, but also to make sure I am getting the best possible deal.  I use all the great deal-finding tools and websites now available, such Peadrals.com, product & service reviews, comparison sites, voucher codes and custom-made offers. I especially love when there’s a sale online, I get to avoid the queues and the drama of busy shopping malls and chaotic sale racks.

Haley: I very often shop online to avoid the crazed shopping mall crowds!  What I love about internet shopping is that you can also shop around for the best offers and benefit from different sales and discounts that are constantly presented to you when you sign up for newsletters and memberships on sites such as Peadeals.com.  My family lives in the U.K so I tend to shop directly on U.K online stores or stores that offer free international shipping.

In a month, how often would you say you shop online and what is your main purpose when you do? 💨

Winona: I must admit, I shop online a minimum of five times a month.  If there’s a sale, I will probably even make about four purchases a week, on average.  I buy everything from food, clothes, and general household items.  Basically, if it’s cheaper online, then I’m buying it.  I also use Amazon Prime for items I found via Peadeals.com on a weekly basis,because the delivery is so reliable and convenient.

Roselyn: I would say I shop online in one form or another almost daily.  I don’t have a problem, I swear!  A lot of my purchases are practical.  I online shop for food, clothes and everyday necessities. It’s just so convenient, especially considering that I’m often too busy to go physical shopping.

Farai: My guess is I shop online about six times a month. Mainly through Peadeals.com with shipping from Amazon.  I buy clothes,clothing accessories as well as household items.  Recently I went a bit crazy on a few different sites for Christmas sales.  It was a just a great way to take advantage of sales without having to leave the house on Boxing Day to be caught in the #mallmadness!

Pauline: I simply shop online for convenience and I do so around four or five times per month.  Pretty recently I started doing my grocery shopping online too.  It’s super convenient as I choose a delivery slot, find my previously ordered items easily so I can reorder and I complete the shopping in minutes.

Haley: Maybe two or three times a month.  Usually it’s just for clothing items, household stuff, or gift and celebration cards.  Seriously. I love buying cards and having them sent instantly to my many loved ones around the world.  I do this mostly from Snapfish and they get delivered without me fumbling around at a post office.  It’s also handy getting things delivered to my office and not having to scramble to go to stores after work or during my precious lunch time.  By the way, Amazon is pretty awesome for getting every day stuff to you by the next day!

What catches your eye online and what do you often buy? 👁️‍🗨️

Winona: I buy a seriously wide range of items online.  I mean,anything from food items to household goods and everything in-between.  I don’t know if you know that you could do this but, once or twice a year I even book my holiday vacation online as I find it’s a much cheaper and convenient way to book rather than travel agencies.  I’m just always open up for a bargain, so it doesn’t often matter what it is, I will buy it.

Roselyn: Everything under the internet sun.  I must do 85-95% of my shopping online.

Farai: Clothing, fashion accessories, shoes, household items (e.g., electrical accessories, lamps, furniture, gifts, and even holiday vacations).

Pauline: I’m more gift shopping, supplements, fashion and beauty products. I do this all in my pajamas and that’s how and why online shopping is succeeding in my opinion.

Haley: Hotels, gift items, shoes, clothes and more!

What are the signs of a trustworthy internet retailer? 👍

Winona: When it comes to products, I am up for using brands that I haven’t tried but to make sure they are trustworthy, I will see if they have had any reviews.  If they haven’t, I would go ahead if I really liked the offer, but I will be more cautious to use them.  Maybe give them a small order test run.  There are lots of small brands out there that need our support, so I enjoy purchasing from them, but I will need to know I can rely on them.  This is why reviews are quite helpful!

Roselyn: I am one to stick to my go-to websites, such as Peadeals.com, but if I veer from them,I’ll always try and get trusted recommendations, or look for genuine reviews,especially when the listed price seems way too good to be true.

Farai: I mainly shop for well-known brands and through trusted sites such as Peadeals.com, basically, places and products that I’ve bought from before. Other than that, it absolutely must be a site, product or brand that someone I completely trust has recommended to me.

Pauline: I tend to stick to the familiar brands, as opposed the new or small online retailers.  If I do find a product, I absolutely have to buy by I’m not familiar with the seller, I always check to make sure the site is secure, has real reviews and endorsements and provides secure payment methods – such as Paypal or Stripe.

Haley: I have a specific credit card that I use just for online shopping.  Other than that, I usually shop with tried-and-tested brands, or ones that have a solid online presence.  I trust friends’ recommendations too.  What I hear from word of mouth is pretty important for me to get an idea about service quality, so I will also usually carry out a quick review search of the company or the product.  Finally, because I work in fraud prevention at a major bank, I also know some technical features that help with online shopping security.  For one, since the advent of the internet and online shopping there have been wide-ranging innovations,from digital wallets to one-click purchases, which brought enhanced security and convenience for us consumers and have led to exponential growth in the sector.

How do you picture the future of online shopping going forward? 🤖

Winona: I imagine online shopping site will use more intelligent software or even artificial intelligence to work out our needs and requirements.  Some sites are even starting to recommend the size and style you should order based on your previous orders!  Companies will also see to make our experience easier with fewer returns.  Hopefully delivery will be made better and quicker too.  Amazon seems to have a handle on this with their drone delivery testing.

Roselyn: I would like to see more one-click/Google Pay-type buying options, it’s just so simple and convenient.  I site I used has a feature where you present a photo of any piece of clothing you like and if they sell it on their site, it will come up, and if they don’t have the exact one,it shows you similar items.  I would love to see more things like that going forward.  I just imagine stores will generally become more intelligent and compliment our busy lifestyle.  Maybe fast delivery like within one or two hours.  That’d be nice.

Farai: I want to see more companies offering speedier and more efficient delivery services.  More of them offering free returns.  More still creating a hybrid in-store/online experience.  Also, I want a future where household goods are ordered automatically by “the internet of things”-connected smart home devices.  And companies using data and analytics to better understand us and market to us accordingly.  I hope they read this interview.

Pauline:Retailers using previous purchase and products search history to target us with more custom-tailored products.  Higher video content to explain details and features for each product.  Same day delivery becoming more widespread and the ability to try before you buy.

Haley: I admit the online shopping experience is getting bigger all the time!  Most places now offer a next day service (although I’d like to see it not being for a little extra).  I would want more sites to partner with physical locations and offer click and collect as you can pick it up and it doesn’t go missing from your doorstep!

As we learned from our respondents’ answers above, the popularity of internet shopping is on the rise and they expect online stores to keep up with the competition.  Suggestions were that they do this by offering special deals on purchases, reducing their prices and offering benefits such as free delivery.  Still, don’t worry if the shops you try have no offers, you can still get great deals at Peadeals.com.  Shopping coupons for various online stores are available here.  Now, that’s how and why online shopping is succeeding.

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