There are significant advantages of online shopping for shoppers, including:

An overall better customer experience, especially in our competitive retail environment, when compared with bricks and mortar stores;

Better inventory control, as online sales do not expose a store to the risks of a big loss due to merchandise out of stock, as we generally stock up on our inventory, instead of keeping it on hand, or having it available in an emergency;

A reduced need for warehouse space and logistics management to operate a business that ships and handles orders, and therefore, less costly for retailers to operate a business; and,

Online retailers don’t need to pay for credit card processing and security, as they don’t need to obtain a merchant account. The same payment method can be used on both brick and mortar and online retailers.

Online store usually have better prices. Online retailers usually have the possibility to set more competitive prices. If customers have time to wait few days, shopping online can still save them money through online savings codes (like the ones at https://www.raise.com/coupons/lowes), special one-day deals, and benefit from free shipping offers.

“In addition, online retailers tend to be much more effective in the way they work with their customer,” said John A. Gullen, founder of the Gullen Group, Inc. “Online retailers understand that customer service is a major part of their success. Online retail customers tend to be much more generous and customer-oriented than their brick-and-mortar counterparts.” According to Fink, that means brick-and-mortar retailers don’t have to compete for your business, as they would have to with online retailers. And if they don’t want to pay for credit card processing and security, they have less need to pay for a warehouse. The takeaway? You can have all the security and quality of service for less than in-store.

“We are in the midst of a massive shift in retail. And online has played a huge role in the process,” Gullen said. “Online retailers will pay you to come into their stores. So they’re actually paying you for the opportunity to visit your store. The best thing about online retail is that you don’t need a warehouse. You can have a team of experts to walk you through your order.”