A Modern Shopping Trend

During the recent gas price increases, many major stores reported losses in their bricks and mortar outlets, yet their online sales blossomed. Brick and mortar stores spend thousands on air conditioning, designers, personnel, stands and decorations to catch your eye. When you shop online, often your order will be fulfilled via a warehouse that doesn't have all those gimmicks and expenses, therefor you can find better deals on the Internet.

I've been an online shopper for a couple of years now and I can say that I have saved not only time but also money by using discount coupons, Zero Sales Tax stores and last minute deals. But I realize that a lot of people are still very apprehensive about E-commerce due to the possibility of identity theft. But think about this, when you give your card to a waiter, or when they pass it on a store, they also keep the information in their systems and those systems are connected to the Internet, in many cases that is how hackers get the information. Although online shopping from trustworthy retailers is safe, here are some helpful tips to protect yourself when shopping online:

• Don't be impressed by low prices. Many times prices that are way below the average can come from illegitimate businesses that might take your money and run.
• Always look for a physical address and a phone number.
• Always check for security certificates, be sure that the website is SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protected.
• Always read the terms of service before you finish your transaction.
• If you are going to create an account with a retailer be sure to have a strong password.

Online shopping also has a green side. Most likely a delivery truck is headed to your neighborhood anyway. It is better for the environment to have 1 truck delivering to 6 houses, than having 6 cars heading to the store, increasing traffic and the gas emissions. Many stores also re-use boxes and packing materials to help reduce their carbon footprint and they also use materials that can be recycled.

Buying thins online is fun and easy. There are great search engines out there that can help you find what you are looking for in seconds. You can even compare the price between different stores that carry the same product without having to visit physically each of them! No wonder why online shopping is expected to grow even more over the next few years.

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