According to Forrester Research, online retail spending in the U.S. surpassed 200 billion dollars during 2011. By the end of 2016, economic analysts predict that 175 million online shoppers will propel total online retail expenditures beyond 325 billion dollars per year. Although online stores almost always offer the lowest prices, it is possible to save even more money by following a few online shopping tips. Of course, this is particularly important as the holiday shopping season approaches.
For the 80 percent of web users who have chosen to shop online, the benefits of online shopping are obvious. Online shopping not only allows folks to shop 24 hours per day, seven days per week, but makes it possible to scour the globe for hard to find items. Furthermore, shoppers will almost always get the best deals online, especially if there are no shipping charges. In fact, during 2012, seven out of ten web users actually made online purchases, because the internet prices were lower than the prices charged by brick and mortars retailers.
The only real disadvantages of shopping online might include not being able to see items first hand, and having to wait for purchases to arrive. Otherwise, there really is nothing negative about shopping online. Also, contrary to popular myth, if holiday shoppers follow some simple, safe holiday shopping tips, shopping online is safe and secure. Not to down play the value of holiday shopping safety tips, the most popular internet shopping sites are far safer than shopping at brick and mortar stores, regardless of the precautions shoppers take. After all, the risk of being robbed or losing your debit card in your living room is pretty unlikely.
As nearly half of smart phone owners have used their phones to make online purchases, expect to encounter special purchasing incentives aimed at mobile device users, as retailers attempt to capitalize upon mobile technology. Thus, if you own an iOS device, Android phone, or other mobile device, one of the smartest holiday shopping tips might be to keep a lookout for any such deals.
Since most retailers count on the holiday season to generate significant portions of their annual revenues, as we all know, holiday shoppers expect to find some great deals as November and December roll around. In order to get the best deals possible, some of the most valuable holiday shopping tips include staying on top of sales advertisements and taking the time to compare prices among as many retail sources as possible.
