Q1.
What do you think are the pros and cons of online and physical shopping respectively? Explore this question from the point of view of both, sellers and buyers.
Answer
Four points of view, so build the answer as a four-box grid.
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Online — the buyer | Shop from home at any hour, even “thousands of kilometres away”; huge variety; prices easy to compare; online reviews from other consumers; home delivery; online payment; services such as online classes without stepping out | Cannot touch, smell, try on or test the goods; must wait for delivery; risk of a wrong or damaged item; returns are troublesome; no bargaining; needs a phone, internet and some digital confidence |
| Online — the seller | Reaches buyers all over the country and abroad without a shop; no costly shop rent; open 24 hours; the aggregator handles packing and delivery; manufacturers can also buy their inputs online | Must compete with thousands of other sellers on one screen, so mostly on price; pays a commission to the aggregator; bad reviews spread fast; cost of returns and of packing perishables |
| Physical — the buyer | See, touch and test before paying; take the goods home at once; bargain; deal with a shopkeeper the family has trusted for years; easy exchange; no delivery charge | Must travel and spend time; limited to what the nearby shops stock; shop timings; harder to compare prices across shops |
| Physical — the seller | Can persuade a customer face to face; builds a long relationship, even “across generations”; immediate payment; no packing or courier cost | Rent, electricity and staff to pay; only nearby customers; the shop must be manned all day; stock is limited by the size of the shop |
Tip: the two are not enemies. Many families now see the product in a physical shop and buy it online, or order online and collect from the store. A good answer says so.