[Abstract]
The purpose of this document is to provide an increased or basic knowledge and a comparison of online and retail stores. Also included in this document is a comparison of how buying a product online differs from buying a product from a retail store and which products are better suited to be sold online as opposed to through a retail store.
[Content]
When trying to determine whether a product should be bought in a retail store an online store it is important to know if the type of product and if it meets certain standards. Products, which are created to meet international standards, can easily be bought online as opposed to going into a retail store. Retail stores are ideal for products in which a buyer might not know about the particular product. If a buyer knows about a particular product it may be more feasible for them to buy the product through an etail store.
Retail stores provide an ideal environment for customers whom are unsure about a product and may need to physically touch and assess the product. Products like clothing, linens, shoes, foods, and decorative items are examples of products in which they may be better for a customer to look, touch, and decide upon the correct product for them. Products, which are based upon customer comfort, also may need to be seen and felt by the customer. Retail stores allow customers to decide which product is right for them by allowing the customer to try on clothing, shoes, or even lie down upon a bed to determine which mattress feels right to the customer. Retail stores also provide an environment in which a customer can talk with a representative or even other customers in attempt to determine which is the best product or which certain products may have that another does not. Many retail stores also try to entice a larger customer base by creating coupons, having sales, or providing other special offers that provide a benefit for physically visiting a store. It is also not uncommon for retail stores to have an etail store to further expand their customer base or even provide a means for a customer who knows what they want or do not have any of the particular retail stores near them to go online and make a purchase. Retail stores provide an environment for customers to touch, feel, smell, taste, and even ask questions about a product in order for the customer to make a determination about which product is the right product.
Etail stores provide technological environment in which is ideal for customers who do not need to touch and feel a product in order to determine what they want or just may want to make a purchase from the comfort of their own home. A couple good examples of products, which may be best suitable for customers to buy though an etail store as opposed to a retail store, are products like computer or even automotive parts. These products might be best suited for the etail environment because the products are manufactured to adhere to both computer and automotive standards. When a customer wants a 3Ghz dual processor, 2 Terabyte hard drive, or even a ceramic bearing turbo booster for their car, they can buy it online and know exactly what they are getting by either knowing or looking up the standards of the product they are intending on buying. Sometimes etail stores are better to buy from due to discounts they may have on shipping to a customer, by providing specials like this can entice customers to do more online shopping. Online stores have advantages like they are more secure, cheaper to maintain, and they are open 24 hours a day/7 days a week (Matyjewicz, 1999). Other times online stores are idea to make purchases through instead of going to a store and fighting crowds that may be in the store during peak seasons like Thanksgiving or Christmas (Stoller, 2007).
In conclusion, there are different reasons for which type of store is more ideal, however I believe that when a customer knows what they want or do not want to deal with crowds of stores it is more of an advantage to use the services of an etail store. When somebody wants to look at a product and perhaps try it on in the event of purchasing clothing it may be best to go into an actual brick and mortar store to assess the products. If a customer might have an idea what they want, but do not know the specifics about a particular product and they need to talk with an expert about the product it may again be more beneficial to go into a retail store to get the assistance in which is required.
References
1. Matyjewicz, G (1999). The E-Tailer’s Digest – Issue your resource for retail on the Net. +++ S P E C I A L R E P O R T +++ “eTail ‚Äò99 ¬≠ Online Retail Conference” — A summary of the conference by George Matyjewicz. Retrieved July 24, 2008, from The E-Tailer’s Digest – Issue your resource for retail on the Net. +++ S P E C I A L R E P O R T +++ “eTail ‚Äò99 ¬≠ Online Retail Conference” — A summary of the conference by George Matyjewicz Web site:
2. Stoller, C (2007). Will Retail Sync with E-tail for Holiday Season?. Retrieved July 24, 2008, from Will Retail Sync with E-tail for Holiday Season? Web site: [URL Removed Broken link]