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HIGH STREET SHOPPING VERSUS INTERNET SHOPPING

When you think of shopping, do you associate high street shopping or internet shopping as your preferred medium? There are of course, advantages and disadvantages to both but which one is better? This may be dependent on your personal preference or which is the most convenient for purchasing goods at a given time. This can also be determined by availability. Some goods may only be bought either online or from a physical shop.

The internet can save time

When many people seem to have a distinct lack of time, the internet is often used for the purchase of goods. A good example of this is buying a car. Often information is searched for regarding potential purchases online but then the actual point of sale comes from a mortar-and- bricks shop. The internet can also be good if you are time restricted. If you know exactly what you are looking for, need something quickly but do not have the time to go to the high street during your normal working week, you can order something online and it can arrive the next day.

It can definitely be beneficial to do some of your shopping online. For example, you can save at least an hour per week if you select your grocery shopping online and have it delivered to your home. The only disadvantage to this is the fee for the delivery every week. Purchasing items such as books and CDs online can also save time. In many cases items such as these can also be cheaper to purchase online than on the high street. The internet can also be a fantastic resource for the research and the purchase of non-everyday products such as birthday or Christmas presents and jewellery. Online banking can also be a far more convenient way of transferring money from one account to another than going into a high street bank or building society.

The advantage of the high street

If you have the time to have a good browse, the high street can be a better option. If you buy clothing from the high street, trying the items on in a changing room before purchasing ensures that the clothes are the correct fit. If you are purchasing clothing online, you cannot guarantee that it will fit. If you buy the item online from a reputable online retailer and it does not fit you can of course send it back and in most cases exchange or refund it.

Whatever you want or need to purchase as a consumer, the high street offers the advantage of allowing you to view the actual product whether it be a book, a CD, shoes or clothing etc. The high street is also highly convenient if you want to quickly buy a sandwich and/or a drink from a cafe or a newsagent and take it away with you. It also acts as a browsing ground. For example, you may wish to purchase a new electrical item such as a television and have seen it at a cheaper price online but want to see it in the flesh beforehand. As mentioned earlier, the same can also be said for the internet.

Overall there are advantages and disadvantages to buying goods online or from the high street. If you are time restricted for whatever reason, the internet can be more convenient. However, if you have time to browse and want to see the goods before you buy them, the high street can have the upper hand. Essentially it is dependent on personal preference as to what works the best for the individual.

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COMPREHENSION CHECK

I. Match the halves.

WORD STUDY

II. Match words to their definitions.

III. Find 5 pairs of synonyms.

convenient / save / limited / purchase / restricted / buy / economize / comfortable / choice / option

a)high street shopping;

b)Internet shopping.

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