Monroe College
School of Business and Accounting
Course: EN111 College Writing and Critical Analysis
Student Name: Chantal Glasgow
Lecturer: Anthony Felicien
Assignment: Compare/ Contrast Essay
Date of Submission: Tuesday 28 March 2023
2
Online Shopping vs Traditional Shopping
For centuries, humans have engaged in the exchange of goods and services for money or its
equivalent. Shopping has evolved to cater to the changing needs of customers; from shopping for
necessities to shopping for wants and pleasure. The evolution of shopping has also implicated
where and how we shop. “Brick and mortar” shopping or traditional shopping, refers to customers
visiting the physical store to make purchases. With the advent of technology and the internet,
traditional shopping has since been accompanied by online shopping, which refers to the
purchasing of goods and/or services from businesses on their websites using the internet. While
traditional shopping started when man began the creation of goods and services, we saw the birth
of online shopping in the late 1970s, with the first online transaction done by English inventor,
Michael Aldrich. He invented a system that connected the television to a computer via a telephone
line and created a portal for internet shopping (Ang, 2021). Both forms of shopping offer customers
a variety of goods and services to choose from, however, they differ in many ways including the
level of convenience and social interactions they allow.
Traditional shopping or online shopping both offer customers a wide range of products to choose
from as well as access to special discounts. In the physical store, customers can walk through
organized aisles and browse for items, comparing brands as they shop. In the online store, those
shelves are arranged as digital catalogs which allow users to shop according to categorized items.
Some stores, such as Walmart, make provisions for both online and in-store purchasing. They
present their customers with a wide range of products to choose from; allowing them to compare
brands before making a purchase. Items such as electronics, clothing, and other types of consumer
goods can be found both in-store and online. They may also offer deals and discounts to their
customers both online and in the actual physical store. Some deals may be online only while others
3
may only be in-store, either way, both means of shopping provide benefits to all who consume
their goods. Special seasons such as Christmas or Black Friday make accommodations for both
types of shoppers, ensuring they both get great deals and discounts.
The type of shopping chosen by the shopper is purely subjective based on preferences, however,
online shopping offers a degree of convenience that is superior to traditional shopping. Shoppers
can make purchases from the comfort of their homes or offices without having to visit the physical
store. With internet access, a device, and the knowledge needed to browse online shopping
platforms, consumers can now engage in e-commerce. This engagement and convenience allows
them to interact with merchants on a global level as well. Recent statistics show that about 56% of
Americans prefer to shop online because of the convenience of not having to leave their homes
(Barber, 2021). This convenience is why businesses are evolving to offer e-commerce services to
satisfy their consumers’ needs. Watson (2020) predicted that online sales will increase by 14.8%
annually through 2023, while physical stores will only increase by 1.9%. His research also
highlights that 95% of all shopping in the United States is done online. The recent pandemic has
highlighted the advantages of e-commerce as people were encouraged to stay home but still needed
to purchase basic consumer goods. The convenience of ‘shopping around’ is also an advantage of
online shopping. Consumers do not have to commute to different locations to find what they are
looking for and can do so from the comfort of their homes. Online shopping allows us to shop
‘without borders,’ meaning that we can shop anywhere in the world from businesses that offer
online services without being limited to the geographic boundaries of our country. Shoppers can
make purchases anywhere at any time once the appropriate resources are available.
The convenience of online shopping does not benefit shoppers who enjoy the social experience
and interactions that traditional shopping brings. Being able to enter a store and interact physically
4
with the sales associate and the product is an advantage of traditional shopping that is sometimes
preferred as compared to online shopping. Traditional shopping allows shoppers to interact with
the product, trying it out and checking the quality and fit firsthand before making a purchase.
Shopping for personal items such as shoes or clothing items would be done more confidently in
person, as buyers would have the advantage of trying out the items first. This advantage is not
extended to online shopping as shoppers would only be able to make physical contact with their
purchases after it has been paid for and delivered. On the online platform, marketers and producers
try their best to provide consumers with as many pictures and angles of the product with lengthy,
persuasive descriptions of the details, but this cannot be compared to examining the product
yourself. The traditional shopping experience also includes personal interactions that are still
enjoyed by consumers. The automated customer service or total lack of seller/buyer interaction
that comes with online shopping is a great disadvantage to persons who enjoy the interactive faceto-face shopping experience.
Whether traditional or online, customers are faced with the benefits and drawbacks of each method
of shopping. Both forms of shopping offer a range of products to choose from with special offers
and discounts, ensuring no one is disadvantaged. Persons may opt to engage in e-commerce
because of the convenience of being able to shop from anywhere at any time. However, traditional
shopping lacks this level of convenience and ease of shopping but offers more personal interactions
with the products and sales persons. Ultimately, how we consume goods and services depends on
personal preferences and the resources available.
5
References
Ang, C. (2021, July 5). Timeline: Key Events in the History of Online Shopping. Visual
Capitalist. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/history-of-online-shopping/
Barber, R. (2021, September 20). Online Shopping Statistics, Facts & Trends in 2021.
Cloudwards. https://www.cloudwards.net/online-shopping-statistics/
Marhamat, B. (2022, August 16). Council Post: The History Of Brick-And-Mortar Retail And
What’s In Store For The Future. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2022/08/16/the-historyof-brick-and-mortar-retail-and-whats-in-store-for-the-future/?sh=30e260ad544d
Murphy, C. (2022, September 18). How Brick And Mortar Stores are Performing and Adapting.
Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/brickandmortar.asp
Watson, T. (2020, May 21). Online Shopping vs In-Store Shopping - Which is Better for
Retailers. Skywell Software. https://skywell.software/blog/online-shopping-vs-in-storeshopping/