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Online shopping is the process consumers go through to purchase
products or services over the Internet. An online shop, e-shop, e-store,
internet shop, webshop or online store evokes the physical analogy of
buying products or services at a bricks-and-mortar retailer or in a
shopping mall. It is an electronic commerce application used for
business-to-business electronic commerce (B2B) or business-to-consumer
electronic commerce (B2C).
Online shopping is popular mainly because of
its speed and ease of use. Some issues of concern can include
fluctuating exchange rates for foreign currencies, local and
international laws and delivery methods
Online shoppers can easily learn from previous experiences of
different products, mostly by reading user or expert reviews. Many
online stores allow customers to comment or rate their items. There are
also dedicated review sites that host user reviews for different
products.
It is important to do business with reputable online
stores to avoid possible Internet fraud and to easily
exchange or return when things go wrong. Shoppers often read
store ratings or reviews by other customers if they are not
familiar with some online stores.
Some general guidelines apply when choosing an online store
Honesty in providing product information and availability
Speed of orders processing
Shipping cost and speed: online package tracking is popular
Return/exchange policy: the time frame customers can
return/exchange; who should pay the returning shipping; if
there is any restocking fee etc. (Note: In the United
Kingdom, Online shops are prohibited from charging a
restocking fee if the consumer cancels their order in
accordance with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling)
Act 2000
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