The metaphor of an online catalog is also used, by analogy with mail order catalogs. All types of stores have retail web sites, including those that do and do not also have physical storefronts and paper catalogs.
In recent years, online shopping has become popular; however, it still caters to the middle and upper class. In order to shop online, one must be able to have access to a computer and most of the time, own a credit card. This technology separates social classes and their ability to shop. The shopping landscape not only helps distract us from the enormous social segregation by race and class that the most privileged Americans find completely natural, it helps to reproduce this segregation. Shopping has evolved with the growth of technology and that means an even larger separation between social classes and their means to shop. Social position strongly influences individual preferences and tastes in popular culture. According to research found in the Journal of Electronic Commerce, if we focus on the demographic characteristics of the in-home shopper, in general, the higher the level of education, income, and occupation of the head of the household, the more favourable the perception of non-store shopping. It should be remembered that an influential factor in consumer attitude towards non-store shopping is exposure to technology, since it has been demonstrated that increased exposure to technology increases the probability of developing favourable attitudes towards new shopping channels.
Online shopping widened the target audience to men and women of the middle class. At first, main users of online shopping were young men with a high level of income and a university education. This profile is changing. For example, in USA in the early years of Internet there were very few women users, but by 2001 women were 52.8% of the online population. Sociocultural pressure has made men generally more independent in their purchase decisions, while women place greater value on personal contact and social relations. In addition, male shoppers are more independent when deciding on purchasing products because unlike women, they don’t necessarily need to see or try on the product.
Online shoppers commonly use credit card to make payments, however some systems enable users to create accounts and pay by alternative means, such as:
- Debit card
- Various types of electronic money
- Cash on delivery (C.O.D., offered by very few online stores)
- Cheque
- Wire transfer/delivery on payment
- Postal money order
- Paypal
- Google Checkout
- Money bookers
- Reverse SMS billing to mobile phones
- Gift Cards
- Direct debit in some countries
Some sites will not allow international credit cards and billing address and shipping address have to be in the same country in which site does its business. Other sites allow customers from anywhere to send gifts anywhere. The financial part of a transaction might be processed in real time (for example, letting the consumer know their credit card was declined before they log off), or might be done later as part of the fulfillment process.
While credit cards are currently the most popular means of paying for online goods and services, alternative online payments will account for 26% of e-commerce volume by 2009 according to Celent.
Product delivery
Once a payment has been accepted the goods or services can be delivered in the following ways.
- Download: This is the method often used for digital media products such as software, music, movies, or images.
- Shipping: The product is shipped to the customer's address.
- Drop shipping: The order is passed to the manufacturer or third-party distributor, who ships the item directly to the consumer, bypassing the retailer's physical location to save time, money, and space.
- In-store pickup: The customer orders online, finds a local store using locator software and picks the product up at the closest store. This is the method often used in the bricks and clicks business model.
- In the case of buying an admission ticket one may get a code, or a ticket that can be printed out. At the premises it is made sure that the same right of admission is not used twice.
Articles
Holiday Shopping Made Easy - How to Save This Season by Earl Stringer
Everyone knows that the holiday season can take a serious toll on one's finances in a heartbeat. So many people find themselves in debt or near broke come the first of the year. There are a couple of reasons this happens. One is inflation of goods every year and another is over spending. This article will take a look at how you can make holiday shopping easy this year. You will learn how you can save big time on gifts and stay debt free.Listed below are a few tips that will help you get through the holiday shopping season without getting stressed out.
Save Up - You would think that saving up for your holiday shopping would be automatic; but surprisingly, many consumers do not have a dime saved up when it is time to start their gift shopping. I know that everyone is not on the same financial level, but if possible you should try to put a little something aside every check or at least once a month dedicated entirely to holiday shopping. You will be surprised to see how much you have to spend when the holidays roll around. I personally take just ten dollars a week and put it in an account that is just for holiday spending. I do this all year around, that way I never miss that money from my check, it's like it's never there.
Start Early - I really like this simple idea, start your shopping early. I mean, we all know the holiday season is coming every year and we all pretty much know who we need to shop for. With that being said; you can start shopping for friends and family way before the holiday season even begins. If you buy a sweater here and a toaster there, next thing you know, you may only have one or two things to buy come November and December.
Buy Universal Gifts - This is a great idea if you have to shop for couples. Find something that they both can benefit from. This can sometimes be a lot cheaper then buying individual gifts for each person. Great universal gifts are things like toasters, games or gift certificates Look Online - Even though people are still drawn to the mall when it comes to knocking out most of their shopping you can often times find some really good deals online. This really can come in handy if you already know what you are looking for. All you really need to do is put a quick search for whatever you are looking for and compare to find the best price.
Find Wholesalers - This is one of the most overlooked but most effective ways to save big time on holiday shopping. This is true because most do not know about or understand buying goods at wholesale prices. I f you can find a good wholesale company, you probably will be able to do all of your holiday shopping through them and save big time! When I say big time, I mean you can be paying up to 75-80% off retail prices for thousands of products, pretty cool, huh?
Halloween Invitations Cards for Halloween Party Introduced by CardsShoppe by Sarah Porter, http://www.cardsshoppe.com
CardsShoppe Introduces This Year's Exclusive Halloween Invitations for Halloween Party CelebrationsAs the leaves start to change color and the new school year begins, many people are turning their attention to the next holiday - Halloween! Although the holiday has gone through some rough times in recent years with fewer parents letting their children go trick or treating and some people decrying the holiday as evil, October 31st is always going to be one of the top party holiday choices around. To meet the needs of those Halloween party costume wearing party hosts, one card company has decided to launch its new line of Halloween Invitations Cards for this year's Halloween season.
That card company is CardsShoppe, one of the best-known sources for all personalized Holiday-Invitations. The purpose of this new line is to meet the needs of consumers who seem more interested than ever in throwing an exciting Halloween party. Whether they want a costume party or a kids Halloween event, this new line of invitations will provide everything they need to make sure the word gets out and to attract guests to attend the celebration. Because these invitations are unique, most hosts will love the idea of sending them to potential guests because the "wow" factor will set the stage for the rest of a fabulous event.
Sharon Shelton, president of Cards Shoppe, expressed her excitement over the new line of Halloween Party Invitations cards: "We are thrilled to be expanding our already sizable line of Halloween cards this year. Each year, we have seen tremendous interest in the holiday party cards for Halloween. We feel strongly that this new line of cards will be a huge asset to our company and to our customers. Our customers are definitely out there throwing great parties to celebrate and we just knew we had to do something to make their jobs easier." While these cards are new, the company does already have some party Halloween cards available. These holiday invitations cards, according to Shelton, have been some of their top sellers in recent years.
Cards Shoppe, as helmed by Shelton, has come to dominate the online card market on the Internet. The site has remained focused on providing two things: the largest selection of holiday-related cards, vitations, and announcements available and providing customers with the best customer service available. The introduction of this new line of invitations helps them continue meeting their first focus by expanding their already-wide selection of holiday-related cards which include Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, New Years, Mardi Gras, Oktoberfest, Holiday Thank You Cards and more.
The company's commitment to its customers can clearly be seen not only in their continuing efforts to provide greater customization and personalization options but also in the introduction of this new line that meets the needs of customers. The company has also reached the top of the industry thanks to its unique and patented preview software that allows customers to see what their Halloween invitations cards will look like BEFORE they buy!
As the leading online holiday greeting cards store, Cardsshoppe offers many advantages to shopping with them! · Instant Preview After Personalizing Your Halloween Party Invitations party cards! · Your Proof will be Submitted Within ONE Hour After Completing Your Order During the Business Day, and We Will Make Unlimited Revisions, FREE · Same Day Printing and Shipping if Your Order is Approved by 2:00 p.m. Central Time · Free Shipping and 10 Free Cards, with minimum quantity purchase · Exclusive Designs Available ONLY at Cards Shoppe and its Affiliates · Add a Photo or Picture; Modify and Card Design on our Site at NO extra charges · Create a Design especially for you with minimum quantity order
For more information on Cards Shoppe's new line of party invitations cards, visit their web site, http://www.cardsshoppe.com
Great Shopping Experiences at Football Kit Shops by Soophott Lert
Football is one of the most played games in the world and people all over the world call it "association football." The football kit plays a role of paramount importance when one intends to play this game. It is commonly said that the team's success depends considerably upon the quality of their football kits because it has a deep impact on the players' efficiency. If you are an ardent lover of football, ensure that you buy genuine stuff from original football kit shops.Here are some of the valuable features to be kept in mind before buying football kits: o Looks: One of the most prominent factors related to the football kit is the way it looks. Studies have proved that players wearing well-fitted football kits perform better in the game. That is why it is paramount for players to go for good football kits so that they can perform in the most desired manner. o Fabric: The next attribute that needs your careful attention is the fabric used in the football kits. It is highly recommended to choose fabrics that are resilient in nature so that when playing, if the fabric gets stretched, the person wearing it does not feel uncomfortable. o Durability: The next feature you must look for in the kit is the durability factor. Durable football kits will last for more than one season and has adequate sheen to glide on turf during tackle. It should be comfortable enough to wear so that you can adequately enjoy the game.
Choose from Online Football Kit Shops
There are online football kit shops available that provide numerous varieties and categories of football kits, such as national teams, English teams, Greek teams, Dutch teams, Spanish teams, Argentinean teams, Brazilian teams, Italian teams, 08-09 jerseys and Portuguese teams to name but a few.
Quality benefits of Online Shopping
The biggest advantage attached to these online shops is that they cater to the needs, as well as the requirements, of the customer in the most appropriate ways. Following are some of the benefits given to the customers: o The online shops are 24/7 available and accessible. This largely helps when buying the football kit as per one's convenience. o The online football kit shops provide a large variety of kits to choose from. This way the shops have something in store for all customers. o The online kit shops are for the official merchandise and that is why they deliver the orders direct to the customers' doorsteps. This greatly adds to the convenience and comfort factor of their clients. o If you want to get the name of a player or number imprinted on the kit, these shops offer this service free of charge. Also, customers can get the kits personalized as per their choice. Through this facility, the customers get to enjoy the factor of flexibility in a big way.
Take advantage of the services of these online football kit shops and get the personalized football kits of your choice so that you can play the game of football and experience victory. Happy buying!
How To Buy Women's Shoes And Accessories Online by Jeff
Whether you are a woman with a professional career, spending an evening out on the town with someone special, or just a casual day of doing nothing, wearing comfortable, yet stylish women shoes and accessories, completes any outfit for any occasion!
Every woman probably owns at least one pair of black classic heels, comfortable flats and a pair of stylish casual and dress sandals. If not, she should definitely add these women shoes to her closet! These must-have women's shoes nicely complement a skirt and jacket, or bring to life to an otherwise boring business suit. Even owning a pair of women's dress sandals is perfect for adding flavor to a simple dress. And of course, every woman should own a pair of casual sandals for a summer day of sun and fun at the beach.
Online stores today offer many different styles and colors of women shoes to dress-up business suits or keep it simple for enjoying a summer day outdoors! These stores carry a wide selection of very affordable women shoes and sandals in sizes 6 รข€" 11, as well as coordinating accessories all in one place! You can browse through an online catalogue with dozens of pictures and descriptions of stylish heels, trendy flats, and dazzling sandals for work or play!
Coordinating accessories are also perfect for adding your own personal style to your wardrobe. Whether it's a colorful handbag or matching necklace and earrings, the accessories can transform a boring and blah outfit to sparkling and spectacular! A good store usually also offers women's accessories including handbags and jewelry to fit anyone's budget!
Just as important as making a fashion statement, when shopping for women shoes you should also shop with comfort in mind. Wearing uncomfortable shoes can make for a miserable day! The discomfort, whether shoes are too tight and narrow, or too big and rub blisters on the back of your heels, can easily be avoided. When shopping for a new pair of women shoes, it's important to know your shoe size. With an idea of the style of women shoes you want, and knowing your comfortable shoe size, shoe shopping doesn't have to be a daunting task.
Consumer Credit Card Pitfalls Could Be Costly by Nick Makaryk
There is not any shortage of credit cards online, in the mail, and anywhere else possible. However, it can become a hard task to maintain your credit card, and it can prove even harder to get the right credit card you need.
High Street stores are all too willing to give you a discount on the day if you sign up for one of their cards, and lets face it, that extra 10% is usually tempting whoever you are. Nonetheless before you know it you will be facing yet another monthly credit card bill.
One of the biggest problems with credit cards is that they can cover up that you are actually spending money. By not actually spending cash, you can feel that your purchases are not really costing you at all. Ultimately, this is an expensive illusion and your reality can become very painful indeed if you build up too much credit card debt.
Even if you pay the minimum payment by the due date, your credit card balance is barely affected. You may not make things worse by incurring late fees, but your debt levels remain unaltered unless you can actually pay down the balance.
Ask yourself just how long it would take you to get rid of the debt completely if you didn't charge another penny to the account. Never consider getting a new credit card to transfer a balance unless the new card offers you interest free credit for a certain amount of time, ideally the time it will take for you to pay off all of the debt.
Many of the major credit cards are accepted everywhere, no matter where you go, so one should suit you. At the most, have two. This is a much easier way to keep an eye on expenditure, rather than having five or six credit cards to sort out each month.
Another temptation of credit cards are cash advances. Companies offer these because they are easy to get your hands on, especially at ATMs. Though handy, these advances come along with a high interest that is calculated daily, so you might end up biting more than you can swallow with a cash advance.
If you are one to use an ATM regularly, you will find that your debt will build up and soar over a small time of just a few months. Interest can go as high as 24%, so avoid this. It makes much more sense to avoid temptations such as rewards and bonuses. Try to opt for a credit card with no frills, no annual fee, and a low interest rate.
When trying to establish a good credit history, you can do so by using a credit card correctly. Your payments have to be on time. It is important that your credit rating stays healthy, especially in the case that you need to buy something big, like a car. During these times, you will be rewarded for having good credit history. As much as some of us love them, shopping sprees aren't needed. Neither are cash advances and late payments. These all go into your credit rating, so if you are looking to use your credit card to build up good credit, only spend what you know you can afford to pay back each month.
Successfully Selling You Property Online by Edward D Parry
When it comes to selling property, what immediately comes to mind is the usual old fashion method of going about it, where you go out and find yourself a real estate agent to help you with the process and help you make the best sale. And if you are going about it yourself, you would place ads in the local newspapers or get the word out there that you are selling your home and are on the lookout for a buyer.But now, thanks to modern technology, there is another method or means of selling our home successfully which we can now turn to - selling it online. These days the internet has become our number one source that we turn too whenever we are looking for something, shopping, searching for new websites, just about anything really, and when it comes to buying property it is no different no matter where in the world you are.
For example if you were living in Leicester and you wanted to put up an ad for properties for sale in Leicester, you could use the internet as a tool to widen your buyer base. You could reach a lot more people simple by placing a notice about selling your property over the internet in the proper website and just like that, half your advertising is done for you.
But just like selling your regular property, there are some things that you are going to have to do if you want your sale to be as successful as possible. Merely placing an ad online about properties for sale in Leicester for instance is not going to be sufficient because there are going to be a lot of other ads out there competing with yours and you want to make sure yours get notice and not bypassed.
Some tips you could keep in mind when selling your property online if you want your properties for sale in Leicester, or anywhere else for example, to go as successfully as possible are:
- Post your ad on as many websites as possible - The more websites you place your ads in the more likely it is to get noticed. There are plenty of websites out there and there is no harm in you placing your ad in as many as you can so you can reach the largest potential buyers available out there. That is the beauty of the internet, it is not restricted by geographical boundaries and with it, you can reach twice the number of people you would compared to if you had used the traditional medium of advertising.
- Upload pictures of your home - pictures are the most convincing marketing tool you can use. People tend to believe pictures more easily than they do words, especially over the internet, so use this to your advantage and put up one, two or more photos of your home that shows it at its best. Take good angles, and good lighting, anything that is going to flatter your home and make it attention grabbing.
- Highlight your home's best points - when you write out an ad description of your home, highlight all the wonderful things that your home has to offer. For example you could talk about the lovely fireplace it has, or the spacious garden full of flowers, the modern and stylish kitchen equipped with the latest features, anything that is going to show your home in good light. Now is not the time to be modest, so go ahead and list down anything that you can boast about your home.
- Additional information - if your home is placed in a strategic location, say it. If your home is near some of the best schools around, mention it. If your home is conveniently located near key public transport systems, bring it up. Give your buyers all the extra information they would need to help them make a decision about whether your home is the right one for them or not.
Selling property online is really as simple as selling your property the old fashioned regular way, except selling property online allows you to reach a wider range of audiences that you might not be able to with the old way because the Internet is everywhere. Online advertising is a powerful tool these days, and its effectiveness is increasing as more and more people get in touch with technology so give it a go and see how fast and easily you can sell your piece of property no matter where it may be located.
The Benefits Of Canadian Online Shopping by Amy Nut
There are a lot of reasons to shop online, the convenience is unrivaled and often you can find better prices than in local stores. However, if you live in Canada, you might feel that there just aren`t the same kinds of deals for Canadians as there are for Americans.
The truth is, most free shipping offers are US only and that can be a real turn-off if you live in Canada and the shipping is higher. Not to mention, there are plenty of points systems and rewards available for those residing in the US, most of which are not available to Canadians. However, this doesn`t mean online shopping is out if you happen to live north of the border . . . in fact, there are some major benefits.
Buy Local
When shopping on the internet, you have access to stores worldwide. There is always shipping to consider, of course, but you really do have access to just about anything you can think of. When you buy within the country, though, you`re supporting your own economy and this can be a great way to show your appreciation for Canadian businesses and products. Many small businesses operate only online and ship only within Canada, so by looking overseas and at American sites only, you miss out on a lot of options.
Cheaper Shipping
When you order in country, you don`t have to pay duties, customs fees or over-priced shipping fees. Everything is much more economical and that`s a huge plus, especially if you want to buy something larger, like furniture. Try shipping a children`s table set from England to Canada . . . it won`t be cheap!
You can also find free shipping through some programs and companies, which is usually only valid within the country.
Canadian Rewards Programs
Most Canadians can`t actually participate in the American rewards programs that give you special discounts and such for buying through them. However, if you join a Canadian online shopping program, you`ll get all the same benefits while buying in country.
Some of the benefits found in rewards programs for Canadians include:
- Savings and discounts, often up to 25-50% on products you would buy anyway.
- Free or deeply discounted shipping.
- Money
- back offers where you buy and get cash credited to you.
- Points and rewards. Basically, you earn points for shopping through the portal site and can later spend these points to get free products.
- Coupons redeemable online and occasionally, offline.
- Free gifts with purchase.
- 2 for 1 deals.
- Delayed payment, where you buy now, pay later.
Obviously, it depends on which rewards program you use . . . each one has a different offer. It really pays to take a look at some of the rewards available for Canadians and then to choose the best one for your online shopping needs. It`s also a matter of preference, some people prefer to receive immediate discounts, others would rather wait for their rebate.
Online Malls
This is one of the best ways to shop online. Through a Canadian virtual mall or rewards program, you can browse dozens or even hundreds of shops all at once for the products you need. Often the option to price check across various stores is available and you can search for whatever you need, receiving results from a variety of sellers.
The advantages of making your purchases online make it worthwhile to seek out Canadian options for online shopping. You can get the free shipping and discounts by shopping in your own country and enjoy the same benefits that many Americans do in the US.
