Online sales vs your local high street

September 3, 2007 · Filed Under branding

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The BBC has just reported that online sales were up to £4.2 billion in July, almost double July 06. I am taking this to mean in the UK, as they don’t actually clarify this. This is a pretty staggering statistic and cannot be completely down to the awful weather discouraging people to venture out shopping.

Which is better - online or high street?
This is the question which many people, including the business marketeers are going to be asking themselves and the public. I have a very strong opinion on this which I will outline below:

Online shopping pros

Choice
No need to leave the house
Price - usually better
Location - I can buy from just about any location, including different countries
Reviews - this is a HUGE part of the online shopping experience - literally thousands of people’s views on not only the actual item you want to buy, but also the other options and the available retailers
Speed
No parking hassles and no battling with the people in stores
Availability - I can buy 24/7, every day of the year (very dangerous when I used to be in front of the computer on a Friday night well into a bottle of Rioja Reserva!

Online Shopping Cons

You cannot actually see or touch an item

Hmmm… I’m struggling a bit here for more cons. And for the High Street, a direct reversal really, for me anyway!

So, you can see where my allegiance lies for many things, but it does really depend on what you are actually buying. Saying that, the vast majority of my shopping is done online.

Books = Amazon
Music = iTunes or Amazon
Electronic stuff / Photography gear - best avoid the UK if you don’t want to be ripped off!
T-shirts from Insanely Great Ts or Howies
Food - used to use Tesco home delivery but not for a while (may look into this again)

I think that the high street has really got to get their act together, especially the small boutiques, the places which have not got the brand names like Top Shop, the rock bottom proces from cheap labour like Primark or the large marketing budgets like Next. These places need to:

offer amazing customer service
give real experience
provide something different
use the internet and social media
do some viral marketing
differentiate, differentiate, differentiate!

What do you guys and gals think? Are you an online shopaholic? Where do you buy your gear?

Technorati Tags: amazon, onlineshopping, Skype

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CommentsOnline+sales+vs+your+local+high+street2007-09-03+19%3A04%3A57mossman to “Online sales vs your local high street”

Andy on September 4th, 2007 6:32 am

There’s one huge negative with shopping online, and that is having to deal with the parcel delivery companies such as ParcelFarce etc.

Too often do the parcels not get delivered on time, if at all - with many deliveries ‘going missing’. Then the headache of trying to contact somebody at the company who has more than a single digit IQ begins…

The high street isn’t too bad. If you want something quickly, and are able to get to the shops before midday on a weekday then you’d be surprised at how painless it can be
admin on September 4th, 2007 7:08 am

Andy, great point about Parcelfarce. I am waiting a package from the States which was posted two weeks ago and no show yet. Saying that, I ordered something online from California on Friday and it arrived yesterday! Unbelievable delivery!

For the stuff we buy, the high street is just too damn expensive and does not offer the variety or expertise IMHO. I went into Jessops at the weekend and it was awful, really bad and STUPID prices on memory cards etc. I was shocked
Andy on September 4th, 2007 9:55 am

To be fair, Jessops were hardly ever going to be the bastion of good service and great prices.

If you’d have shopped at Robert White or-such-like then I’m sure you’d have received excellent service. The price may not have been as good as you can get on the net (something I’d bet my house on!), but as was stated by a Andy Biggs:

“Of online retailers and brick and mortar camera stores

In order to keep my photography business going, I need to purchase a decent amount of gear. And I expect my gear to fail from time to time, which also increases the frequency of my purchases. So what is better for me, a discount online retailer or somebody that I can call by name on the phone? For my larger purchases, I rely on Hunt’s Photo. Gary Farber has been taking care of my needs for a while now, and he always comes through when I need something in a hurry or when I am away from home.

Have you ever tried to make a purchase online from a box-pusher, and have the delivery made to you at a motel in the middle of Utah? That will never happen, because of how those types of relationships work. Yes, the prices are often less expensive, but in the end does it really pay? For me the answer is no, but for your own needs the answer might be different.

/End commercial”

See: http://www.andybiggs.com/blog/of-online-retailers-and-brick-and-mortar-camera-stores/
admin on September 4th, 2007 10:10 am

Very good points Andy - you do need to weigh up what you actually want from the service. I think it depends on the item, CF card vs body for example.