Traditional and Online store: Advantages and disadvantages

This article will be an objective discussion to answer this question (Which is better: a traditional or online store?).

Advantages of the traditional store for the customer

The traditional store has a classic look that makes the user feel comfortable.

He wanders around the markets, among the different stores, chooses his commodity, inspects it closely, tries it if possible, then makes a deliberate purchase decision, receives his commodity the moment he pays for it, takes it, and leaves.

As of this writing, the traditional store is superior to its online sibling on several points:

1. Familiarity: The customer feels comfortable and familiar with the traditional store. It represents the look he is accustomed to when he wants to buy any product. Comfort-Zone enthusiasts will love this option, especially in an era that has become saturated with distracting online options.
2. Product Experience: It reduces hesitation when making a purchase decision for the customer, and reduces product return rates for the merchant. The customer takes his tour between the different stores grouped in one place or even separated and then buys what he likes. Also, in items that require trying or measuring, such as clothes, it becomes a good opportunity to try the size before completing the purchase.
3. Speed of automation: It is normal for someone who enter a store, choose a commodity, pay for it, then take it and leave.
4. The amount of credibility and trust is higher: this is due to the previous elements mentioned.

Advantages of the online store for the customer

1. Saving time and effort: the customer does not leave his place, as he wanders between the different online stores, to choose the right product for him, then puts it in the basket, and completes the purchase. All this while sitting on his chair/couch.
2. It protects him from the crowds of the markets during the festive periods: the movement of the car that follows, accompanying the family, the hassle of waiting, and others.
3. Different choices from multiple stores: Instead of searching between alternatives and different options in regular stores, online shopping allows browsing those alternatives without moving the shopper from his place.
4. The ability to get to know the offers and the best prices better: In the traditional case, the customer is forced to roam between the different stores that are likely to be far apart, to get the best possible price. In the case of online shopping, the customer deals with more than one store or platform without moving from his place to find the best prices and the best places. There are even websites now whose basic idea is to display the prices of one product from multiple online stores.

Comparison between the online store and the traditional one for the merchant

Despite the nobility of traditional stores and their acquisition of a large proportion of the market in general, the balance is now tilted quite comfortably, and constantly towards online stores.

Why? The online store is a real qualitative leap for a large number of young entrepreneurs, who do not have a large capital that allows them to realize their dreams of creating a real store and selling their products there.

E-commerce and the opportunities it provides more than traditional trade.

E-commerce is also a promising opportunity for girls and housewives who did not have the opportunity for greater freedom of movement, so electronic stores came as an innovative solution for this category to start their business, especially with the logistics services provided by many platforms, which provide integrated e-commerce services for those wishing to start their activity. business from day one.

Therefore, you find that among the reasons for the relative superiority of e-commerce at this stage:

1. You can start without capital

What is meant here is huge capital, as well as that which is raised for small and medium enterprises.

It is possible to start by creating a free online store on one of the specialized platforms, with the fewest number of products possible, and taking care of the issue of delivering them to customers appropriately, with the services provided by such platforms.

Like that start: How much does it cost? Almost nothing.. even a regular employee can start his online store without leaving his shift. This is another feature we discuss in:

2. No place.. work from anywhere

The online store owner is not restricted to a specific location or follows a specific geographical market. He can start from his home.

With the online store anywhere,  you move very freely. There are no restrictions or obligations that bind you to a particular place, and therefore you have great flexibility in dealing and moving to serve your customers without pressure on you.

For this, the option to enter the field of e-commerce can be practiced alongside your official time, at least initially until the size of the store grows.

3. The store is open 24 hours

Your traditional store closes at certain times of the day and on a certain day of the week.

In the traditional store, the customer is keen to arrive at specific times until he finds the store open, while your online store is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You have time to respond.

He can even send his purchase order at any time, you respond to him whenever you are available, and send him his product to his door without even the need for direct communication.

Of course, if there is an integrated mechanism for such a process, your intervention may not be required at all.

Conclusion:

The traditional shops still retain their splendor, they are part of the authentic culture of any people.

However, technical changes, changing infrastructure, and diversifying logistics services, in addition to strong government support confirm that the next round will be for online stores with a sweep.