"Technology research group Forrester estimates that online retail sales will hit $28 billion this year, up 17.5 per cent from last year, with one quarter of those sales - worth an estimated $7 billion - going overseas.
But those figures are tricky to pin down. The Australian Bureau of Statistics, which counts online sales for more so-called bricks-and-mortar shops, has no precise measure of online purchases made by consumers directly to international retailers.
Australia Post's importation rules require declarations on goods only if they're worth more than $1000, freeing up consumers to shop directly online with outlets overseas - a trend that's likely to accelerate with the strengthening dollar."
Poll: Are you shopping more online?
Total votes: 2023.
Poll closes in 11 hours.
Disclaimer:
These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinion only of visitors who have chosen to participate.
Q1. Why shop on-line?
Q3. What are the pitfalls and risks?
Q4. How can businesses reduce the risk and increase confidence in on-line shopping?
1 comment:
Shopping on line is a convenient way to shop as you can do it from home without being bothered by shop assistants. Also it is quick & easy. You can compare prices with not just one or two stores you have several stores to choose from within minutes. There is a large range to select from all at the click of a mouse. Also you are not charged GST when purchasing from overseas which makes shopping online more attractive.
The pitfalls and risks associated with shopping online is you have no interaction with sales assistants, you are not able to bargain with them or ask questions about the product you are considering purchasing. You don’t really know what you are getting you cannot test or sample the product before purchasing. You are unable to determine the quality of the product until you receive it. Goods can get lost in the mail which can be more of a headache then if you where to buy directly from a store. Returning goods is not instant like going into a store where in most cases you are able to get a refund or exchange the goods on the spot. Postage can become very expensive and in some cases make the goods more expensive then if buying from a store. Also there are a number of dodgy websites that are fraudulent which can make consumers lose confidence in purchasing online if they have been burned once.
To increase confidence of online shopping and reduce risk to customers, businesses should invest in a customer service call centre where customers can ring for support with their online purchases that way the customer is fully aware of what they are purchasing therefore will decrease the number of returns and increase returning customers. Also have an online shop that is an extension of an existing store so customers have a physical place to go if there are any issues.
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