Confessions of a Shopaholic

As much as we all hate to admit, everyone loves new things. Even if you hate shopping, no one can turn away a new sweater or even a cheeseburger from down the road.

 In the last few years especially online shopping has become a game-changer; if you are out of shampoo, no worries, Amazon Prime will have it at your door tomorrow morning. As a society, we rely so much on the internet to deliver us what we need. As students and parents, we use the internet to get our books, and although that may not be everyone’s favorite way to spend their money, you still do it. 

Everyone loves personalized treatment, and that is what online shopping has been improving lately; because there are no physical sales associates, the computer has to make up for that in a variety of ways. Many companies analyze buyers’ purchase history, so they get rid of items they think they will not like. In the last year, companies have been taking it a step farther by implementing artificial intelligence. 

Magnolia Market, an online home store, has a tool that lets customers submit pictures of the space they are decorating, and see how the new items will look. This is extremely personalized and what consumers currently want as it makes the experience less stressful. Another example of online stores attempting personalized treatment is “Chatbots” who imitate a store clerk and they help you with your size and style. 

If you are a social media user, you may have noticed a peak in sponsored posts from stores you have never heard of before. Mainly through Instagram and Facebook, there has been a new style of advertising and shopping, and it is directly through social media where you can buy something, and check out, and still be in the Instagram app. 

Ads may be the most annoying thing to see as a consumer, but they are there for a reason, and that is because they work. At this point, it is strange for a company to not have an Instagram or Facebook since it has become crucial for advertising. 

The last step to shopping is checking out, and when buying something online, it can be extremely tedious to type in all of your information every single time you purchase something from the web. The rise of Paypal, Amazon Pay, and Apple Pay have really changed the game. With these tools, you only need to enter all of your information once, and if the store you are shopping at uses one of these means of payment, online shopping just got that much easier for you.

 Nowadays, people can see something they like on Instagram, click the link, and be checked out in three minutes. With so many new and easy ways to shop, it is nearly impossible to resist. Online, personalized shopping makes sure the shopper’s needs are recognized and have options that best suit their lifestyle. Many stores that have been primarily in-store destinations in the past are starting the shift to also have a heavy online presence because everyone is starting to recognize that online shopping is the easiest way to go.