Shopping online vs going to a store? A fashion e-tailer’s take

Muffin by Agua Bendita Swimwear

Ah, the beauty of choices. Nowadays, shoppers worldwide have this fabulous little perk: the choice. Options galore for different styles of tops, jeans, swimwear, etc. And the new coveted to-be-or-not-to-be choice: Shopping online vs in-store.

As fashion bloggers of an online swimwear store, we’re obviously biased, so you might get a favored choice in this analysis. But we’re still going to go ahead and give it to you, ‘cause opinions are like rears. Everybody has one. And as swimwear lovers, here’s to hoping yours is nice and firm.

Shopping online -Advantages

More, more, more. Selection.
Let’s face it: a physical store, whether it’s a huge dept store or a boutique, cannot physically contain an insane selection of specialty items. Space-wise and marketing-wise, it’s just not the best choice. Their buyers select a limited amount of items from each designer, and then sell mass amounts of it. But once they’re out of it, tough luck. So if you walk in looking for your size, and they happen to be out of it, your best bet might be getting it online, where sizing and selection is easier to get because etailers have easy access to re-orders or drop shipping.

Seasonal must-haves are available year round
In the case of swimwear, physical retailers tend to sell out or discontinue any styles by end of august. That leaves women going on island vacations, honeymoons, quick getaways, or summer retreats with little to no option. Enter online swimwear stores. The beauty of it lies in being able to plan a trip to Cancun in the middle of December, purchasing your tickets online, and then looking for the perfect bikini to wear to your vacay… all in the comfort of your own jammies.

Which brings us to the next advantage: Not having to move your butt. Not to advocate sedentarism, but there’s a priceless advantage to just finding what you want without having to move your butt. It’s almost like the clapping light. No switch, no getting up, you just clap and it’s on (or off). Ordering online is just that easy. No parking, no lines, no crowds. Just a click and voila, it’s yours on command.

Fabulous finds are cheaper
Since e-tailers have less overhead, they are able to get away with giving shoppers better deals. That’s why you can buy a perfume online at practically half the price offered at a major department store. Same goes for designer swimwear. The finds, the flexibility to lower prices, and the clearance blow out deals are usually MUCH bigger in online stores.

Accessible all over the world, open 24 hours
If you’re in Boston and your favorite boutique is in Florida, isn’t it a bitch to wait until you’re down there to swing by? The great thing about shopping online is that is enables a shopper in the UK to shop in a boutique based out of Hong Kong, etc. Also, if you’re a night owl like John Travolta, you can go shopping at 3am. And if you like taking a million years looking at everything without a pushy salesperson looking at you, then an online store is right up your alley.

Shopping In-Store – Advantages

Touching, feeling: the sensibility factor
There is one major thing that online e-tailers can never compete with. And that is the feeling you get when you touch and feel things in an actual store. The mere smell of a new item can bring a fashion shopper into a frenzy, just like a shark when it smells fresh blood. To counter that, image close ups, alternate views, and better descriptions of items are provided online. But, physical stores can upsell higher prices – and sometimes even, lower quality – with the woo of the physical presentation, and that’s hands down the best advantage.

Trying it on – the other non-comparable
The other major advantage that storefronts have is dressing rooms. To grab an item, try it on, and figure out whether it’s the one for you is an option you can only get if you touch the item. The trick to shopping online however, is that you know you can try it on in a store, figure out your size, and then get a cheaper price online. That’s the beauty of the cyber world. You can blame Al Gore for that.

All in all, the advantages of shopping online for savvy shoppers far outweigh the benefits of physical stores. And since this post is becoming a bit long-winded, it’s a good time to end it. But we love swimwear shopping! And we do it online.

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Posted in Expert Interviews