As much as it’s great to be able to venture out to the shops again, making purchases online is simply the more convenient – and cheaper – way to go
Cape Town, – While the return of people to shopping malls signals a welcome return to normal after two years of Covid-19-uncertainty, there can be little doubt that many will still shop online this festive season.
It’s no secret that the pandemic and lockdowns changed the shopping landscape for good. It’s estimated that South Africans will spend almost R57-billion on retail goods online this year, an astonishing year-on-year growth of 39%.
Without question a significant portion of these sales will be related to Christmas and festive season spending. Shopping online offers a host of benefits, almost all of which are centred around convenience and cost saving. Some of the standouts include:
More products online
Put simply, businesses carry more stock online than at capacity-limited physical locations. This means consumers can access a much broader range of stock, not to mention the fact that search buttons make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
Saving time
Being able to order an item online from the comfort of your own home is convenience personified. Particularly for those leading busy lives and not able to spend time browsing numerous physical stores, or without access to transport, it’s become a must.
The purchasing process is also much quicker. Quick purchase buttons and the ability to auto-fill your particulars make the process so much simpler.
Shop 24/7
It used to be that working men and women would have to wait until the weekend to make their purchases. That is gone. It now only takes a few minutes to place an order at any time, day or night.
Online discounts
Retailers want your business during the festive season, but with so much competition online, they need to stand out from the crowd. That’s why so many offer countless discounts and voucher codes to be used as part of their Christmas promotional offering. Even more so this year, with increased interest rates pinching consumers’ pockets, retailers will be going all out to offer customers more bang for their buck.
Click & collect
The click & collect model, where shoppers place orders online which are then delivered to a collection point in a store near them, will be a big hit this festive season.
Not only is it more affordable and ‘greener’ than home delivery, but it offers a collection time and date that best suits customers. South African click & collect and returns solution specialists like Pargo boast more than 3 000 Pickup Points nationwide, so even if you live on a remote farm or a bustling township, you’re always covered.
“On average, every mall and major area has at least three click & collect pickup points within walking distance,” shares Lars Veul, Pargo’s founding partner and CEO.
The Win With Pargo promotion is another reason to go click & collect this summer. Online shoppers who use the service between November and 28 February 2023 stand the chance to win their share of R50,000 in prizes, including Nintendo Switches, Lenovo tablets, shopping vouchers, gadgets, clothing and jewellery. Digital activations will also feature at Canal Walk Mall in the Western Cape, Gateway Mall in KwaZulu-Natal and Mall of Africa in Gauteng.
Informed purchasing
In-store labelling tells you very little about the product you want to buy. A shop assistant may be able to help you, but sometimes they’re not entirely sure themselves and may have to call a supervisor or put a call through to the manufacturer, keeping you longer at the shop.
Product descriptions online are comprehensive and there are also plenty of review sites on the internet you can tap into to help you make an informed decision. Online research can also assist you to avoid impulsive buying.
