Online shopping is nothing new and yet you’ve never really tried it? In the name of helping you make the most of your money, here is almost 10 reasons why you should…

Did you know that almost half of the South African population actively use the internet? And, according to the results of last year’s SA eCommerce survey, 33% of these active users make 10 online purchases per year.

Sure, 10 purchases made by a third of active internet users aren’t really anything to write home about, but if you consider the fact that the majority of those purchases come in at between R250 and R1000 per purchase the picture changes. In fact, according to MasterCard, the online shopping industry accounted for about 2% of the South African retail sector as a whole in 2014. That’s between R6 billion and R7 billion per annum!

What’s more, the industry is seeing immense growth (as much as 25-35% year on year locally) and shoppers have an exciting variety of online shopping platforms to choose from.

The sheer variety (both in terms of online shopping sites and in terms of the wide range of products stocked by these sites) is not the only benefit enticing South African buyers to go the online shopping route either.

Instead, there are heaps of benefits to shopping online:

  1. No queues and no worries… Shopping online allows you to grab what you need and make payment without waiting in line.
  2. More spending equals more saving too… Instead of spending your precious resources (think time, energy and transport costs) physically visiting different stores or shopping centres to get what you need, shopping online enables you to cut these costs and still buy everything you need.
  3.  Smart shopping is simple… Comparing prices online allows you to save while still getting the most value for money.
  4. Shop anytime, anywhere… Gone are the days where you have to rush to the shops after work – online shopping allows you to shop whenever you want to, from anywhere in the world and you don’t even have to worry about getting out of your PJs.
  5. Quick delivery to your doorstep… Need an item pronto?  No problemo! Most online stores do not only offer free delivery (when you purchase comes to a certain amount or more), but they also offer express delivery at a small extra charge.
  6. Less compulsive shopping… Admit it, we’ve all bought something that didn’t fit into our budget because we walked past it and simply had to have it (without any prior need for it whatsoever). Shopping online minimises this risk because you’re simply not walking past other items or window-shopping.
  7. Bidding or buying becomes a breeze… The world of online shopping isn’t limited to the buying and selling of brand new products. Instead, there are a host of e-commerce sites where second-hand goodies are bought and sold as well.
  8. Your privacy remains protected… There’s nothing like having to shop for discrete personal items in a crowded store where it feels like everyone is watching. Ordering these items online is way less awkward!
  9. Promoting your safety while buying online is easy… Safety should remain a priority regardless of whether you are shopping in-store or online.

As your partner from one pay cheque to the next, MoneyShop is committed to bringing you the best deals around, offering you great content and handy tips too – ultimately providing you with clever ways to make the most of your moola every month. As this blog post shows, online shopping presents an opportunity to do just that – stretch your money. Watch this space for more savvy ways to manage your money wisely.