5 Ways Shopping Online Can Save You Money

Shopping malls are springing up like wild daisies all over the major Nigerian cities and towns at an unprecedented rate. The rate at which these malls are springing up and the volume of patronage that they enjoy lends credence to the assumption that Nigerians are big spenders.



However, the fact that everybody is heading to the mall on Saturday doesn’t necessarily mean that shopping in brick and mortal stores is smart. Shopping online on services such as Konga, Jumia, and Kaymu among others might actually be a better alternative. Everybody loves a deal that puts some extra money in their pockets – here are 5 ways shopping online can help you save money.

• Items are priced competitively

Online stores tend to price their good at a lower markup than physical stores; hence, most items tend to have a lower price tag when you buy them online. Online stores do not have the kind of overhead costs that physical stores have such as lease for warehousing, store space, storekeepers, security, and electricity bills.

The lower operating costs of online stores allows them to sell goods at cheaper prices and the consumers benefit the most from such price reductions. Before you shell out a fortune for that next smartphone in the computer village, it might be smart to find out how much it costs at an online store.

• Comparison shopping gives you value for money

Online stores allow consumers to compare prices in a way that can never be possible in physical stores. Let's assume you want to buy a gown and you head out to the market. You'll enter a store, pick the gown and ask them for their best price. If you think you are not getting enough value for money, you'll leave the store and enter another store.

When you shop online, you can compare the prices of the same item from different websites concurrently on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop. You can even compare the price of the same item from different merchants on the same website. In essence, you get update information on the best price for an item without wasting the whole day wearing yourself out.

• Exciting Deals In Online Stores

Shopping online also allows you to enjoy excellent deals that you are not likely to come across in physical stores. If you are relating with many of these online stores on social media such as Twitter or Facebook, you'll be amazed by the quality of deals that they offer consumers.

For instance, Konga once had a "Yakata" sale in which select goods were selling at a 70% discount. Jumia also has occasional weekend deals that allow you to buy selecting items at 50% discount. In addition, these online stores often offer special deals during public holidays, festive seasons, and national events.

• You Eliminate Transportation Costs

I have already mentioned how shopping online can allow you to save money by making comparison-shopping easier. Sometimes, comparison-shopping in physical stores might cost you serious transportation costs. This is especially true if you are buying special items that are not sold in everyday neighborhood stores.

You might spend quite a significant amount of money on public transportation going from one end of the city to the other. The cost can be quite high if you have a car since you'll probably be burning fuel on a trip that doesn’t have a certainty of providing you with the desired outcome.

• There are less distractions for impulse purchases

Shopping online can save you money by reducing the volume of impulse purchases that you make. When you enter a physical store, the goods are placed on different shelves in different aisles and you'll cover quite a bit of store space before you pick up all the items on your shopping list.

In the time spent roaming the aisles, your senses will be assailed by tons of packaging ads that will cause you to buy item on impulse. Such impulsive purchases can put a serious drain on your wallet. However, when you shop online, you can search for the specific item you have in mind, add the item to your cart and head to checkout immediately.