Online shopping is the process of purchasing goods and/or services from private or public sellers in real-time over the Internet. This type of retail is often referred to as: e-shop, e-store, internet shop, webshop, webstore or virtual store. Technically, the process is called business-to-consumer (B2C) purchasing. Business-to-business (B2B) sales are purchases made between two businesses.
The first World Wide Web server and browser was developed in 1990 and was available for use by consumers in 1991.
This form of shopping has become extremely popular in recent years. Some have criticized it for catering to the middle and upper classes because customers must have computer access and a bank account with a debit card to shop on the Internet.
To find products, shoppers can visit retailers’ websites directly or search a search engine for the product they are looking for. Once buyers find a product on the seller’s website, they complete a checkout process where they provide their delivery and payment information. Some stores allow frequent users to create a permanent account where they can store their information for future use. Buyers will usually receive an e-mail to confirm their purchase has been completed.
The most common form of payment for purchases is a credit card, but some online stores allow customers to pay in a variety of ways, such as debit cards, gift cards, money orders, wire transfers, mobile phone billing, and checks. Some websites will not allow consumers to pay with international credit cards, and some require both the billing and shipping addresses to be in the same country.
Once the buyer pays for their items, the goods and services can be delivered in a variety of ways. Digital media such as music, movies, and photos can be downloaded, and other items can be printed or e-mailed, such as gift certificates, coupons, and admission tickets that can be redeemed at the appropriate location. Some items are available for pick-up in stores at nearby locations. One of the more common forms of product delivery is shipping to customers’ addresses.
Shopping online has many benefits, one of which is the ease and convenience of being able to shop 24 hours a day from anywhere with internet access. Buyers are given complete product details with photos. Some stores even provide supplemental information such as how-to guides, demonstrations, instructions, background information, and procedures. Buyers can almost always exchange or return items if they have a problem. Some items are rated and have customer reviews that allow future buyers to see what others think of the product. Finally, a big advantage is the huge selection that is available and the ability to search for deals with different sellers.
Canadian online shopping is very popular and there are many sites that offer anything from Dell computers to car make-ups. There are Canadian online shopping malls that offer great variety with thousands of stores in hundreds of different categories. No matter where you are in the world, the Internet has what you are looking for