The revolution of online shopping

While reading Kyle Yoshida’s blog post describing Lululemon’s launch of the option to buy products online, I began thinking of what an online sales platform needs to thrive. Selling products and services online have exclusive challenges which are typically not found in stores. Examples of such issues include shipping and handling and an automated sales system. However, possibly the most significant difficulty in selling goods online is being able to portray the product as if the customer was browsing in store. Is there a way to make the online shopping experience equivalent, or even better than walking through congested aisles and searching through endless hangers? As online transactions and sales are rising exponentially, it would appear that companies are doing something right. From user-friendly sites, to incredibly discounted prices, and even virtual fitting rooms, battling crowds at the local mall during the holiday season seems less and less appealing. Of course, online shopping does have a higher risk of a mistake happening in your order (a parka instead of a backpack maybe?), however companies ensure that consumers have a dedicated customer service centre willing and able to assist with any problems. The revolution of online shopping is expanding aggressively, and most certainly not at its end.

Graham, P. (n.d.). The 10 secrets of selling online. Retrieved from http://store.yahoo.com/secrets.html

Yoshida, K. (2011, October 31). Lululemon update: Inventory woes could persist, company moves to launch online sales [Web log message]. Retrieved from https://blogs.ubc.ca/kyleyoshida/2011/10/31/lululemon-update-inventory-woes-could-persist-company-moves-to-launch-online-sales/