Why Do People Prefer Online Shopping?
Digitalization has changed the lifestyle of people to a great extent. From working to shopping, a shift has been observed in every aspect of life with the rise of technology and digitalization. The history of online shopping in Pakistan goes back to 2001 but Covid 19 upsurged the idea of online shopping and caused a great boost in the eCommerce industry of Pakistan.
Pakistan is the 37th largest market for eCommerce with a revenue of US$6 Billion in 2021
According to recent data, the eCommerce sector in Pakistan grew over 35% in value in the first quarter of 2021 to 96 Billion Pakistani rupees ($548.89 million) compared to 71 billion ($405.95 million) over the same period of last year.
Covid 19 and E-commerce Industry:
During the Covid 19 period, people were confined to their houses and were not allowed to go out under strict lockdowns implemented by the authorities. The industries, stores, restaurants, in short – everything was on a pause. Amid these circumstances, people had no choice but to spend most time of their day using mobile phones and surfing the internet.
These factors caused the marketers to focus on the tech-enabled online shopping even more. Digital advertising experienced remarkable growth during this period and the eCommerce industry upscaled and went to the skies. Famous e-commerce platforms like Daraz and OLX accelerated the trends of online shopping. Those businesses that did not have online outlets shifted towards eCommerce during Covid 19 pandemic. During this time, many new e-commerce platforms like GrocerApp, Zameen, Naheed Super Market, PakWheels, AirLift, FoodPanda, Byte, etc were also introduced to the people.
These tech-enabled online shopping platforms facilitated people to buy things from the comfort of their homes conveniently. As per a recent survey, 48% of the Pakistani population prefer online shopping. However, in 2021, 19% of the total population had bought at least one product via online platforms.
Even after Covid 19, people have gotten into the habit of online shopping and are more likely to buy goods and services online rather than going to the physical stores.
Top 5 Reasons People Prefer To Shop Online:
Many factors influence people to shop online. Some of them are;
Convenience:
Feasibility is the main reason that people love to buy online. Online shopping enables people to get the things they love from the comfort of their homes. For those who do not have enough time to go to the market for shopping, online shopping saves their time and effort.
Pool Of Variety:
Online marketplaces like Daraz give people a lot of product varieties to choose from. On online platforms, everything is in front of the eyes and it’s easy to find the product in desired color, size, and quality.
Best Prices And Treats:
Another perk of online shopping is the availability of discounts and coupons available on websites and apps. As per statistics, 39.5% of consumers say that coupons and discounts encourage them to shop online. Not only this, online shopping allows the consumers to easily compare the prices of the same products on different platforms.
Smooth Procedure:
Online shopping is not rocket science. Ecommerce platforms offer a seamless interface for their consumers to search and place orders for their favorite products. Easy payment and delivery options as well as the room to refund an unlike product influence the consumers to shop online more often.
No Pressure or Control:
Unlike conventional shopping, online shopping allows consumers to shop in a free environment without any external pressure from the store assistant. Online shopping enables people to make buying decisions in an uncontrolled environment as compared to physical shopping where shoppers can easily be manipulated.
Considering all these factors, the E-commerce industry in Pakistan has the potential to grow exceptionally as eCommerce is the future.