247 Shopping Online

I am an administrator in a local Primary School in the North East of England. I am very happy in my job and the daily challenges that it brings; from lost children to ordering Sandpits. I was recently assigned the task of sourcing and creating our Record of Achievement Folders for our kids. Our old supplier had gone bankrupt and we had no lead on where to get one.

As I am an old-fashioned type, my first stop was the local printers to ask about options for folders, but while they were keen to get the work, they were outsourcing it from someone with a litho printer. I assumed that we could get them cheaper if we found a printer with litho capabilities so I began an internet search to see where I could find such a printer. It turned out that there were quite a few printers in our area with the technology required.

Before I got in contact with any of the shortlisted printers (I sound so well organised!) I decided to get a few quotes from online companies to gauge what was acceptable. I was very impressed with the online companies that gave me quotes and when I went to the local companies their prices were so much higher than the companies online, that I decided to go with an online company. I think the local printers put the prices up because it was a “school job”, it happens to us all the time.

I assumed that I would basically pick a colour, hand over our school’s crest and wait for the delivery, but the company we used had so many little options to make our product better – card holders that were modified as name badges, brass corner protectors, CD pouches – we thought they would be handy for a CD photo album at the end of term. They were very impressive and we ended up with a hand tailored product.

It was important to us to get this project right because a pupil’s Record of Achievement Folder will stay with them until they are sixteen at least, it could even be presented in their university application, so it has to look good, and we made sure it did.

This task could have been a run-of-the-mill task, find a printer, give them the school’s crest, collect the record of achievement folders, job done. However with a bit of research and a bit of effort I found a great price and a great supplier; we’ll definitely be using them again.

I like gadgets, I also like music on the go when I’m running, walking the dog ect. After browsing the internet for a decent Ipod, many times I came across the Ipod Touch and so decided to have a closer look at it and see what it’s all about. Wow, is what sprung to mind first of all. Not only a fantastic music player but this nifty device also lets you download games and lets you surf the net if you’re within range of a

wi-fi network! With it’s reasonable price tag, I decided to go ahead and buy one, it’s definitely one of the best gadgets I own!

My trusty 28 inch TV wasn’t really cutting the mustard anymore when it came to watching the footy! I was actually beginning to think that my mates were abandoning me every time a match was on because even though I’d invite them round….they never came! After much thought, I decided to splash out on a brand spanking new

Samsung PS50C450 50-inch 600Hz Widescreen HD Ready Plasma TV with Freeview! I was amazed at the price I managed to buy it for and even more amazed at how my so called mates come and make themselves at home to watch the footy!

A lot of us parents will be thinking about how much it’s going to cost to kit our kids out in a new school uniform ready for September. I can remember my mum actually making my skirts as the shop prices were just far too high. Luckily for us, some stores such as Asda, Sainsburys and Tesco are doing fantastic deals on a standard uniform for boys and girls which is very helpful if you have more than one child to buy for. These uniforms are available to buy online or instore. September doesn’t seem such a daunting month anymore.

Because of the numerous Benefits of Shopping Online more and more people these days prefer Online Shopping over conventional shopping. There are many reasons why I think online shopping is the best too.

1) Convenience: The convenience of this method of shopping is what I like best about it. Where else can you do shopping even a midnight wearing your night suit? You do not have to wait in a line or wait till the shop assistant is ready to help you with your purchases. You can do your shopping in minutes even if you are busy apart from saving time and avoiding crowds. Online shops give us the opportunity to shop 24 x 7 and also reward us with a ‘no pollution’ shopping. There is no better place to buy information products like e-books. Immediately after the payment is made one can download the information. And downloadable items purchased online eliminate the need for any kind of material goods at all.

2) Better Prices: Another thing which fascinates me is the cheap deals and better prices I get from online stores because products come to you direct from the manufacturer or seller without middlemen involved. Many online shops offer discount coupons and rebates. Apart from this, the Online Store is only required to collect sales tax if they have a physical location in our state even if we buy from a store across the world.

3) Variety: The choices you can get for products are amazing. One can get several brands and products from different sellers at one place. You can get in on the latest international trends without spending money on airfare. When you shop online, you can shop from retailers in other parts of the country or even the world without being limited by geographic area. These stores offer a far greater selection of colors and sizes than you will find locally. Apart from that, How many times have it happened that you spend your money reaching a local shop only to find that the product you need is out of stock? Some online shops have a provision to accept orders without stock and ship it across to you when the stock becomes available. You also have the option of taking your business to another online store where the product is available.

4) Send Gifts: Online Shopping makes sending gifts to relatives and friends easy, no matter where ever they stay. Now there is no need of making distance an excuse for not sending a gift on occasions like Birthday, Wedding Anniversary, Marriage, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day etc.

5) Fewer Expenses: Many times when we opt for conventional shopping we tend to spend a lot more than the required shopping expenses on things like eating out, travelling, impulsive shopping etc.

6) Comparison of Prices: Online shops make comparison and research of products and prices possible. Online stores also give you the ability to share information and reviews with other shoppers who have firsthand experience with a product or retailer.

7) Crowds: If you are like me, you would like to avoid the crowds when you do the shopping. Especially during Festivals and Special events the crowds can really give a head ache. Crowds force us to do a hurried shopping most of the time. For me grumpy or irritating people and those who smell bad are a huge turn off. Crowds also create a problem when it comes to finding a parking place nearby where you want to shop and going back to your vehicle later loaded with shopping bags.

8 ) Compulsive Shopping: Many times when we go out on Shopping we end up buying things which we do not require because of the shop keepers up selling skills. Sometimes we even compromise on our choices because of the lack of choices in those shops.

9) Buying Old or unused Stuff at low prices: Online Shops make it possible for us to buy old or unused stuff at rock bottom prices. If we want to buy antiques there is no better options than online stores.

10) Discreet Purchases: Some things are better done in privacy. Online shops are also best for discreet purchases like adult toys, sexy lingerie and so on. Online Shops enable me to purchase under garments and lingerie without the embarrassment that there are several people watching me and my choices.

So, what do you think? Have I not given enough reasons on why online shopping is the best? In fact I love to buy Perfumes online. Another of my favourite items online is Precious and Semi precious Gemstones.