6 ways to use internet shopping to your advantage

[Acorn Newsbot]

As you’re reading this online - whether on your phone, tablet, laptop or another device - you probably won’t be surprised to hear that according to a recent survey by Barclaycard, consumers spent 12.8% more online in 2012 than the year before. In fact, a fifth of all retail activity took place online last year. So why is spending online continuing to grow at a steady rate, and how can you make sure you’re getting the most out of internet shopping?

1) Always compare prices
When a high street retailer tells you they’ve got the lowest prices in town you’ve got two options: believe them or spend a couple of hours traipsing around all the other shops (probably in the rain) only to find out that they were right all along or, actually, they lied and you found it for 50 pence cheaper somewhere else. Online, however, you can compare prices quickly and easily, and taking a couple of minutes to do just that will usually save you a decent amount. When doing price comparisons, do bear in mind that if the deal seems too good to be true it probably is - if you’ve found a haute couture handbag at a bargain basement price on an unknown website it’s more than likely a counterfeit.

2) Pay and collect
We’ve probably all popped into Argos or John Lewis at some point with something in mind, only to discover they don’t actually have it in stock. Now there’s no need ever to waste a trip into town again, as an increasing number of online stores are working in partnership with their high street stores to make shopping more convenient, whether online or offline. You can now go to their website to check if what you want is in stock and reserve it, and if it isn’t in stock, you can even order it to your local store for you to pick up. Cutting out the need to deliver the product to your home address can often save both time and money.

3) Sign up to mailing lists (the ones you want)
Whenever you shop online, you get an option to tick a box that means you will or won’t get regular emails from them. It can be tempting to prevent any shops getting in touch with you, but if you do that you’ll be missing out, as signing up to your favourite online stores’ email lists means you’ll be the first to know about exclusive online discounts, special offers and free delivery periods. You should still be picky about who can contact you though, and make sure you check their privacy statement in case they want to pass your details on to other companies. If you don’t feel comfortable with them contacting you or sharing your details, don’t let them.

4) Grab a second hand bargain
You can’t talk about online shopping without mentioning auction and second-hand sites. For students looking to stretch every pound, they’re particularly good for things like textbooks. While there’s no doubt that you can nab yourself plenty of second-hand bargains at places such as Amazon and eBay, make sure you pay using PayPal where possible, as it offers protection for buyers – one of the best ways to make sure your money stays safe when purchasing from people rather than companies online.

5) Send gifts directly
Unless it’s approaching Christmas, you probably don’t have any wrapping paper at home; and even if you did, trying to wrap anything that isn’t in a neat square box is a nightmare. When buying something online you can sometimes have it delivered direct to another address already gift-wrapped for a small fee.

6) Save money without even realising it
Before you’ve even bought anything, you’ll have saved yourself money by doing your shopping from your sofa. For a start, you’ll have saved on petrol and the exorbitant cost of a couple of hours in a car park (or an uncomfortable journey and the price of a return fare on public transport) but there are also lots of little things that add up. From grabbing a bite to eat, picking up a coffee before you head home, or being tempted by impulse purchases in every shop, there are far too many opportunities to spend while out and about. Yes, if you want to get picky you’re going to need an internet connection that you do have to pay for, but it’s clear to see that online shopping saves you money in more ways than one.

And remember: Stay safe
There’s no doubt that the main reason many people shop online is because it saves them money, although convenience and a greater variety of products to choose from definitely helps. The one thing still holding some people back is the idea that online shopping can be risky. However, as long as you take care online the same way as you do on the high street you’ll be just as safe shopping on the internet as you would be in your local town centre.






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