Kuala Lumpur, Feb 19- Looking at the present hectic lifestyle, online shopping is increasingly the favourite choice for many.
However, at present most people shop online for clothing and accessories with online shopping for daily necessities like vegetables, poultry, eggs and even detergents slowly catching up.
Netizens believe online shopping is the alternative in keeping the spending in check amidst the rising cost of living.
With just a click of the mouse button, consumers especially in the Klang Valley not only have easy access to groceries but could also compare prices beforehand as now there is quite a number of online shops where one could buy the daily necessities.
Among them are the redtick.com, presto.my, doorstep.com.my, grocerexpress.my, youbeli.com, zapfor.com and easy.my that caters for those living in the Klang Valley. Infact the Tesco hypermarket also offers online shopping for consumers around Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Bahru through eshop.tesco.com.my.
And the things ordered online will be delivered at their doorstep as soon as possible with a minimum delivery charge added, with some e-shops doing away with the delivery charge for purchases exceeding certain amount.
Saves On Cost And It Is Worth It
How could online purchases help to rein in the spending? Or could online shopping lead to impulsive buying?
Cyber entrepreneur, Azyyati Fatin Amin Nudin, 28, buys the necessities online as she feels it is a worthwhile option than going to the super/hyper market. This is because she can save on petrol, toll and parking charges.
More than that Azyyati Fatin feels buying online helps to curb impulsive spending on things that she really does not need. Also, by this way she does not deviate from her shopping list and spends within the set budget.
“I often buy groceries through Tesco’s website though I have to bear a RM10 delivery charge, I feel it is still a worthwhile option as it still provides better savings rather than going to super/hypermarkets.
“Through Internet, if one is smart in controlling the spending by buying in bulk, one could enjoy lots of discounts. At the same time one can avoid overspending through impulsive purchases or fall for other products at the super/hyper markets or nearby shops,” she said to Bernama.
Saves Time And Energy
Azyyati Fatin said that among the necessities that she often buys online include milk cartons, perishables like poultry, vegetable and fruits, cooking oil and rice, and detergents.
“When there is too many items to be purchased in one go or when there is no one to accompany me to the hypermarket, I will buy the groceries online.
“Moreover, the online purchase will be delivered to the doorstep and this makes my life easy as I live in apartment which means I don’t have to carry them up myself,” she said.
Meanwhile, Munira Azmi, 29, prefers to buy her groceries online as it not only saves money but also saves time and energy as there is no need for one to go around looking for the things required.
Things Are Fresh Like In The Supermarket
The administrator at an information technology company noted that with her shopping groceries completed with a click of the mouse button, she could now concentrate on other activities while waiting for her groceries to be delivered at her Taman Cahaya home in Ampang.
“I regularly purchase groceries like rice, sardines, eggs, vegetables, meat and fish through the Internet and I find that the online shopping is more conducive and it saves time unlike going out to buy them at the super/hyper markets.
“I need not drive in the traffic jams, compete for parking space, jostle with the others in choosing what I want, and join the long queues at the payment counters or weighing counters and then carry back the heavy load,” she said.
Yet is it true that the groceries bought virtually may not be the one that suits the taste of the discerning consumers who in the real world are fussy and will thoroughly go though the items before buying?
Munira noted that based on her own experience there is no basis for such notion. She was satisfied with the quality of the products that she purchased online and it is as good as one will choose at the super/hyper market, for example the wet items were delivered fresh.
Reasonable Prices
The price offered through Internet does not vary much either, in fact some are priced lower than offered by the super/hyper markets, apart from offering the imported food items at reasonable prices.
Arman Iskandar, 32, a technician feels that by buying online, buyers can monitor their spending and avoid filling up the shopping cart with what is not necessary.
“Moreover when one brings the children along, the children will contribute to additional purchases and only at the payment counter may one realise too late of the whopping bill.
“This is because the shopper has failed to tabulate the price of the things added to the shopping cart but by shopping through Internet one can keep tab on the purchases and avoid the total amount from surpassing the budget,” said Arman who also buys toiletries online.
– Bernama
