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The L Files - E-shopping |
 A prime potential customer of e-shops would be someone who lives a long way from department stores, who is into gadgets and the internet, who is short on time and who doesn’t consider shopping a recreational activity - in short, a dag like me. I would not buy shares in a company that couldn’t suck me into forking out my virtual plastic. By this criterion, things looked crook for ecommerce.
The early ‘online shopping experience’ (ie. until 12 months ago) was fairly grim. Online shops generally had poorly designed sites that were slow to load and difficult to navigate. The range of goods on display was small, and the amount of stock ready to ship was much smaller. To place a successful order required either post graduate qualifications in computer science or ESP - usually both. Any similarity between the promised delivery time and the ultimate arrival day was purely coincidental.
Business models
Apart from my lack of patronage, there are possibly other problems with the e-shop business model. Market leader Wineplanet.com has corked and Amazon.com has failed to turn a profit. I suspect this is because bookshops actually make their profit from high turnover books like John Grisham, Harry Potter and Danielle Steele that you can pick up anywhere, rather than the esoteric works of small print runs that tempt us to Amazon. And bottleshops make their dough from sales of VB and flagons of ‘cooking’ sherry, rather than from boutique Margaret River vintages that are hard to track down. Online shops get stuck with small volume rare purchases and local shops cream off the bulk of stuff.
Also, the delayed gratification required by the delivery process gives us all a boost in our shopping maturity. Anyone can resist impulse buying online! And virtual shopping carts don’t collide with strategically placed enticing specials in every aisle.
It makes it hard for e-stores to make an easy quid. At least you do feel that you are getting value, knowing that the online store is losing money on every deal. It is perhaps not a terrific business model.
Gifts
The area of shopping activity that has hooked our family, is the purchasing of presents for distant friends and relatives. Bought locally, gifts sit at home for a few weeks before being wrapped, and another few before being posted. Bought online, they have been delivered magnificently gift wrapped, with hand written cards, within a few days.
It makes us feel terribly efficient.
Security
I am not sure why it is considered less secure to give a credit card number out on the internet than to hand it around to shop assistants and to send it by post, fax and over the phone to all sorts of organisations. Nevertheless, we reserve a separate credit card with a low credit limit for internet use.
Some recommended sites
Over the last few months, the websites of real ‘bricks and mortar’ shops have become the powerhouse of online retail. Certainly, we have found www.davidjones.com.au and www.countryroad.com.au to have well designed sites, a fair range of products, and exceptional wrapping and delivery. Interestingly, both companies had fairly dismal websites in former manifestations.
It can still be difficult to find original, imaginative, non mass produced products, especially toys. The products at www.lastminute.com.au have interested us. estore.com.au has a reputation for technical stuff. We haven’t yet tested the efficiency of their service. And due to some recent family growth, we have availed ourselves of the services of www.pampermum.com.au with success.
We would be interested in your shopping experiences. Send us a note at
lfiles@lemlink.com.au
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