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first question many of our visitors ask is this:
"Why
should I shop online instead of my local hardware or tool supply
store?"
We're aware
of the many concerns associated with online shopping. In fact, until
recently, we've been hesitant to fully embrace the e-commerce experience
ourselves. However, with the continued growth of sites such as Amazon.com
and others, as well as our own increased understanding of the benefits,
we've come to realize that online shopping has many distinct advantages
over buying in land-based stores.
Here are a few
of our favorite reasons for shopping on the internet:
Save Money
- Online vendors typically offer products at a reduced price over
retail outlets, because the significantly reduced costs of doing
business on the Internet are generally passed on to the consumer.
Shop Anytime
- Online shops are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Compare
Prices - You can quickly check the prices of several vendors
online. This is more convenient and much faster than walking or
driving between stores.
Save Time
- You can save valuable time. Just getting to a land-based store
can take 10-20 minutes or longer. By then, you could have finished
your online shopping.
Buy Direct
- Online shops are offering a complete product line, whereas retail
stores only stock a limited number of items.
Avoid the
Crowd - After working all day, the last thing you want is
pushy people.
Visit Many
Shops at Once - You can shop many places without even getting
out of your chair.
It is Safe
- Online shops now accept most major credit cards and use secure
sites which encrypt your card details and safeguard your personal
information.
To further the
case for online shopping, a recent study conducted for Deloitte
& Touche revealed that consumers are experiencing high levels
of satisfaction with e-commerce. Here are the findings behind online
customers' growing attraction to buying on the web:
- Can shop
at any time - 71 %
- Browse without
salesperson hassle - 67 %
- Saves time
- 65 %
- Feel that
prices are lower - 55 %
- Larger selection
- 39 %
- Quick delivery
home - 37 %
- No sales
tax - 31 %
- Don't like
shopping in stores - 22 %
So, you can
see that buying on the web has its benefits. And, the old concerns
regarding security of personal information, credit card numbers
and so forth have been addressed. Consumer confidence is growing
rapidly and online vendors are rising to meet the demand. It is
our hope that sites such as ours succeed in helping visitors like
you to better benefit from and enjoy the online shopping experience.
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