Hardfacts on Software – A fresh look at shopping online this holiday season

A lot of people I know dread the rush to buy presents this holiday season. The selection in the stores is the same as always, everyone has everything already and so I thought there must be a better way.
I did some research on the web and found that more and more people are shopping online. More and more small shops are now online offering something new and different. I also found a nice list of reasons why shopping online for Christmas has many benefits. This was originaly published by Brett Blumenthal on  www.sheerbalance.com.
Here it is:
Bargain Hunting: Without going from store to store, which can take tons of time, you can look for the best price for what you are buying. You can also get up-to-the-minute discounts notifications, which makes it especially “bargainy.”
Time Saving: When you shop online, you don’t have to commit to a few hours, you can commit to ten minutes. This allows you to break-up the work into shorter, more manageable time chunks. Further, you won’t be wasting time traveling to the stores, looking for parking, walking around, yada yada. You’ll save hours of time by shopping online.
Avoiding the Crowds: I’m not a crowd person. And the older I get, the lower my tolerance is for crowds. Shopping online allows you to avoid the mobs and the pushing and shoving that inevitably happens in retail stores.
Easy Parking: During this season, getting a parking spot at a mall or retail outlet can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Not only is it impossible, but it is time-consuming. Parking yourself at your computer takes two seconds!
Any Store in the World: Any retailer worth buying from is located on the internet. However, some malls don’t have the stores you may be looking for, forcing you to visit several places to get to all the stores you want.
Gift-Wrapping: Once you have bought your gifts, then comes wrapping. Some people hate wrapping (personally, I enjoy it, but that is the architect in me). Many online retailers will wrap your gifts for a small fee. So, for those of you who hate wrapping presents, you can eliminate this part of the gift-giving process.
Shipping: Just like the wrapping, you can have the online retailer ship to the location where the gift will be opened. If you are traveling a long distance to celebrate the holidays with loved ones (this is me), then having the gifts shipped is a much better option than having to lug them onto the plane.
Environmentally Friendly: Okay, if you are not a naturalist or someone who cares about the environment, then you can skip this one. But for those of you who do care, you will be saving paper (no paper receipts) and you will be reducing pollution (no gas emissions).
Smarter Shopping: Shopping online allows you to easily access and read customer reviews of products you are considering purchasing. This helps you make more informed decisions about gifting your loved ones.
Reduced Stress: And, when you have ALL of the benefits listed above, you will ultimately be able to reduce your stress levels! How much better does it get than that?
Now the above list is from America, and in South Africa we are not nearly as advanced. We did some research and found that only between 170 and 800 stores exist online in RSA, according to which research you believe. That’s not a lot compared to more developed markets. So we are working hard to increase this number for your convenience here at our new division www.icommerce-sa.co.za
All the best then for your holiday shopping – may you find what you are looking for – easily, quickly and conveniently!
Until next time then – remember – Keep it (A)fresh