Pros and cons of buying a wardrobe online
Monday, 16 July 2012 2:30 PM
Nowadays, you can buy almost anything online.
While online retail was slow to take off, nowadays people buy everything from household goods and shoes to cars and houses over the internet.
According to CRR research commissioned by Kelkoo, online sales in the UK were worth £50.34 billion last year, accounting for 12 per cent of all retail trade. In, 2008, online retail had 8.6 per cent of the market share.
You may be familiar with buying clothes and gifts over the internet, however, have you ever considered buying a wardrobe online?
Below, we look at the pros and cons of buying a wardrobe on the internet.
Advantages
One of the biggest advantages of buying wardrobes for your bedroom online is the sheer wealth of choice you have.
It is much easier for retailers to display what they have to offer on a web page than in a store or warehouse, so they are able to offer you more products than in previous years.
As well as more wardrobes, they will also have many more options in terms of different colours and designs.
Shopping online for your wardrobe also makes it easier for you to compare prices from different retailers, as you can check various offers at the click of a mouse as opposed to visiting one shop after another.
Related to this is convenience. It is much quicker, easier and convenient to shop for wardrobes online than it is to visit individual retailers in person.
Most retailers also provide more attractive offers online, so you may also be able to save some money by purchasing online.
Another key point is that many retailers only sell online given the convenience and cost savings associated with doing so.
Disadvantages
The biggest disadvantage for many when it comes to purchasing wardrobes and other pieces of furniture online is that they cannot view the product except for on the screen.
This makes some people uneasy, as they cannot scrutinise the wardrobe up close before they buy it.
While you can visit a bricks and mortar retailer with the same products, this takes away the convenience aspect of shopping online.
Like buying anything online, you have to wait for a few days or even weeks for the product to be delivered, which opens up the possibility that it may become damaged in transit.
Returning wardrobes is also a sticking point for some buyers.
If it transpires that the wardrobe is unsuitable and the retailer agrees to take it back, shipping charges will fall on you. On this same point, you will need to pay for the goods to be sent to you in the first place.
Some consumers are also reluctant to enter credit or debit card details onto a website, despite the fact that online payment systems have improved dramatically in recent years.
Many of the disadvantages that apply to buying wardrobes online apply to buying anything online.
The internet has undoubtedly changed the way we consume both products and information and people are coming round to the idea that the internet is as good a place as any to invest in new items.
There are both benefits and drawbacks to buying wardrobes online and it is up to you to decide whether the pros outweigh the cons.
