Shoppers often choose online shopping to save time and travel, browse a wider selection, read product information and reviews, and compare prices. But online is not automatically cheaper or better: delivery costs and delays, return effort, and the need to inspect or personally select an item can make a store—or a mix of both—the better choice.
What makes online shopping appealing?
Convenience and time savings
Convenience can mean shopping when it suits you, avoiding a trip, and spending less time moving between stores—not just getting a parcel quickly. In a March 2025 survey reported in its November 2025 e-commerce report, Amazon said 73% of respondents agreed that online shopping saved time and effort compared with shopping in-store. The Amazon-commissioned survey also found that 63% included convenience- or accessibility-related reasons among their top five reasons for shopping online. These are reported views from that survey, not a universal estimate of consumer behavior. Amazon-commissioned e-commerce report
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Selection, information, and comparison
Online listings can make it easier to browse brands, check product details, read reviews, and compare alternatives without visiting several locations. In the same March 2025 survey, Amazon reported that 57% rated a wide range of products or brands essential or very important when shopping online; 52% said the same of detailed product information and reviews; and 46% said it of ease of comparing prices with other brands. Those figures describe what respondents valued, not whether online listings always provide complete or reliable information.
Deals and price checking
Potential savings are another draw. In Amazon’s March 2025 survey, 37% selected cheaper prices or better deals among their top five reasons for shopping online. KPMG Canada’s 2025 survey found that 85% of its 1,522 Canadian respondents identified price as the number-one factor influencing buying decisions. Neither result establishes that products generally cost less online: a fair comparison includes delivery charges, taxes, any return costs, and the price available at a nearby store. KPMG Canada survey release
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Does the product change which channel makes sense?
Yes. Preferences vary with how important it is to inspect, try, or personally select an item, and the evidence is specific to the groups surveyed.
| Product or category | Reported preference | Evidence and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics and clothing | Respondents tended to prefer buying online. | KPMG Canada’s 2025 survey of 1,522 Canadians; this is Canadian survey context, not a universal preference. |
| Auto supplies, health products, and groceries | Respondents tended to prefer buying in-store. | KPMG Canada’s 2025 survey of 1,522 Canadians. |
| Fresh produce, fresh bakery, and deli, meat, or seafood | In-store was preferred by the surveyed omnichannel shoppers. | 84.51°’s February 2024 survey of 400 people who had shopped both online and in-store at Kroger during the preceding 52 weeks. |
| Paper products, shelf-stable goods, and household cleaning | Among the more online-friendly categories in the surveyed group. | 84.51°’s February 2024 survey of 400 Kroger omnichannel shoppers; it does not represent all consumers. |
The 84.51° findings are especially relevant to grocery and household shopping, not to every retailer or shopper. Its sample included people who had used both Kroger’s online pickup or delivery and in-store shopping in the prior 52 weeks. 84.51° February 2024 Consumer Digest
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
What can make an in-store visit the better choice?
A store offers immediate possession and a chance to examine an item before paying. Shoppers can check fit, finish, freshness, or suitability themselves, and avoid waiting for delivery. In a Kroger-focused 2024 survey, respondents also cited preferring to choose groceries and household items personally and avoiding the risk of receiving the wrong item.
Returns and service can matter too. An in-store return or exchange may be simpler than repackaging an order and arranging a shipment, though the actual process depends on the retailer. The ICSC’s 2026 U.S. survey analysis describes stores as offering product inspection, immediate access, service, pickup, and returns, alongside avoiding delivery fees and waits. Its findings reflect self-reported attitudes and behavior, not proof that stores reduce costs or cause shoppers to switch channels. ICSC Cost of Convenience analysis
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- Visa Virtual eGift Cards are designed for online use only. Gift Cards are subject to Terms and Conditions: a.co/5bw3qXJ
- When you access your Visa Virtual eGift Card for the first time, you’ll need to register your name, address, phone number, and email address via activationspot.com. These details should also be used as your billing address for online purchases, as many merchants require address verification for purchase authorization.
- This Visa Virtual eGift Card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Visa Virtual eGift Cards are emailed active.
- Funds do not expire but your Visa Virtual eGift Card has a ‘valid thru’ date (9 years from date of purchase). If funds remain after this date has passed, please call the Toll Free number found on your Visa Virtual eGift Card for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout.
- This item is not eligible for refund, resale, or return. Available for sale within the United States only. Not available to residents of Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia and the US Virgin Islands.
How to compare the real convenience and cost
Before choosing a channel, compare the whole transaction rather than the listed item price alone:
- Total cost: Add delivery or pickup fees and check the return policy for possible charges.
- Time: Consider travel and time in the store as well as the delivery window and time needed to handle a return.
- Availability: Check whether the item is in stock locally and whether the online option can deliver when you need it.
- Confidence: For items where fit, freshness, color, or condition matters, decide whether descriptions and reviews provide enough assurance without inspection.
- Returns: Compare the retailer’s actual return options, including whether an online order can be returned at a nearby store.
Pickup can be a useful middle ground: order online to check availability or avoid browsing in person, then collect the item locally. Whether that saves money or time depends on the retailer’s fees, location, and pickup process.
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- Gift Cards are shipped active and ready for use.
- This card is non-reloadable. No cash or ATM access. Funds do not expire. If available funds remain on your card after the valid thru date has passed, please call customer service for a replacement card. A one-time purchase fee applies at the time of checkout. No fees after purchase.
- To access your card information safely, type the complete website address shown on your Gift Card (MyGift.GiftCardMall.com) directly into your browser's address bar. Don't use search engines or shortened versions of the website address, as these may lead you to fake or fraudulent sites. Do not provide any Gift Card details (example: Card Number) to someone you do not know or trust. If you believe you've reached an illegitimate website, contact cardholder service at 1-888-524-1283. Be cautious of phishing sites, there are a variety of scams in which fraudsters try to trick others into paying with gift cards.
- To report your Lost or Stolen Physical Visa Card, call Customer Service 24/7 at 1 (888) 524-1283 to cancel your Gift Card as soon as you can. You will be asked to provide the Gift Card number and other identifying information.
- Use your Visa Gift Card in the U.S. everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted, including online.
Why many shoppers use both online and stores
Channel choice need not be all-or-nothing. People can research prices and product details online, then inspect or buy an item in a store; or place an order online and use local pickup or an in-store return if those options are available. 84.51°’s Kroger-focused sample grouped omnichannel shoppers into people leaning mostly in-store, mostly online, or equally toward both. Because the sample was limited to people who had used both channels at Kroger, it shows that hybrid habits exist in that group, not what share of all shoppers behave that way.
The practical choice is the channel whose total cost, timing, convenience, and level of product confidence fit the purchase. Online tends to help when selection, information, and avoiding a trip matter most; a store tends to help when immediate access or personal inspection matters more.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
