Online shopping is convenient and hassle-free.

It helps save you a trip to the physical store – a godsend especially on days when you have a packed schedule and simply can’t get away.

It can help save money too, as the merchandise is often sold at a lower price since there’s no need to factor in the costs of running a physical store, such as rent, utility bills, and payroll.

And if you’re an introvert like me, there’s no need to deal with the pressure of shop assistants hovering around or making unwanted sales pitches to you when you’re just casually browsing in the shop.

It therefore comes as no surprise that along with the digital shift, we’re seeing a boom in online shopping in recent years. Many have skipped the physical store, and ventured online to get their supplies of daily essentials and even some big-ticket purchases like furniture and electronics.

And with the onset of the pandemic, which forced companies to switch to hybrid working arrangements – albeit temporarily until restrictions were lifted – more people have found themselves staying at home with a lot more time on their hands. This has translated to higher traffic to online shopping sites and an increase in ecommerce sales.

Physical retail is still irreplaceable

But no matter how easy it is to get your goods sent to your doorstep with just a few taps on your smartphone, there are some things that brick-and-mortar stores offer which online shopping can’t.

Here are the reasons why although online shopping is a long-term fixture of our lives, it still can’t completely replace the physical retail experience.

Less regrets about your purchases

Since I discovered online shopping in my teens, I’ve lost track of the number of clothes and other knick knacks that I’ve bought over the years (and, to be honest, neither do I want to remind myself of the wasted dollars that went into these purchases).

This is why, now that I’m an adult earning my keep, I’m trying to be more responsible for my spendings, and more conscientious in my purchases. This means only buying things that I know will stay in my closet or room for a good period of time, and not thrown out into the bin whenever a new year comes around and brings with it the obligatory spring cleaning.

Shopping at physical stores helps achieve this, as you get to touch or try on the clothes and other merchandise, therefore making it easier to decide whether something fits or is a worthwhile purchase that you’ll actually use.

Seeing a piece of clothing in person also allows you to make sure that you’re getting the exact shade of colour that you want, and that you’re comfortable with the texture, instead of buying an item impulsively online and then realising belatedly that it wasn’t exactly up to your expectations. Not to mention, sending it back for an exchange or refund would be an additional step that time-starved people might not have the patience for.

A social activity that helps you escape from reality

We’ve often heard of the phrase “retail therapy”, but how true is it? Does shopping really take away our troubles, at least for the moment? Well, according to science, it’s true.

A 2014 study found that not only does retail therapy help people feel happier, it also keeps lingering sadness at bay. This is because making decisions while shopping gives us a sense of control, and helps restore a sense of autonomy over our lives, as opposed to the many situations we’re in that we feel helpless about.

Buying yourself something you like also feels like you’re treating yourself with a reward after say, getting through a particularly tough week at work.

While we can arguably experience the same dopamine rush whenever we cart out and wait in anticipation for our cart full of online purchases to be delivered, online shopping doesn’t exactly offer the same experience of being greeted by a sensory onslaught whenever we walk into a store.

The bright lights, the displays with varying shapes and colours, and sometimes even the scents, all come together to create a retail experience that helps shoppers escape from reality, even if only temporarily. And this experience is available with window shopping as well, where you don’t even have to spend anything to have the same experience.

Furthermore, shopping can be a social activity that you take part in with your friends or loved ones. There’s something therapeutic about walking through a store with a friend and commenting on the shelves of merchandise with them, all while bitching about an unpleasant event that just happened.

If you get tired of walking, there’s always the option of sitting down at a cafe and continuing with the conversation over some cake and tea.

Excellent way to hang out and kill time while blowing off some steam.

Enhance your shopping experience

So if you’re a fan of traditional, in-store shopping like me, you might be happy to know that there are some credit card deals that can help enhance your shopping experience.

The DBS Woman’s Card is one that offers cardmembers the following benefits, and more:

• Upsized reward for in-store spending: Enjoy 5X DBS points (10 miles) when you split your purchases. Bigger rewards for smaller payments.
• Hassle-free payment with My Preferred Payment Plan. Make your purchases more manageable by splitting your payment into small instalments, and at 0% interest too.
• Enjoy S$50 cash rebate when you split your purchases into instalments of at least 12 months or longer flexibility of rewards with the Woman’s Card. You can choose to redeem points for cash rebates, shopping vouchers or frequent flyer miles (fee is required to convert points into miles).

Nevertheless, if you still prefer online shopping for a fuss-free door-step delivery, you’ll be pleased to know the DBS Woman’s Card also offers cardmembers a big 10X DBS points (20 miles) when you shop online! Plus, cardmembers enjoy a peace of mind with complimentary e-Commerce Protection on your online purchases.

Don’t have a DBS Woman’s Card? New cardholders can get a S$150 cashback when you sign up by 31 Jan 2023. T&Cs apply.

You can find out more here.

Happy shopping!

Top image adapted via @mbuff/Unsplash & Pixabay

This sponsored piece by DBS makes the writer yearn for the cool temperatures of a shopping mall.