It is no surprise to us that online shopping is extremely popular. While living in the days of Amazon Prime and eBay, it is almost too easy to get Christmas shopping done with the click of a button. In 2018, an estimated 1.8 billion people worldwide purchased goods online. During the same year, global e-retail sales amounted to 2.8 trillion U.S. dollars and projections show a growth of up to 4.8 trillion U.S. dollars by 2021. All of this rapid growth of online sales begs the question of which is better, online shopping or shopping IRL?

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Many people will side with online shopping for a few different reasons. The most important reason for many people is because of how easy it is to just search, swipe, and order. More than half (52 percent) of customers surveyed reported convenience as the reason they like online shopping. Another big reason why online shopping reigns supreme is due to all of the options there are for gifts online. There is no store that can compete with the internet's selection of millions of gifts. This leads to many people preferring to do their shopping online.

However, online shopping also has quite a few drawbacks. One of the first and most obvious issues would be running the risk of fraud or your package getting lost in transit. Going to a store and having the gift in your hand definitely relieves the stress of determining when your packages are set to arrive. Another issue with online shopping is that online photos could be misleading and you might end up with something that isn't exactly what you wanted.

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Furthermore, online returns could get complicated if you did not get what you asked for. In stores, returning a gift is much easier, as well as happens less often.

Online shopping can be very convenient for you, but unfortunately, it is not as nice for the environment. Shopping from online stores and having it shipped to your door increases unnecessary plastic and cardboard waste. If you have extra cardboard this holiday season, make sure to recycle it!

Lastly, online shopping can sometimes take away from getting into the spirit of Christmas. While it might be hectic at the mall this time of year, shopping with a friend or family member is a good bonding time that cannot be replaced by a screen.

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With the rising interest in shopping online, it is difficult not to give in to the convenience of pressing a button and having gifts shipped to your door. However, there are still quite a few downsides to replacing your annual trip to the mall with online gifts. All in all, finding the perfect gift is hard, but finding the perfect way to buy it can be even harder!