Remote shopping is nothing new. Buying from mail order catalogues for example has been around for years and historically was the lifeline of fashion conscious Brits living abroad in centuries past. Nowadays some may not admit to filling their closets with the best that mail order had to offer but let's face it, we have all ordered items from catalogues: clothes, appliances and especially hard to find specialty items. The internet and online shopping has taken this idea to the next level by offering an even wider range of services to online shoppers and tools to help consumers choose what is right for them.
In the past when you didn’t want to go to a shop or lived way too far away, the catalogue was the only choice and often there was only one catalogue to choose from. Considering the immense number of retailers offering their products online, the choices are seemingly endless. Some shoppers have even admitted to becoming addicts; never being able to stop browsing and price checking between all various online shops.
What has this done to the once popular catalogue? Left in the recycling bin. People still love to shop remotely but the internet provides many more options and less paperwork. In addition, the high cost of producing and posting thousands of catalogues compared to the low cost of setting up a website means the internet can offer consumers lower prices and is a more cost effective method for businesses to sell their products by.
Many high street retailers such as Burberry now offer their products online and have taken care to ensure that the online shopping experience adheres to the same style and atmosphere that consumers experience in their terrestrial shops.
