However, while we love a good bargain online, nothing beats being able to feel, touch or smell your potential purchase on ground. But then again, online shopping has allowed us to buy into our desires without having to go somewhere physically \u2013 it\u2019s a constant battle between the two methods.<\/p>\n
To settle this ongoing match, we\u2019ve weighed out online and offline shopping against one another to see which one is worth your ringgit.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Round one: the matter of convenience to product<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nThe largest difference you would probably think of, is convenience. This refers to how easy it is to access the products you want and if the product matches your satisfaction.<\/p>\n
With online shopping<\/strong>, you have the luxury of being able to shop the world from the comfort of your home (or wherever you are) with internet connection. Furthermore, your purchases aren\u2019t limited, and you can switch between different websites within a click.<\/p>\nAnother additional upside, is that, you can get anything from any website around the world as long as it ships to Malaysia.<\/p>\n
However, the delivery time could kill your online shopping buzz as you aren\u2019t able to enjoy your purchase right away. Shipping differs with websites, especially if you are ordering from overseas. In our experience, overseas packages could take from two weeks to a few months before they finally arrive at our shores.<\/p>\n
In terms of offline shopping<\/strong>, it takes more effort than just waking up and logging onto your laptop. With this method, you put in more effort which takes up money (petrol costs\/public transport)<\/em> and time (getting ready\/travel time)<\/em>.<\/p>\nOn the bright side, you can experience the product in your hands and ensure its quality is up to par with your standards. This is a much safer option when buying items such as clothing or expensive gadgets as you are able ensure the quality and if it suits your desires.<\/p>\n
The downside to is that you can\u2019t shop the world and your selection is limited to the offerings of the physical shops.<\/p>\n
iMoney Scoreboard: Online: 0\/ Offline: 1<\/strong><\/div><\/p>\nDeciding reason:\u00a0<\/strong>Mishaps, such as a broken product or receiving the wrong product, can be avoided with offline shopping \u2013 this is one point to consider, especially if you are making an expensive purchase such as gadgets or home appliances. While you can return products when shopping online, it is time-wasting as you must send the item to the post office and wait a little longer for a replacement.<\/div><\/div>\n![\"Alliance](\"https:\/\/static.imoney.my\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/alliance-younique-rebates.png\")
<\/div>Alliance Bank You:nique Card<\/a><\/h4>Up to 3% cashback on all retail spending without any restrictions. <\/p>Cashback includes dining, petrol, shopping and entertainment!<\/em><\/div>Apply Now<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/span>Round two: how much you actually spend <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nNow, let\u2019s talk money and how much you fork out (or save) when shopping online or offline.<\/p>\n
First, price tags on online shopping are the same as retail price within the store. The difference in costs when it comes to online versus offline is, of course, the delivery fee.<\/p>\n
However, if you were to fairly weigh it against the offline method, the delivery fee is equivalent to how much you would spend if you were going to go the physical shop itself – the difference is that you\u2019re making your own delivery (which has its own costs).<\/p>\n
For example, Tesco has given us the luxury of stocking up our pantry without having to take a trip down to the supermarket.<\/p>\n
While the prices of the goods (including their promotional items) remain the same, your final total might differ as they charge a maximum fee of RM10<\/strong> to get them packed and delivered to you hassle-free.<\/p>\nUnless your home is a stone\u2019s throw away from Tesco, the costs associated with travelling to the hypermarket could be comparable to that RM10 fee. Hence, there will be extra costs either way, regardless of the method.<\/p>\n
However, online delivery costs could prove heavy if you were to shop on other platforms such as Lazada, which calculates delivery based on weight prices imposed by the courier service. If you were to buy a bulky item, it could cost a few twenties or a hundred just to get it shipped to you because the heavier it is, the heavier the costs.<\/p>\n
Other shopping sites, such as Zalora have different shipping arrangements which charge based on destination. Here\u2019s are Zalora\u2019s charges:<\/p>\n\n
\n\n\n\tDelivery
\n<\/strong><\/center><\/th>Price<\/strong><\/center><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\t\u00a0Shipping fee for orders below RM75<\/strong>
\n
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/center><\/td>RM10 (Sabah and Sarawak) <\/em>
\n
\nRM8 (Pinang, Perak, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Perlis and Johor)<\/em>
\n
\nRM5 (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor)<\/em> <\/center>
\n
\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\tExpress delivery for Peninsular Malaysia<\/strong>
\n
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/center><\/td>\u00a0RM11.90<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t\u00a0ZALORA NOW <\/strong>
\n
\n(one time payment fee for one year of express delivery)<\/em>
\n
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/center><\/td>\u00a0
\nRM19.90<\/center><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\nAs shown above, sometimes online shopping websites like Zalora gives the added benefit of free delivery when spending over a certain amount \u2013 this is a normal promotional method used by clothing brands to target customers.<\/p>\n
Additionally, you can save money with discount codes which are only applicable for online shopping. Some sites will hold occasional flash sales where prices can be slashed up to 50%. This is when online shopping will benefit your wallet because these codes or sales aren\u2019t relevant in-stores.<\/p>\n
Unless the sale is seasonal, then the marked down prices are most likely to be reflected in-stores and online. But then again, you could use your additional discount codes to comfort your finances when making the swipe via internet.<\/p>\n
So, for this round, we\u2019ll give the point to online shopping.<\/p>\n
iMoney Scoreboard: Online: 1\/ Offline: 1<\/strong><\/div><\/p>\nDeciding reason:\u00a0<\/strong>Discount codes and free delivery for orders above a certain limit make online shopping worthwhile. This would ultimately save you the costs of travelling to the physical shop, which includes transport costs (ride-sharing, public transport, parking fee, etc). Also, members of a certain brand can collect points or be offered free delivery and promotional codes as a reward. The only financial strain you would have to worry about is a heavy shipping fee, but would only be applicable to large and heavy items or items shipped from overseas.<\/div><\/div>\n<\/span>Round 3: The technological connection to shopping<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\nWe must bring technology into the mix, because technology is the very reason these two methods exist.<\/p>\n
With online shopping<\/strong>, a stable internet connection is imperative, especially when checking out – if the connection breaks off in the midst of payment, you would have to restart the entire process all over again (we\u2019ve all probably been there) \u2013 this is an even bigger pain if you were making a purchase from another country.<\/p>\nAs for offline shopping, <\/strong>thanks to the revolutionary technology of cashless payments (think: Pay wave), shopping experiences have enhanced \u2013 not only do you skip the ATM lines, you also don\u2019t have to carry cash in order to make a purchase.<\/p>\nHowever, sometimes the payment terminals can go offline and you\u2019d have to end up searching for an ATM just to make the bill.<\/p>\n
In brief, going cashless is an option for both methods. If you were still intent on going the old-school way of carrying cash or aren\u2019t as internet-savvy with such transactions, a trip to the physical shops may be your cup of tea.<\/p>\n
To conclude this round, both online and offline have equal amounts of pro and cons so we\u2019ll break the point in two.<\/p>\n
iMoney Scoreboard: Online: 1.5\/ Offline: 1.5<\/strong><\/div><\/p>\nDeciding reason:\u00a0<\/strong>Both methods use some sort of online connection which can suffer technological failures such as a slow connection (online) or offline terminals (offline).<\/div><\/div>\n![\"Maxis](\"https:\/\/static.imoney.my\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/logo_maxis@2x_2.png\")
<\/div>Maxis ONE Home 30<\/a><\/h4> High coverage for all your online needs complete with unlimited downloads! <\/p>Free unlimited calls to mobile and landlines!<\/em><\/div>
Another additional upside, is that, you can get anything from any website around the world as long as it ships to Malaysia.<\/p>\n
However, the delivery time could kill your online shopping buzz as you aren\u2019t able to enjoy your purchase right away. Shipping differs with websites, especially if you are ordering from overseas. In our experience, overseas packages could take from two weeks to a few months before they finally arrive at our shores.<\/p>\n
In terms of offline shopping<\/strong>, it takes more effort than just waking up and logging onto your laptop. With this method, you put in more effort which takes up money (petrol costs\/public transport)<\/em> and time (getting ready\/travel time)<\/em>.<\/p>\n On the bright side, you can experience the product in your hands and ensure its quality is up to par with your standards. This is a much safer option when buying items such as clothing or expensive gadgets as you are able ensure the quality and if it suits your desires.<\/p>\n The downside to is that you can\u2019t shop the world and your selection is limited to the offerings of the physical shops.<\/p>\n Deciding reason:\u00a0<\/strong>Mishaps, such as a broken product or receiving the wrong product, can be avoided with offline shopping \u2013 this is one point to consider, especially if you are making an expensive purchase such as gadgets or home appliances. While you can return products when shopping online, it is time-wasting as you must send the item to the post office and wait a little longer for a replacement.<\/div><\/div>\n Up to 3% cashback on all retail spending without any restrictions. <\/p>Cashback includes dining, petrol, shopping and entertainment!<\/em><\/div> Now, let\u2019s talk money and how much you fork out (or save) when shopping online or offline.<\/p>\n First, price tags on online shopping are the same as retail price within the store. The difference in costs when it comes to online versus offline is, of course, the delivery fee.<\/p>\n However, if you were to fairly weigh it against the offline method, the delivery fee is equivalent to how much you would spend if you were going to go the physical shop itself – the difference is that you\u2019re making your own delivery (which has its own costs).<\/p>\n For example, Tesco has given us the luxury of stocking up our pantry without having to take a trip down to the supermarket.<\/p>\n While the prices of the goods (including their promotional items) remain the same, your final total might differ as they charge a maximum fee of RM10<\/strong> to get them packed and delivered to you hassle-free.<\/p>\n Unless your home is a stone\u2019s throw away from Tesco, the costs associated with travelling to the hypermarket could be comparable to that RM10 fee. Hence, there will be extra costs either way, regardless of the method.<\/p>\n However, online delivery costs could prove heavy if you were to shop on other platforms such as Lazada, which calculates delivery based on weight prices imposed by the courier service. If you were to buy a bulky item, it could cost a few twenties or a hundred just to get it shipped to you because the heavier it is, the heavier the costs.<\/p>\n Other shopping sites, such as Zalora have different shipping arrangements which charge based on destination. Here\u2019s are Zalora\u2019s charges:<\/p>\n\n As shown above, sometimes online shopping websites like Zalora gives the added benefit of free delivery when spending over a certain amount \u2013 this is a normal promotional method used by clothing brands to target customers.<\/p>\n Additionally, you can save money with discount codes which are only applicable for online shopping. Some sites will hold occasional flash sales where prices can be slashed up to 50%. This is when online shopping will benefit your wallet because these codes or sales aren\u2019t relevant in-stores.<\/p>\n Unless the sale is seasonal, then the marked down prices are most likely to be reflected in-stores and online. But then again, you could use your additional discount codes to comfort your finances when making the swipe via internet.<\/p>\n So, for this round, we\u2019ll give the point to online shopping.<\/p>\n Deciding reason:\u00a0<\/strong>Discount codes and free delivery for orders above a certain limit make online shopping worthwhile. This would ultimately save you the costs of travelling to the physical shop, which includes transport costs (ride-sharing, public transport, parking fee, etc). Also, members of a certain brand can collect points or be offered free delivery and promotional codes as a reward. The only financial strain you would have to worry about is a heavy shipping fee, but would only be applicable to large and heavy items or items shipped from overseas.<\/div><\/div>\n We must bring technology into the mix, because technology is the very reason these two methods exist.<\/p>\n With online shopping<\/strong>, a stable internet connection is imperative, especially when checking out – if the connection breaks off in the midst of payment, you would have to restart the entire process all over again (we\u2019ve all probably been there) \u2013 this is an even bigger pain if you were making a purchase from another country.<\/p>\n As for offline shopping, <\/strong>thanks to the revolutionary technology of cashless payments (think: Pay wave), shopping experiences have enhanced \u2013 not only do you skip the ATM lines, you also don\u2019t have to carry cash in order to make a purchase.<\/p>\n However, sometimes the payment terminals can go offline and you\u2019d have to end up searching for an ATM just to make the bill.<\/p>\n In brief, going cashless is an option for both methods. If you were still intent on going the old-school way of carrying cash or aren\u2019t as internet-savvy with such transactions, a trip to the physical shops may be your cup of tea.<\/p>\n To conclude this round, both online and offline have equal amounts of pro and cons so we\u2019ll break the point in two.<\/p>\n Deciding reason:\u00a0<\/strong>Both methods use some sort of online connection which can suffer technological failures such as a slow connection (online) or offline terminals (offline).<\/div><\/div>\n High coverage for all your online needs complete with unlimited downloads! <\/p>Free unlimited calls to mobile and landlines!<\/em><\/div><\/div>Alliance Bank You:nique Card<\/a><\/h4>
<\/span>Round two: how much you actually spend <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\n\n
\n\t
\n<\/strong><\/center><\/th>\n\t
\n
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/center><\/td>
\n
\nRM8 (Pinang, Perak, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan, Perlis and Johor)<\/em>
\n
\nRM5 (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor)<\/em> <\/center>
\n
\n\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t
\n
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/center><\/td>\n\t
\n
\n(one time payment fee for one year of express delivery)<\/em>
\n
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/center><\/td>\u00a0
\n<\/span>Round 3: The technological connection to shopping<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/div>Maxis ONE Home 30<\/a><\/h4>