Popular for its convenience and the potential for huge savings, online shopping has seen massive growth in this digital age. Here are my top 7 tips to make your online shopping experience safe, economical and fun!
Safety first – ensure your details are secured
Online shopping is not just for the generation born after the internet. Digital devices are quickly becoming a huge feature in the lives of people of all ages and levels of technological know-how. It is more important than ever to protect our data and avoid cyber-crime. Be sure to shop at reputable online sellers that have SSL encryption on their website. You can check for this by looking at the web address at the top of the browser window. If it starts with HTTPS you’re good to go — the “S” stands for “secure”.
Social proof: read the reviews
When selecting online retailers, reviews hold a lot of weight in my decision-making process. I only buy from trusted retailers with high ratings from plenty of satisfied customers. Equally, with specific items I will base my selection on the general feedback from buyers to ensure quality, whatever the item may be. This research can take a little longer in the short term, but it pays off in the long run by ensuring great value for money.
Hunt down those savings
My favourite thing about online shopping is the potential for shopping around and making huge savings. I start by comparing prices at several retailers, and then seeking out any discount coupons before finally making a purchase. You can find discount codes by searching on Google, on retailers’ social media accounts or via email direct from online stores. You can even download a web browser extension called Honey which finds and applies any relevant codes to your shopping basket, saving you valuable time and effort! Shopping just keeps getting easier.
Finding the perfect gift online
Gift buying in physical malls can be tiring. Traipsing around stores, searching in vain for that special something, struggling with expensive gift wrap and ending up disappointed. These days, I shop online and send gift baskets and hampers directly with reputable gift basket companies like About Giving. With unique and fun gift baskets in NZ for a whole range of recipients and occasions, the stress of finding, buying and sending thoughtful gifts is a thing of the past.
Swap seasons when filling your wardrobe
Another way to get great savings on your online clothes shopping is to shop overseas sites in the opposite hemisphere to stock up for the next season. During NZ summer, winter clothing is on sale in e.g. the UK, and you can grab some great bargains at the end of each season if you’re savvy.
Reap the rewards from loyalty schemes
You can squeeze even more value out of your online shopping by taking advantage of reward and cashback programmes. Popular loyalty programme Fly Buys has teamed up with a huge number of NZ online retailers to give you points on every purchase. You can also claim money back on your spending by signing up to cashback schemes like Kiwiwallet. You can also claim loyalty points for great savings with About Giving when you buy and send the coolest gift baskets and hampers.
Save on Shipping
It is always worth checking for free delivery coupons when you’re shopping online, but with some retailers like About Giving, shipping is included. If you’re looking for where to buy gift boxes and baskets in NZ, About Giving offers free same day delivery within Auckland and free next day delivery nationwide. Whether you’re sending a small gift basket to a client, a sweet goodie basket to a loved one or large gift crates and hampers for family to share, shopping for gifts doesn’t get much more convenient than this.
