In Colombia, it has been possible to make purchases over the Internet for years and more and more national and international companies are offering their products or services for sale through Internet portals. However, for many people, this type of transaction is still mysterious and even intimidating, since the absence of face-to-face staff to advise them seems dangerous.
According to the most recent study by the Colombian Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CCCE), in our country, 76 % of Internet users have made purchases online at least once in their lives, and since 2016, online purchases annually range from around $26,000, a considerably positive figure, as it represents a growth of more than 60 % in the last two years.
This phenomenon has been possible thanks to the fact that more and more merchants are daring to migrate to digital platforms and launch their products in this market, either exclusively or as a complement to physical stores in traditional format.
In the same way, perhaps you have noticed that today many bureaucratic processes, consultations, and payments of multiple natures must be made online, so that, in a way, it is difficult to disengage from this activity. Whether individually or asking for help from a digital user, we have all had to make purchases online. If you doubt it, think about that time you had to pay for the certificate of freedom of your house on the Supernotariado’s website or that time your son booked a hotel using his credit card to take advantage of the discount they were offering for a limited time.
Competitive prices and discounts:
Probably the first attribute that regular online shoppers will tell you about is price, as significantly cheaper products can be found online. And although it does not happen in all cases, it is common. There are companies that handle different prices on the Internet to promote sales in this space, which you will not find in their physical stores.
In addition, companies operating in Colombia have taken models of discount seasons that existed abroad, such as Black Friday, which according to figures delivered by PayU, is the platform to sell and receive payments online, during the three days of Black Friday promotions in 2017 more than one million transactions were made, which represented a milestone for regional trade.
Security:
Although for many this could be seen as a disadvantage, it is actually a strength of online shopping. Since the stores have security software that safeguards financial information and does not allow it to be stolen at any time. This is reflected in the statistics, since according to the CCCE, the level of fraud for online purchases in Colombia is 0.45%, below other Latin American countries such as Peru (0.52%) or Mexico (1.5%).
However, what you should keep in mind when shopping online is that you should take the necessary precautions indicated by banks and control agencies, such as accessing your bank accounts online by typing the web address in the search engine or never providing information outside the authorized platforms.
In addition, shopping online can be much safer than doing it physically, because you do not have to carry large sums of money, but by accessing your personal electronic devices you can buy almost anything with a couple of clicks.
Availability and home delivery:
Surely it has ever happened to you that you needed to buy something and when you got to the store, it was closed. Another advantage of shopping online is that stores are always open, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no lines and access from anywhere in the world. Check out Temu reviews to get more important information about online shopping.