How And Why Online And Offline Mobile Phone Markets Are Different
Eventually, you have decided to buy a new mobile phone and now you are caught in a dilemma of whether you should buy it from an online store or visit a brick-and-mortar store in your area to buy it.
Well, a long time back when the use of the internet was not so extensive and popular, most electronic appliances including mobile phones were bought typically from a local store. Over time, when giant online dealers such as Flipkart, Amazon, and others emerged, the shopping scenario changed completely.
People now buy goods and services online as well as offline and in some cases, online purchases seem to dominate offline purchases.
However, the offline market is not obsolete and is showing no signs of it as well. In fact, there are a few things that are noticed when it comes to the offline market.
- In tier 2 and 3 towns, rural areas, suburbs, and towns offline market still dominates when it comes to buying any product or services.
- And generally, when it comes to buying an expensive product, more than 70% of people often prefer visiting a physical store over an online store.
However, both online and offline stores have their signature advantages and disadvantages which is what you should consider first to choose your option, just as you will find the highest consolidation review to choose a debt relief agency. Here are a few differences between the two markets in relation to the purchasing of a mobile phone. For more visit nationaldebtrelief.com
The differences
When it comes to buying a mobile phone offline you must consider the features and offers to make an informed choice. Usually, an offline mobile phone market will have the following features:
- It will offer somewhat less value as compared to online phones
- You will get mobile phones in an offline market with a specific feature highlighted such as its camera
- All other specifications and features of these phones are usually below average compared with the online phones
- The advertising cost of the offline stores is usually higher as compared to the online phones and this cost is therefore passed on to the customers making the phones costlier
- The after-sales support is usually very good in offline stores in most cases and most of the brands of phones
- You can not only touch and feel the phone before buying but can also have direct communication with the seller
- In most parts of the city and nation, you will find a physical store to buy a phone big or small
- In offline sales, there are several retailers, distributors, and other middlemen involved who work on intermediary commissions which finally add on to the price of the phone and
- In the case of defective product sold, the return and replacement process in offline stores are very simple.
When you consider the online market for buying a phone apart from the converse of the offline stores in terms of advantages and disadvantages, you will also find most of the phones sold here are usually performance oriented.
Ideally, the store you would choose will typically depend on your final decision and personal preferences. It will also depend on the location. However, it can be concluded that buying a mobile phone from an online store is a feasible decision if you are interested to buy a budget segment phone.
Caution is required in both
No matter whichever option you choose to buy your mobile phone, there are a few aspects that you should keep in mind and watch out for so that you are not misled by an offline retailer or duped by an online store.
- When it comes to offline stores, you must be specifically wary of the fake promises that offline retailers sometimes make simply to trap buyers.
- Moreover, if you give in to their aggressive and self-interested sales tactics, you may often end up buying a phone that you were hardly looking for.
Most of the time, it is seen that offline retailers play with the misconceptions of the buyers regarding online stores. Some of these are as follows:
- They might say that you will have no warranty on the products sold or any after-sales service if you buy your phone from an online space, whereas if you buy from them they promise such a warranty. Well, this is far from the truth as online retailers most of the time offer protection plans and in case your phone needs servicing you can directly approach the authorized service center of the brand.
- The offline retailer may also play on the exclusivity of a particular brand. Supposing you have seen an ad for a specific phone on the TV and head towards an offline store, they might say that that model is exclusive to online stores only. In such a case, you will end up buying a phone of their choice and on which they usually have a greater cut.
- Freebies are often offered by retailers. This is a very common sales tactic to lure customers. They might offer mobile covers or tempered glass for free with a phone you buy and few may even go a step ahead and offer free apps. They will in such cases not talk about the phone much but divert your attention towards the free offers so that you, once again, end up buying a phone of their choice.
- Lastly, many times it is seen that offline shopkeepers do not even mention the discounts on a particular phone to the customers in order to make more money and you end up buying the phone at an older and higher price. Ideally these days, all smartphone companies offer some discounts or other every now and then.
As for the online stores, you will come to know about these discounts only through them and you may even get a no-cost EMI option on purchases as well.
To conclude, though online sales have increased, offline stores are still dominant. Know the pros and cons to make the final choice.
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