New craze is to compare costs online before making offline purchase

The salesman became irate as the customer compared the costs on Amazon while checking out the badminton rackets in the store.

Hyderabad: How many times have you gone to a store or a mall just to leave empty-handed because you found lower prices, bargains, and discounts online? A Reddit user’s recent experience of being kicked out from a renowned sports store in the city caused quite a stir on the platform. The salesman became irate as the customer compared the costs on Amazon while checking out the badminton rackets in the store.

“I was looking at all the rackets and was subsequently checking the prices on amazon to see if they sell it cheaper. And the salesman got angry with this. He told me not to check out the rackets there if I would ultimately buy it from amazon. And the manager came out and supported him saying that I cannot disrespect the store owners by trying out the racket in the offline store, only to buy it on amazon later (sic),” shared the 17-year-old, adding that he was asked to exit the store when he tried to defend himself.

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It’s not uncommon now for customers to compare products online and in-person. Unfortunately, it is the biggest challenge facing showrooms today. Nevertheless, it would seem logical for a customer to choose the item with the lowest price. “I’m an avid reader, and when I have free time, I like to browse through books online and offline. Surprisingly, the pricing at bookstores is significantly higher than those on online websites. I eventually stopped going to bookstores which used to be my favourite thing. Even though I want to support bookstores, I cannot at this time afford to spend additional money,” shared MS Chandra Sekhar, a retired government employee.

The 60-year-old continued, “At the moment, I buy everything online, including groceries, medicines, clothing, and even my glasses! I only go to the market to buy vegetables and fruits since they are cheaper and fresher there than they are online. I compare the price rates of the produce on apps like Big Basket and Swiggy Instamart.”

HR recruiter and student Yashwanth Podugu says that when purchasing anything online, quality might occasionally become a problem. “My lifestyle has drastically changed recently because I still owe money on college loans. Therefore, I frequently find better, more affordable prices online when shopping for clothes or even shoes. However, I have occasionally received low-quality goods online. Therefore, I prefer buying expensive items like mobile phones offline or at the very least checking them out in person before placing an online order,” he said.

It appears that consumers are now more likely to choose convenience over other criteria while shopping. Some local businesses are adjusting to the upheaval by enabling online shopping through apps like Dunzo.