The hidden costs of online shopping – for customers and retailers
https://phys.org/news/2019-01-hidden-online-customers-retailers.html
"Customer first" is the basis of all retailer strategies. Many have had to put online sales systems into place very quickly to beat the competition. But now they are struggling with the consequences. The return rates from e-commerce are quoted as two to three times higher than those for in store purchases. And there are downsides for both retailers and customers.
For customers there's a time cost. On top of time spent browsing online, click-and-collect often means queuing to pick up your purchase. With home delivery, there may be time-consuming work in packaging and making returns. Online shopping can also simply lead customers to overspend, due to convenience andclever marketing techniques.