Online Shopping

Hello World

What is all this online shopping really about

What gets us hooked into online shopping

How many of us are addicted to online shopping

How many of us love the comfort of online shopping

Why are people all over the world choosing online shopping at epic proportions.

Would it be true to say that most of us – the masses who have a smart phone or another digital device subscribe to online shopping as it is part of the tech culture.

Next – a few facts

GLOBAL

2018
1.8 billion people worldwide purchased goods online (1)

47.3%         Digital buyers’ penetration worldwide  
This means as a percentage % of Internet users who are buying online (2)

$2.8 trillion US dollars – Global e-retail sales (1)

2021
$4.8 trillion US dollars projection growth (1)

2.14 billion people worldwide expected buy online goods and services (3)

Hello

$2,800,000,000,000
Is this just a number to us

Can we get our head around this figure

This is what we were spending last year and we are being told that this will go up within just two years to $4,800,000,000,000.

2,400,000,000 people will be online shopping

There are no words really that can bring the depth needed to say this is big bucks and a lot of bucks if we are being Honest.

It is speaking volumes to us about our shopping habits and how we have created another worldwide epidemic.

ADD to this ALL that we do not know, or statistics cannot tell us like purchases made on the dark web, which most of us know does exist and has its own world operating underneath the Internet.

WHY are the global statistics telling us that online shopping is here to stay as we are demanding it.

WHY is online shopping such big business with the industry growing at epic proportions.

WHY are our delivery people always knocking on our door as we have a habit of doing online shopping most days.

WHY are we always asking our neighbours to take in our deliveries as we order so much online.

WHY are we happy for someone to do our shopping instead of going to the supermarket and feeling what to buy and not buy.

WHY do we want things at the tap of a button in the comfort of our home, instead of making the movement to actually go to the shops.

WHY would we rather look at a screen and be fed those images in our head and then press buttons instead of having the tangible experience of shopping in real life.

WHY do we habitually go online shopping as we just want to avoid having another FOMO episode.

WHY do many of us never bother to check how much we spend with this online shopping stuff.

WHY do we get so desperate to find bargains on Black Friday and Mad Monday.

WHY are we told in the media that Christmas Day  online shopping is at record high levels. (4)

WHY is there a Singles Day when people buy themselves a gift on 11 November. (5)

WHY have we got Cyber Monday and what happens with online shopping the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

WHY do we get hooked into buying things from a screen and never thinking about the consequences.

WHY have we made it normal to order different sizes just to ‘try on’ as this suits our lifestyle.

WHY are we the first to complain about this, that and the other when it comes to online shopping.

WHY is this online shopping stuff full of choices choices

Researchers have found that being overwhelmed with options can cause an adverse experience called “choice overload” (Sheena Iyengar) or “The Paradox of Choice” (Barry Schwartz, 2007).

We gravitate to companies that offer more options versus fewer ones, because we believe a large selection will maximise our chances of finding the best fit. But we can become paralysed in making a decision with all of these options and avoid making choices altogether.

When we do finally make a decision we are more dissatisfied and regretful about whatever choice we have made.

Research has found that when participants choose from many options they felt more invested in the decision: their hearts beat harder and faster but their arteries also constricted – a sign that they also felt less confident about their decision.
(Saltsman, Seery, Kondrak, Lamarche & Streamer, 2019)

Even minor exposures to this kind of cardiac activity are believed to have long term health consequences if they happen enough; they’re connected to certain types of Heart Disease1 and Hypertension. (6)

Hello

Is the above telling us about a no win situation

WHY are we overwhelmed in the first place

WHY do we become paralysed in making decisions

WHY do we then avoid making any decision at all

WHY are we gravitating towards these companies

WHY is all this stuff not really making any sense

WHY are we not stopping to ask some Questions

NEXT –

If we are being very Honest – how many of us are actually suffering from this “choice overload”.

Are we aware of the physiological impact this has when we do our online shopping.

Do we get it – even a MINOR exposure to this type of online shopping can have serious health consequences.

NEXT –

Is the hardness in our heart, which of course is trying to communicate something, causing the arteries to constrict because it feels pressure because our heart just knows SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.

Is this something we need to consider as it is important

WHY are we being unrealistic with our online shopping purchases.

WHY do we override the gross inconvenience of returning goods as they are not what we want from online shopping.

WHY do we never stop and ask how come we are always returning items and it has become so normal to do so.

WHY have we subscribed to paying additional costs for online shopping so we get next day delivery.

WHY are we willing to pay the extra postal costs just so we can have our online shopping delivered sooner.

WHY have we made online shopping which involves little movement our preferred way to purchase.

WHY is India now taking over with top sites when we google about online shopping.

GLOBAL

2017

China  
Highest online shopping penetration rate – % of people that shop online (1)

E-Commerce
Commercial transactions conducted online
We are involved in e-commerce whenever we buy and sell using the Internet (7)

Top 10 Countries
Retail E-Commerce Sales – % of Total Retail Sales

2018

18%                   UK  

16.6%                China

12.7%                Norway

12%                   South Korea

11.5%                Finland

11.2%                Germany

10.8%                Denmark

8.9%                  US

8.2%                  Canada

6.7%                  Japan (2)

Hello

What are these figures actually telling us

What is driving the high percentage in UK that puts them at the top of the chart.

Is there a correlation with high online shopping sales and a rise in heart conditions in the UK.

Are we going to wait for more research or can we at least consider this pertinent question. 

37% Age 30 – 39 shop online at least once a week (2)
Clothing Most popular online shopping category
Smartphones Number 1 device for retail website visits

In recent years, mobile shopping has been on the rise, with customers increasingly using their mobile devices for various online shopping activities. (1)

Convenience and competitive price are why some choose to shop online

Digital buyers can be influenced by brand emails and product reviews (7)

USA

One of the leading online retail markets (8)

2018                        

$517.36 billion – consumer online spending with U.S. merchants (9)

UK

2017

£586 billion   Value e-commerce sales (10)
£80 billion E-Commerce sales went up in 2016 – 2017 (11)
19.9%  Online retailing accounted for % of total retailing
  July 2019 (12)

2021 

93%   Internet users expected to do online shopping
  Highest online penetration rate in Europe (10)    

More Empty Shops on UK High Streets (13)

2018   1 in every £5 spent in UK shops is now online
2013 1 in every £10

3 shops closing on UK high streets every day
Online competition a factor

“Internet shopping is clearly extremely popular with consumers because of its convenience, though it does take a toll on the high street.”
Laith Khalaf – senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown – investment service

50%    Over 65s now shop on the internet (14)
2029 Internet expected account for 53% of retail sales

25 – 44 age group far more likely to buy clothing, books, electrical goods or food online compared to those over 55. (15)

1 in 15 online purchases made between 12 midnight and 6am

Nocturnal shoppers spent the most on flights and holiday bookings

10 most searched for items – duvet covers, sofa beds and headphones
Research by John Lewis Partnership Card (2019) (16)

Hello Hello

We have 3 shops closing every single day on the high street in the UK.

What about all the job losses

What about all the unsold stock

What about all the empty shops

How does this really affect the towns and the people who live there.

Next –

What is all this online shopping at night time all about

Have we considered that online shopping could be a self medication because we are not able to Sleep.

Have we worked out why sleeping aids is a multi billion dollar industry in our world today. (16)

Does it make sense to do online shopping in the middle of the night when we KNOW we have sleep problems.

Is staying up shopping in the night going to add to the exhaustion we feel during the day.

Is our online night time shopping like a Drug and we just want more of the same to get the buzz we need.

Are we aware that online shopping at night when our body needs rest and sleep is having a harmfull effect on us.

Are we booking Holidays at night as a form of escape in our minds as we are way too tired to think clearly.

Are we joining the dots and adding up that shopping online at night will have an affect on our moods the next day.

Are we using online shopping at night simply because we are fighting what is natural – Sleep.

Could it be possible that choosing to do online shopping at night instead of sleeping is going against our natural cycle and this will have an effect on our body.

Dear World

What we ALL know is that our body is not made to stay up at night and we ALL know that sleep is natural and very important.

Trying to go against something that is natural will have consequences and so it is no surprise that we have a world full of Solutions to help us sleep because we have lost our way when it comes to sleep.

Reading the forensic blog about Sleep on this website will leave the reader in no doubt of the value of sleep and adhering to this natural cycle.

If we are Honest – how do we feel about having to consistently return items which is such an inconvenience.

If we are being honest – how do we feel when the package arrives at an inconvenient time.

If we are to be honest – how content are we with life in general and does something trigger us to do online shopping.

If we are being very honest – how do we feel about the unopened packages sitting in our hallway, because we have no time to open them as life is way too busy and that is why we are doing online shopping, but somewhere along the line our strategy is not working and instead of stopping and asking Questions we just continue our habit of buying.

If we are being totally honest – how much time are we wasting if we add up the whole thing with online shopping.

Example – we buy several sizes and then different colours or even different styles just to see what we want. That means one item needed but we order heaps more to cover all the choices we want. Not once have we considered what resources are needed to make this happen.

NEXT –

Do we use online shopping to fill a void – an emptiness inside us that just won’t go away.

Do we use online shopping to give us that buzz which stimulates us as life without that is flat and dead.

Do we use online shopping because it’s quick and easy and the plastic card always takes care of it.

Do we use online shopping because we have the money so why not just spend it.

Do we use online shopping with no meaning or purpose but simply because it stops us getting Bored with Life.

Do we use online shopping as a Priority to keep up with the latest trends we see on Social Media.

Do we see an ad and want it regardless, so the best and Fast way is to go online shopping for it.

Do we use online shopping to get ahead and have it first before others do.

Do we use online shopping to buy cheap stuff and sell it on so we can profit in this way.

Do we use online shopping hoping we can make a quick killing by getting cheap prices.

Do we use online shopping with the responsibility of knowing that there is a purpose to what we are buying.

Do we ask our partner and neighbours to deal with our online shopping returns as this is not a task we want to take responsibility for.

Are we the talk in our street as we have deliveries arriving daily from our online shopping behaviour.

Are we up for doing online shopping for others as we just like this way of shopping in front of a screen.

Are we living with someone who is constantly buying online and has no desire to change their shopping habits.

Are we Bored on the train journey home so we spend our time shopping online, even for things we don’t need.

Are we putting up with things from online shopping because the thought of re-packaging and returning the goods is way too much effort for us.

Are we piling up the unwanted stuff from online shopping and it is taking up space in our home and we have no intention of dealing with it.

Could it be possible that online shopping is giving us what we are demanding.

In other words, we want this type of experience and so the suppliers supply to the demand.

Online Opioids Scandal
September 2019

Online pharmacies are prescribing powerful Opioids without consulting GPs in breach of new regulations – Times newspaper investigation has found.

Undercover reporter bought hundreds of painkillers from five registered internet chemists, without providing details of a doctor.  All of them dispensed the drugs. One pharmacy issued 200 tablets of dihydrocodeine – an opioid twice as powerful as codeine, without consulting a GP.

The newspaper was able to order another batch from the same company the next day, in breach of its own policy.

Britain’s top medical bodies have demanded an urgent investigation in light of the findings.

2,000 fatalities each year – more than five every day
Due to the powerful painkillers – up by 41% from ten years ago

Number of Britons taken to hospital after overdosing has almost doubled in the past decade.

April 2019 – after an increase in the number of people addicted to opioids, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) tightened regulations for online chemists over drugs liable to abuse.

The council required that the prescriber must have contacted the patient’s doctor “in advance of issuing a prescription and that the GP has confirmed to the prescriber that the prescription is appropriate for the patient”.

Each of the pharmacies in this investigation agreed to dispense the drugs without speaking to the reporter’s GP first.

All that was required was to fill in an online questionnaire and a photo of a passport.

The questionnaires are assessed by a doctor, often based elsewhere in Europe due to a loophole, before a prescription is issued to be dispensed by a pharmacy. The drugs can be fast tracked to arrive the next day.

During the questionnaire, a red message flashed up if answers were entered that would lead to the drugs not being prescribed. The answers can then easily be changed.

The Royal College of Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) called for an urgent investigation into the findings and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) praised the investigations.

Experts have warned that online pharmacies are helping to fuel an opioid epidemic. (17)

Is online shopping so easy for us that we can literally get what we want anytime.

Have we realised that whatever we need, there will always be someone out there selling it to us.

Are we blaming suppliers or can we admit they only exist because we the customer are demanding it.

And finally –

Dear World

What are we avoiding when we choose to hook into online shopping habits.

Can we admit that we are using online shopping as a form of self-medication.

Are we joining the masses and following what has now become the norm with online shopping.

Are we stopping long enough to contemplate the consequences of our shopping behaviour.

Is online shopping the actual issue or are there more Questions now for us to consider.

Could it be possible we have deviated from the good old fashion way that worked, where we had real connection with those who offered us goods and services.

Our world today has become a place where we can literally get anything we desire at anytime because online shopping has been created.

At what cost

Is it worth it

 

References

(1) Clement, J. (2019, March 12). E-commerce Worldwide – Statistics & Facts. Statista. Retrieved October 1, 2019 from
https://www.statista.com/topics/871/online-shopping/

(2) Saleh, K. (n.d). Global Online Retail Spending – Statistics and Trends. Invesp. Retrieved October 4, 2019 from
https://www.invespcro.com/blog/global-online-retail-spending-statistics-and-trends/

(3) (2019). Number of Digital Buyers Worldwide from 2014 to 2021 (in billions). Statista. Retrieved October 2, 2019 from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/251666/number-of-digital-buyers-worldwide/

(4) Morley, K. (2018, December 19). Shoppers Predicted to Spend £1bn on Christmas Day for the First Time. The Telegraph. Retrieved October 6, 2019 from
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/19/shoppers-predicted-spend-1bn-christmas-day-first-time/

(5) Blackley, N. (2017, November 9). China’s Singles Day Retail Phenomenon Will Blow Black Friday Out the Water. Independent. Retrieved October 5, 2019 from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/how-china-s-singles-day-black-friday-a8043346.html

(6) Saltsman, T. (2019, February 10). Why Having Too Many Choices is Making Us Miserable. Fast Company. Retrieved October 3, 2019 from
https://www.fastcompany.com/90411925/having-too-many-choices-is-making-us-miserable

(7) (n.d). What is Ecommerce? Ecommerce Guide. Retrieved October 3, 2019 from
https://ecommerceguide.com/guides/what-is-ecommerce/

(8) (2019). Number of Digital Buyers Worldwide from 2014 to 2021 (in billions). Statista. Retrieved October 2, 2019 from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/251666/number-of-digital-buyers-worldwide/

(9) Ali, F. (2019, February 28). US Ecommerce Sales Grow 15.0% in 2018. Digital Commerce 360. Retrieved October 2, 2019 from
https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/us-ecommerce-sales/

(10) O’Dea, S. (2019, July 31). E-Commerce in the United Kingdom (UK) – Statistics & Facts. Statista. Retrieved October 3, 2019 from
https://www.statista.com/topics/2333/e-commerce-in-the-united-kingdom/

(11) (2019). E-Commerce Sales in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2014 to 2017 (in billion GBP). Statista. Retrieved October 3, 2019 from
https://www.statista.com/statistics/282162/e-commerce-annual-sales-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/

(12) (2019, August 15). Retail Sales, Great Britain: July 2019. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved October 3, 2019 from
https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/retailindustry/bulletins/retailsales/july2019

(13) Simpson, E. (2019, September 11). High Street: How Many UK Shops Have Closed? BBC News. Retrieved October 4, 2019 from
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49349703

(14) Morley, K. (2018, August 16). One in Every Five Pounds Spent with UK Retailers is Now Online, Figures Show. The Telegraph. Retrieved October 4, 2019 from
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/16/one-every-five-pounds-spent-uk-retailers-now-online-figures/

(15)  Butler, S. (2019, July 9). Half of UK Retail Sales Will Be Online Within 10 Years, Report Predicts. The Guardian. Retrieved October 1, 2019 from
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jul/09/half-of-uk-retail-sales-will-be-online-within-10-years-report-predicts

(16) Barrett, C. (2019, September 14). Rise of the ‘Nocturnal Shopper’. Financial Times. Retrieved October 4, 2019 from
https://www.ft.com/content/acc799c0-d62e-11e9-8367-807ebd53ab77 14

(16) (2015, July 31). Global Sleep Aids Market Will Reach US$80.8 Bn by 2020: Persistence Market Research. GlobeNewswire. Retrieved October 7, 2019 from
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/07/31/756724/10144080/en/Global-Sleep-Aids-Market-Will-Reach-US-80-8-Bn-by-2020-Persistence-Market-Research.html

(17) Ellery, B. (2019, September 28). Online Opioids Scandal. The Times. pp. 1 – 2

 

 

 

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Comments 12

  1. Post
    Author

    iNews – 22 November 2019

    https://inews.co.uk/opinion/comment/compulsive-shopping-left-me-17000-in-debt-and-unable-to-buy-a-house-1319533

    Researchers say compulsive online shopping should be treated as an addiction and mental health disorder. The study was published in the Comprehensive Psychiatry Journal which showed 33% showed signs of addiction to online shopping and they linked it to more acute levels of anxiety and depression.

    Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and New Year sales all mark the start of one of the most intense seasons for consumerist spending.

    According to this news story, a lot of this will take place online and this is set to increase.

    93% of purchases in the UK are expected to be made online in 2021.

    Buying Shopping Disorder (BSD) is an extreme form of craving and patients buy more consumer goods than they can afford and are not needed or they are not frequently used.

    The excessive purchasing is primarily used to regulate emotions – for example to get pleasure or relief from negative feelings.

    Parallels are being drawn between BSD and gaming disorder, which was classified in 2018 by the World Health Organization.

    Evidence shows similar changes in the brain as you get with substances in gambling, sex and porn addiction.

    The article mentions different real life examples and one that sticks out is a woman saying shopping addiction for her is the same as drinking alcohol, which she used to numb overwhelming feelings and in her case it was anger as a single mum having to give up work and look after her son with a complex medical history.

    I am no medical expert or a kingpin in the world of academia but I do have a lot of lived experience, wisdom and common sense.

    I was a shopaholic and it was my drug of choice during my days when I could not admit I was deeply miserable and lived with the agony and undealt with hurts that I carried from my younger days. Blame, frustration and resentment were emotions I felt and the deep need for recognition plagued my life for decades.

    Shopping gave me a relief, something to plan and look forward to with eating at a fancy restaurant. I could see no point getting the plastic out and having loads of shopping bags unless taxis and fine dining were on the agenda. With shopping, I could totally forget about all the ugly stuff going on in my head and in my life.

    We could wait for the National Health System to rescue us or provide a service but we could be waiting a long long time due to lack of funding and the current mess they are in.

    What I did was change my behaviour because if I didn’t then things were going to get really serious as I was spending way over my budget.

    Roll on to today and shopping holds little interest for me and I can simply not hang around shops all day or even go for fine dining. It’s way too boring and has no value or meaning for me.

    I need to have purpose and if I cannot feel the purpose then my body will not shift gear and get going.

    We are going into Christmas soon and I was known for shop shop shopping non stop and now I just see the whole thing as something in the calendar with time off work for many and an opportunity for me to catch up on odd jobs and things that may not have got the attention needed on the home front. Indulging in shopping at this time is not on my radar and my body and wallet are better off because of my choices.

    It is super rare for me to buy online but if I do I know what I want, go to the site and purchase. No dilly dallying, straying, surfing or looking at the other ads and offers flashing on the screen.

    If it is not the price I want or there are hidden extras then chances are I will close the screen and move on with no attachment to wanting the item. This confirms to me that I am no longer owned by those hooks that got me to shop and buy because I now feel free.

    It really is like a drug and you have to wean yourself off but to do it forever, one needs to get to the root cause of WHY they started shopping in the first place.

    With great honesty as a starting point, we can get there and nail it and knock it out, as that is what I did and have never looked back.

    Of course I have not been double blind tested or scientifically used in a research study but nevertheless real life anecdotal evidence here is saying it as it is.

  2. Our obsessions and dependence on online shopping means that we have created gadgets that ensure we no longer miss ANY parcel delivery.

    We can now see the courier arriving at our home in an app via CCTV cameras, whilst another lets us answer the front door from our desks. An alert is received when the bell’s sensors detect motion and via a speaker we can ask the courier to put our parcels in a secure place.

    This is quite extreme and reading this article about New York City where 1.5 million packages are delivered per day this arises great cause for concern.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/27/nyregion/nyc-amazon-delivery.html

    If one city in one country (USA) that has 50 states can have that many deliveries each day, how many daily deliveries is the whole country receiving and what about the whole world?

    We have created an unprecedented situation with all of this online shopping leading to the chaos of gridlocks, pollution and road safety concerns, due to the excess vehicles on the road delivering.

    The New York Times article goes on to talk about apartment blocks and how they are dealing with all of this.

    A large complex in Manhattan had to turn a nearby retail store front into a satellite package centre. Stickers are left on building mailboxes notifying residents of a package but the stickers fall off, or get pulled off and packages go missing.

    So this solution has not worked.

    Even more crazy is the fact that buildings without storage space have resorted to piling boxes in their lobbies. In one building two plastic shelves were created in the entrance way to store residents’ packages but boxes still spill over onto the floor.

    Another building has the packages in a locked cage with the doorman guarding the key.

    Here we see the extra staff and resources needed to deal with this modern day mayhem.

    Some of us may feel that this is a good thing, as there are many jobs that have now become available, through the growth of online shopping – delivery drivers, couriers, staff needed to look after the packages, people needed to pack the items, etc, etc

    However have we considered that if this industry was not here there would be other jobs for us, jobs that provide much needed services that humanity need?

    On that note – on two occasions in the last year I have spoken to people who have worked in the warehouses of a large online retailer and they have complained about the poor treatment that they receive including working long hours 6 – 8 hours without a break.

    Is this really what needs to be happening so that we can get the goods that we want, when we want and at the price that we demand?

    Have we truly considered the consequences of this click and deliver lifestyle?

    Have we ever stopped to consider the impact on others and the environment from our quick click and purchase or insatiable appetite for more?

    The number of daily deliveries to households in New York for example tripled to over 1.1 million shipments from 2009 – 2017.

    As Mr Jose Holguin-Veras from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Center of Excellence for Sustainable Urban Freight Systems says – “It is impossible to triple the amount without paying consequences.”

    Holguin- Veras asks: “What percentage of your deliveries are truly urgent – 5 percent or 2 percent? We as customers are driving the process and to some extent creating these complications” referring to the build up of deliveries in apartment blocks.

    This is seriously out of control and the well-being of our environment and societies will not improve, if we continue on this ill road.

    Is it time for us to seriously re-consider and review our relationship with shopping particularly shopping on line and what the driving force behind it is?

  3. The Daily Telegraph – 20th June 2020

    Teens Rack Up Debts in ‘Free Money’ Splurge

    Teenagers have exploited a credit loophole to go on “free” shopping sprees as an alarming security flaw at Britain’s biggest ‘buy now pay later’ firm is exposed.

    The lender has been forced to overhaul its security system after a 16 year-old girl was able to open up an account on the website and rack up debts of more than £500 through buying clothes online.

    She was able to do this by using her own name but her mother’s date of birth. This fooled the credit check system into thinking the girl and her mother were the same person, even though no one of that age, name and address existed on the electoral roll.

    It has exposed an alarming security flaw at the increasingly popular service, which is strictly for adults only and the company has now introduced new security measures.

    This is not the first time that teenagers have hijacked “free money” services. An Australian provider came under fire in 2018 following media reports that teenagers had infiltrated the website and spent hundreds of dollars on alcohol.

    Similar stories of misuse by minors in Britain have raised questions over the robustness and security and affordability checks at “buy now pay later” firms, a relatively new form of credit provider that has grown rapidly in recent years.

    Britain’s biggest firm doubled its customer numbers in 2019, with orders made via the firm every 1.3 seconds. It has partnerships with more than 5,000 retailers, including top high street brands.

    A spokesperson for Experian, the credit checker, said it should not be possible for those under the age of 18 to get access to credit and all regulated lenders had to enforce the rules.

    StepChange, a debt charity, said such misuse of credit by minors had added to concerns, they said: “Such services could remove the friction from the process of paying and encourage individuals to put off thoughts of affordability until a later date. This is more concerning when attached to a product that is incredibly popular among young people, who tend to have higher outgoings and less secure incomes.”

    A Telegraph Money investigation in February had found that 30,000 people had damaged their credit file because of missed payments to this company.

    According to Comparethemarket, the comparison website, almost a quarter of those aged 18 to 24 have turned to “buy now pay later” services to fund their spending since March, when the coronavirus lockdown began and online shopping boomed.

    When I read this article, as I had never heard of these “buy now pay later” schemes the first question I asked myself was, what is the difference between this and a credit card as it sounds just the same.

    I found out that it is a new form of credit where we get can get our items without paying for it at the checkout.

    As one top brand put it: “It’s for people who wanna cop some new gear but can’t wait until payday.”

    Another brand says that when buyers reach the checkout, they are asked to pay with a debit or credit card, PayPal or “pay later”. Pay later says it lets you “sit back and relax” and will notify you when payment is due.

    This company was set up in 2005 and is currently valued at about £2 billion. Last year its profits tripled to £29 million. It launched in the UK in 2017 and recently announced a $20 million partnership with another retailer.

    This company allows people who shop online, at hundreds of retailers, to “try before you buy”. Shoppers accepted by this company have 14 or 30 days to pay (dependent on the retailer) to pay for their online order. This means you could get a pile of clothes delivered, try them on and return any you don’t like, then only pay for what you keep.

    Is it possible that schemes like this simply perpetuate the notion that it is OK to get into debt?

    Is it possible that schemes like this do nothing to help us with maintaining a budget of our finances?

    Is it possible that schemes like this simply encourages the ‘I want it now’ brigade and make it very easy to buy items that we can’t truly afford?

    As someone who had been in debt for most of my life – chronic debt at times where I was constantly overdrawn and having to pay bank charges in what was a never ending spiral – debt is something that should not be encouraged or made easy at all.

    As humans, our desire to have the ‘latest gear’ overrides our ‘responsible head’ and before we know it, we are thousands of £’s in debt.

    As humans, we like to think we are in control, but the allure of having the latest gear and ‘having it now and paying later’ will be too much for some of us.

    We go into this thinking we will be able to pay it off easily but a few months down the line, we find ourselves in the beginning of a debt spiral that is hard to break free of.

    Of course, we can put the responsibility firmly at the feet of these firms to ensure they provide adequate security and affordability checks, but, if like many businesses, there goal is to make as much money as they can, how stringent will be they be on adhering to their checks?

    As is always the case, it is our choice to enter into these contracts but is it possible that the temptation of “free” stuff will be too much for us to ignore?

  4. The Guardian – 4 July 2020

    There is a huge rise in customer subscription plans as Britain signs up in lockdown to firms offering gin, cheese and coffee. As people are unable to get supermarket delivery slots or go out to eat and drink, they look for alternatives online.

    Other home delivery small businesses are seeing growth where subscriptions rose by 1,665% in one week. The gin club subscription, the company reported a 452% rise in customers.

    This gives us an indication of where our spending is going and what we are seeking.
    Coffee, cheese and alcohol.

    How many of us would ever bother to stop and question what we are buying if we have our “because we can” hat on and our “I can do what I want” boots on?
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/because-we-can/

    Staying at home and working from home for many has meant making adjustments and that includes spending more online and with millions of products and services available at a click, it’s like we are on a virtual reality mode of operating and forget about the consequences.

    Have we asked if gin is on the rise, are we drinking more and is this becoming a daily thing now as we don’t have much else to relax and take the stress away?

    Is the excess cheese giving us a form of comfort that helps us to numb ourselves away from all the stuff going on right now in our world?

    Is the rise in coffee subscriptions because we have become a nation addicted to the caffeine element, which we need to kick start our day and then some more to keep going?

    We could ignore all the above questions and just think that a pandemic is the only reason for the rise in these subscription services but what if there is more here to read between the lines?

    What if…

    As Einstein reminded us, we need to keep questioning…?

  5. Online shopping is our new normal because we have a pandemic and most of us are not going out, even with the lockdown restrictions lifted.

    I have come to realise what a huge responsibility this online shopping business is.
    You order and it’s not the right size or fit and then it has to go back. This involves our time and effort to get the thing packaged and fill out the returns form and then post office where there are jumbo lines of people queueing up (probably doing the same thing as you – returning items from online shopping) or we have to arrange for the delivery company to collect and make sure we are in or give instructions where we will leave the item(s). It does not stop at that.

    We then have to check our bank or credit card statement to be sure the amount we paid gets refunded. Of course this is not immediate so you have this ‘pending’ thing in the back of your mind or if you are super organised a pending tray or some kind of diary note on your phone or computer.

    We all complain about not having enough time so on that note, is this type of lifestyle choice consuming our time and resources?

    For the record, I choose to buy very little online and to be honest find the whole experience not enjoyable but with the way of our world now, it has to be done for certain things.

    I was talking to a guy recently, who tells me they have a cupboard full of stuff which are just online shopping items (mainly clothes) that were wrong size or fit and with the “can’t be bothered” attitude, it gets delegated to a space inside their home to deal with one day in the future. Of course with their attitude, we know that it is not going to happen and it may take a house move to action or it may never get to see daylight, so to speak. I also observed in a large house, lots of items near the front door ALL waiting to be returned following online shopping. This was not a one off but a way of living that is accepted. In other words, the hallway area by the front door taking up space with boxes and packages most of the time.

    As a world, we have become consumed in buying and shopping and there seems to be no end to our appetite for wanting things now. Saving and waiting before we go shopping is a thing of the past. 24/7 click a button, pay extra and it’s with you the next day is like a dream come true for many and a way of life we have become accustomed to.

    My question is – how much of this do we really need and does this type of behaviour support us in anyway to evolve?

    We all know that not having the money to pay for something is simply not an issue as the solution is plastic cards because a whole range of credit is available and that only requires a few clicks. So we have the solution and the suppliers are just waiting to take our business.

    Let us not forget that the demand – that is us wanting to buy has to be first and then comes the supply.

    If we stop buying the products and services then suppliers would not be able to sell us anything because we wake up and realise we really don’t need much and living simple is easy and hard to comprehend, but actually very very joy-full in every way. I know because that is how I choose to live without perfection of course.

  6. A mega UK “online supermarket grocery specialist” have made the decision to cancel a deal with a giant supermarket and replace it with another big supermarket. The transition has taken 18 months as this is how long it takes to empty out their warehouses with the stock of the supermarket they no longer want to do business with.

    One national newspaper did a comparison and the first thing that is flagged is the mega online supermarket has robot run warehouses.

    The supermarket that no longer is with them employs humans and they call their staff ‘partners’ and profits are shared among employees. They have been around a long time and weathered all sorts of economic changes over the past 120 years.

    88% of the items ordered online are picked from the actual stores and they recently invested £10 million to improve their online business. During the pandemic there was a 50% increase with online orders.

    Their executive director says that they will now become the number one connection with customers online and can communicate with them about the brands they sell and everything else that makes this supermarket different.

    What we can all say is that a global pandemic has given rise to online supermarket shopping and the convenience at a click of a button appeals to the masses. It seems the majority of us are not bothered about the quality of what we receive knowing that robots are doing the job and not a human. We are also looking for cheaper ways to save money, so if robots replace humans that seems to be ok for us as it would mean paying less.

    So is artificial intelligence the way to go in the future or will it come with bigger problems that we may not yet have thought about?

    Are we ok if the robot does not see the quality of what it chooses or do we like the knowing that a human hand and touch was involved and so that would make all the difference?

    What customers need to consider is the bigger picture and weigh up everything including the fact that robot run mega supermarket charges 7 bucks for delivery and the human service is Free delivery.

    What if the bigger picture is that artificial intelligence may have a place but not for our food shopping because our body needs the quality, a vibration so to speak that does not erase human connection?

    What if a supermarket that calls all its employees ‘partners’ is speaking volumes about how we are all equals regardless of our position and that there is another way to run a business where it is not solely about numbers and profit?

  7. I rarely do online shopping and call it old fashion but it works for me.

    However, I have noticed this one company sends emails daily trying its best to hook us in and I mean that the colourful content with images is there to do one job and that is make us buy. In my world I call that hooking you in. It’s like eye candy and you just can’t resist or there is an offer or some other thing that will get us seeking more and before we know it, shopping cart has proceeded to the checkout and it’s so easily done with that card number saved and bingo you get the confirmation email saying when they are going to deliver.

    I know so many people who are going crazy with online shopping.
    Add to that all the delivery vans I see daily dropping off packages and all size boxes and other items.

    The new buzz words for this lockdown life is “click and collect”. So we can get to do our DIY jobs and pick up what we want with the click and then go to the store of our choice and pick it up. We even have local shops getting our online shopping while we are out and the train stations have opened up space to help us collect our orders that we place online.

    Our world is changing for sure. It is adapting to a different way of living, but have we stopped long enough to feel if we are going about it the right way?

    Online orders for supermarkets are seeing a steep rise now more than ever before.
    Are we spending more because we can or because we like the comfort of ordering from a screen and in our own home and we have lost the getting out of the house movement to actually go and do the shopping and choose what we need to buy?

    Are we getting into debt in our personal budget because of the job situation and is it mirroring the country we are living in, which tells us they are in so much debt due to furlough and a pandemic?

    Online shopping is killing our face to face connection and communication with others and that we could say is a fact of modern day life and our recent pandemic.

    Business for delivery and postal services will as a result be on the rise, creating more jobs.

    On that note, I saw a lady at our central city department store this week, barely able to walk. She said that the furlough time off had got her out of her routine and she was glad to get back, only to find out she was back off work the very next day due to another lockdown. Wait for this – the lady was a member of staff doing an online shopping order. The trolley was full with party gear for kids and a whole lot more. We had a chat about excess shopping and she said her store had made record profits, way above what they had expected. She said online shopping is so busy that they have a new job – pushing a trolley with a list that was made online.

    The suppliers will keep producing and giving us what we want as we make the demand.

    Let us never forget that they exist because of what the consumers want. If one day we wake up and realise we do not need to buy half if not more of what we do purchase, then these guys will be out of business.

    Until then we can expect to see more billionaires and trillionaires, as our world goes on trading in goods and services, most of which will have no purpose or meaning.

    If the above is a bit too much, ask any elderly person nearing the end of their life and they will let you know their take.

    What holds true meaning and purpose is not monetary or the acquisition of anything.

    And finally, online shopping suits our lifestyle but at what cost?

    The demise of our high street shopping stores and shopping malls will create a lot of unemployment and empty buildings. Our reliance on a screen showing us an image and then we click and buy is now our new normal. Meeting a specialist or someone who has worked in a store for decades and can offer us their wisdom and experience is being thrown out and we replace it with ‘reviews’, most of which are not a true or accurate representation as we all know.

  8. Metro News – 10 November 2020

    Online retailers are leaving people with mental health problems and putting them at risk of huge debt with ‘buy now, pay later’ deals and one click purchases.

    3 million people in the UK with mental health problems have struggled to stay in control of their spending during lockdown according to a poll from the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.

    With Black Friday coming up later this month, the charity is urging online retailers to offer more tools to manage spending, warning that a single shopping spree can lead to “years of misery and thousands of pounds of debt”.

    Dear World

    Can we start with a real life perspective on this news story?

    What if there are actually far more people – not just 3 million in the UK who have spent way over their budget during this lockdown year thus far?

    What if we have no idea how many are spending and if we take individuals as the microcosm and the country as a whole as the macrocosm we would know that our debt is out of control.

    The UK’s current debt is over £2 trillion – see link below and this confirms we have a nation that is not able to control spending on any level and that reality check is needed now for each and every one of us to take note of.
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/sep/25/uk-borrowing-surges-as-covid-pushes-national-debt-to-record

    Why have we got mental health in the first place?

    How are we living and what is our behaviour doing?

    What are the lifestyle choices we are making in the name of free will and with our “because we can” hat on? On that note, worth reading our ‘because we can’ blog on this website.
    https://simplelivingglobal.com/because-we-can/

    WHY does our school agenda not cater for simple stuff like household budget and spending only what we have – never more as it simply is not there?

    In other words, good old fashion ways that worked and did not get personal spending to the point where it created any tension or ill mental health.

    The UK did not have lifestyle choices like they do today and they did not in the past have debts at this record high level of over 2 trillion pounds.

    If we as individuals have debt and are not serious about paying them off but keep on spending, then we ought to ponder on this deeply and ask questions.

    Is online shopping a form of self-medication, comfort thing or reward for us and if so – WHY?

    What is missing in our life that we need to spend, spend and spend?

    Are we subscribing to the throwaway society where we buy things knowing we can get rid of it and replace it at a click on our screen?

    Are we aligning to what the masses are doing, which is making sure they get the images uploaded on social media to show off new purchases regardless of what it may be?

    Whatever our reasons for spending, we cannot blame the suppliers who are there to profit from our lifestyle choices.
    Think about it – if we stopped spending online then they would be out of business.
    The supply is there because we the customers demand it, so let’s end the blame game.

    Without real education we are never going to nail this and the way things are going it is very likely that we will see an even greater rise in ill mental health linked to online shopping.

  9. Mail Online – 4 September 2021

    1 in 8 shoppers using online “buy now, pay later” schemes have been chased by debt collectors.

    Users have been charged £39 million in late fees over the last year. None of the “pay later” checkouts warned customers about use of debt collectors.

    We are told these type of schemes give consumers a ‘false sense of security’ but are we not already insecure when it comes to our finances and that is why this option of paying later attracts us in the first place?

    Have we worked out what age group are in to this BNPL way of online shopping?

    Have we considered that we are the ones that want something right now and do not have the means or resources to pay, so just like a credit card, we find a way to avoid facing reality (which is saying listen up we don’t have the money) and let’s call it our solution – we want it now and we can have what we want as BNPL tells us we can.

    It would be wise to ask WHY has this have it now and pay later become such an increasingly popular credit option?

    While we wait for our government to step in and regulate this expanding sector, what is it that we can do when it comes to Personal Responsibility?

    We know that retailers want to make profits and that is what we call business.
    If they have ways of getting more money and that means we spend more, then they are not going to turn away and say no thank you.

    What if we educated people about personal accountability, personal responsibility and good old fashion common sense which never failed in reminding us “save and pay up front – any form of credit is a false way of living and we do know that.”?

  10. I have never ever been interested in online shopping and now I know why even more.

    Due to work changes, I have been forced to do online shopping recently for work related materials and equipment.
    Yes – force being an appropriate word here.

    Our world today means to get things done it is all about digital – go online and take action. High streets are dead and the lockdown made sure it will never be the same again. So many out of work and those working want to work from home, so our demand has changed. We don’t want to walk or move out of the comfort of our own home so we can do everything online. We can shop shop shop 24/7.

    Returning goods is a very complicated and difficult process I have come to learn.
    Get another to help you or read the small print and follow the guidelines and then pack the thing up and it better be done correctly if you want a full refund. Then spend time checking when that refund actually gets onto your credit card or bank statement. In the meantime, you have ordered even more stuff and what if some of that needs to go back?

    As a friend said to me recently, this is like a job in itself.
    I personally know of people who have their hallway by the front door full of all sizes of boxes and packages “all to be returned” by the pick up guy or take to the local post office or other drop off shops that are popping up all over the place.
    By the way have we seen the line/queues outside post offices and places like this that accept parcels to be returned?

    Next – if you have a question or query about an item you have purchased from a large company, just forget getting an email or phone call. Instead we have ‘Can I help you’ and it is a robot with a name like Amelia and the photo is the perfect robot woman from a sci fi movie – chiselled features and perfect hair.

    Robots are there to assist and that means you don’t always get a proper response as they are programmed to answer questions from the wording you give them. Say something out of that and you get sent to another robot with a different name.

    AND if you are doing a job like I do, which is research and report on this website then be prepared for the constant bombardment to distract in the form of adverts. They are above, in-between paragraphs of news stories, on the side and many of them. Now we have them flashing as just being there is not doing much. Increased focus and steadiness is required to continue reading and not get sucked into the range which includes videos and similar items to what you just purchase online yesterday.
    There is nothing at all that we can do to say NO remove ALL adverts as I am not interested. No Option. No Choice.

    Our world is driven by our insatiable appetite to want more. Those that profit from our demands want to continue profiting and so the game goes on. Why don’t we call it a game because it does not even seem real the way most of us behave with online shopping?

    How many of us bother to even return items when we know the hassle and inconvenience it all is?
    I ask this as I know people have told me they leave it if its small stuff and others give things away and some just fill up their homes with returns waiting. I also know of stores in the U.S. that allow one year to return items.

    This blog and the comments thereafter are certainly worth reading and considering.

    Ponder deeply Dear World with what we have created in the name of Online Shopping and what the purpose is every single time we click and make our next purchase online.

  11. Dear World

    What on earth are we doing online these days?

    Has the pandemic and lockdown made us into these vehicles that simply want everything delivered?

    In the past 2 days, I have taken 7 packages in for neighbours as they order, of course are never at home and the delivery guy wants to strike it off on his hand held machine.

    I have also noticed most of the postal workers have back and leg problems which comes from heavy loads, as packages are expected to be delivered along with general mail. With our online behaviour when it comes to spending these guys have work they were never designed to do in the first place. When they started work as a postman, it was to deliver letters, but today they cart around a huge trolley on wheels, park it and take batches out in their sack on the shoulder and deliver.

    We need a study to examine what happens to the body of a postal worker over the years of doing the job.

    Next –

    I have been observing how many vans are out there now just delivering around the clock and its 7 days a week and late into the night. This was unheard of in the past.

    We have made this the normal but it is far from a standard we should be setting as normal.

    I am not the waste police but I take my responsibility as a Citizen very seriously.
    WHY trash when you don’t have to really? Being sensible is no longer a common behaviour for the majority.

    Last week I was on a local home visit where the boxes within boxes were piled so high it was taking up so much space. Apparently, it was being stored as a ‘man with a van’ who removes junk was coming to collect it all. Yes that has a high price. Refuse in a city is not cheap and if there is a demand bet your bottom dollar, the cost is high.

    So in this real life case, they buy whatever they want online and cannot be bothered to break the box down and place it in the large recycling bins that are provided.

    Online shopping for most is a self medication and many of us know this to be true. As it was said to me recently, it is a distraction and a drug of choice.

    To not be bothered to throw out and recycle the boxes and just leave them hanging around speaks volumes and we as a world are not mature enough yet to go there and question WHY?

    What is going on for anyone that needs this deviation away from everyday life and what it brings to purchase something that in most cases does not serve or have any true purpose?

    I speak to my postman and the delivery drivers and they all tell me that they are inundated and there is no end to this online shopping and delivery on demand that consumers now expect. We pay extra just to have it literally same day or next day. Suppliers engage us in this by offering extortionate delivery fees and some of us take it. Is this because money comes in fast and we want to spend it fast? Or do we buy even if we don’t have the money?

    I used to be addicted to shopping decades ago before online became fashion. Today I find the whole thing a waste, as it has no purpose. What I need or want I buy. If it has to be online then that is my last choice. I prefer human interaction and know that those that serve us have a job because we visit them in person.

    What I know now was my life had a void – I felt empty and shopping would somehow fill it – albeit for a very short moment and the drop thereafter felt like a bigger hole. The debt mounted and the hidden anxiety was always there buried.

    Today, I do not have any shopping distractions as there is so much more I could be doing that holds meaning and purpose instead of spending money on stuff I really do not need.

    I feel more content with living Simple and it comes with no tension.

  12. Reuters – 2 October 2024

    https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-cdc-warns-public-health-risk-counterfeit-prescription-medicines-available-2024-10-02/

    The U.S. CDC warns of overdose risk from fake prescription medicine online.
    https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s1002-counterfit-prescription-online-pharmacies.html

    Public Health officials and clinicians were alerted about the potential risk for drug overdose among individuals ordering counterfeit prescription medicines from online pharmacies.

    The counterfeit pills sold through illegal internet-based pharmacies frequently contain Fentanyl, a synthetic Opioid that is the leading cause of drug overdoses in the United States.

    95% of websites offering prescription drugs online operate illegally, citing data from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

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