The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, January 31, 2000, Image 3
S1>I| ‘J-»V Junuiin 1 IELIFE THE BATTALION Page 3 Mito ws Editor s Fxiitor Jio Produicr h Master iphics Editor hies Editor ditor slacker.bum Lazy and thrifty consumers find haven online BY KELLY PREISER The Battalion I t seems as though technology is slowly taking over every aspect of American lives. People have re mote controls for everything, includ ing their televisions, stereos and even their cars. People have the option of ordering food from their homes for delivery and buying exercise machines that do the work for them and now they do not even have to leave the house to pur chase their groceries. With Websites likeAlbertsons.com and Walmart.com, one can purchase the bare essentials and have them delivered to their doorstep. American’s daily practices have been revolutionized. Nielsen/NetRatings found that the number of Internet users increased 22.7 percent in 1999, bringing the total num ber of users from 97 million to 1 ^mil lion. It is possible that this rise is be cause the Internet allows users to search for the latest and cheapest in technology, gives them a chance to compare prices online and saves them time by avoiding busy shopping malls and long lines. Online shopping is quickly becom ing one of the most favored ways to shop. According to an eMarketer sur vey conducted online, among 541 shoppers at eMarketer.com, 90 percent rated the Web better than catalogs and stores, and 72 percent said they would shop online throughout 2000. Despite problems such as items be ing out of stock or delivered late, 73 percent were more satisfied with the In ternet than with stores. Why are people turning to the Inter net to make their purchases? One might think it is because people do not want to leave the convenience of their homes. Jeremy Carpenter, a junior in dustrial engineering major, said he agrees w ith this theory. “Americans [shop online because they] are inherently Jazy,” he said. However, not everyone agrees. Courtney Buie, a temporary campus representative, has a different view. “Some people shop online when they can't find what they need at con ventional outlets and others shop online because they can find better prices, don’t have to wait in lines and can have "I don't like to shop online be cause I don't trust anything I can't do in person/' — Jeremy Carpenter Texas A&M junior the items delivered to their doorstep,” Buie said. Jodi Gershoni, Communications Di rector for VarsityBooks.com, said, “I believe the Internet has brought effi ciencies to inefficient markets.” David Holland, a junior engineering technology major, chose to buy his books online this semester. “It was pretty easy and straightfor ward, they delivered it on time. It was a good experience,” he said. Holland thinks people shop online because of convenience. He chose to buy his books online because the prices of the books he was looking for were going to be cheaper. Many people choose to shop online because of the competitive prices. “Shopping online not only provides purchasers with more choices, but it pro vides a level of price-saving that is at tractive to most people,” Gershoni said. “Online shopping does get you a better deal. Since their overhead is low er, they can charge lower prices. They usually don’t charge sales tax, and most companies don't charge shipping with a minimum purchase,” Buie said. Online shopping also gives the con sumer a chance to find the best deal without having to go from store to store. People can compare prices with the click of a button. Buie adds, “Shop ping online can be a huge time-saver when you need to look around and compare prices — you can do all that sitting at your computer.” There are sites on the Web dedicat ed to comparative shopping. Gershoni suggested students looking for a good deal could go to special site to find com parisons of online book companies. Many sites offer a variety of items such as apparel, books, health and beauty supplies, consumer electronics and groceries. Certain sites offer a com parison of credit card rates to help con sumers find the best rate for them and can also help one in calculating the cost of their debt. In contrast to all the benefits of on line shopping, there may also be some See Internet on Page 4. ■ .md Tahnolog . Wished *gsen*asandlto#* ssion (except ^ j nW (S(ty Penodeals WASM Send attest jnaid ButWmg.fe** 411 ''"* iment is managed t>( 51,11616 ' n of Student Weda. a s offices are m 013 » : J45.3313; Fax: • site: http ■ 'battalion ta ,l ' l,61 Rising does not imply 9°^’ oi campus, local. a t'd^.'_ classified ad^ ; ?ed McDonald, and offe u : nday. Fax: 845-2678. ^ dent Services Fee en® 56 ’, copy of Die BaftalfonJ 1151 ^ options are S60 pei id $17.50 for the sut* 161 ^ Amencan Express, call 843- g sessions a r n; FridayJ ()-4:30pm [2 April* 3 Kduca^jLj o® .^Wxing on E n g' neenn g Op port Engineering Career Fair Sponsored btj I be Student Engineers Council and tne Office of Cooperative Ed ucation Monday, January 31 1:50 - Career Fair Networking - Rudder 504 Presented by TOMCAT USA 7:30 - Free Welcome Dinner - Hilton Sign-up Closed First come first served Tuesday, February 1 9:30 - 5:00 Career Fair 2nd Floor MSC 4:00 - 5:00 Panel Discussion - 601 Rudder Co-op or Intern? A Corporate Perspective 7-or more information, caff*or visit sec. tamu. edu/ceo