Why Shop on Amazon? | We Low Carb Living

How Amazon Changed The Way I Shop

During times of uncertainty, one tends to realize the products that they consider to be necessities while other items they know they can live without.

I thought about this issue the other day when I was standing there in one of the aisles at my local Walmart. Staring at my completed shopping list (in which I am proud to recreate weekly) I did something that I’ve never done before:

I systematically began removing items from the list based on how important they were to me at that very moment.

I asked myself, in an emergency, could I forge ahead if I should leave the store without that product? I was surprised at how much consideration that I was giving to each item while ignoring my own time restraints on that day.

By all accounts, I am an enthusiastic shopper. Going to shopping malls, catalog shopping, and dare I say it… I also enjoy grocery shopping. Comparing brands excite me as getting the best quality for the right price is my ultimate “a ha” moment. I do it often enough that I can pretty much rationalize my desires for any kind of merchandise that I am in the mood to purchase.

Despite this, I found myself contemplating every aspect of that shopping experience from how long the checkout lines were vs. how few registers were open. It was the middle of an already busy afternoon. I was getting more frustrated by the minute.

Feeling the weight of these decisions, I put what little was it my shopping cart back on the shelves and quickly made my way out of the store.

This experience taught me that in a crisis, life’s situations are changing from day to day. The last thing I should be doing is stressing over routine tasks that at the moment, don’t deserve that much concentration.

Finding ways to make shopping quicker and more convenient would save me more time and energy so that I can focus on other areas of my life where I need it most.

Shopping Online is the Answer

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, and of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Which are at no cost to you. For more details, read the Disclosure

Chances are you’ve heard of the Amazon Inc., online marketplace. The Internet E-commerce giant has gained a tremendous amount of popularity in recent years for its Kindle eBook readers. This company is best known for its cloud computing, digital distribution as well as consumer electronics components more than anything else.

Amazon is built on providing exceptional customer experiences. To achieve this they must constantly satisfy the 4 requirements needed to fulfil their online orders:

Product Availability
Variety Of Selection
Competitive Pricing
Best User Experience

Although this platform is one of the first of its kind, offering a wide range of products with reach into global markets, it is by far not a new concept. Brick and mortar storefront flea markets have existed for decades. But they were limited by the number of vendors with rented spaced in a given location.

Still, there were sometimes plenty of merchants situated in one place often carrying the same inventory ranging in price. Most times, they offered deals right on the spot. Imports came from around the globe. It’s also where you could find replicas of the best-known brands.

There are swap meets (another name for these types of street markets) still around today. Yet, Amazon took this concept to another level by exposing customers to an unlimited amount of vendors worldwide.

No longer bound by the confines of a physical building, Amazon conducts transactions in every country; in different time zones, eliminating the issues with limited store opening hours, line-ups, and depreciating real estate value.

If you are new to making purchases on the Internet, or not familiar with Amazon’s products, services, and/or subsidiaries, Let me share with you the main reasons why I love to shop online with Amazon.

Find ‘everyday’ home essentials on Amazon

During a crisis, what are the most popular items that everyone will be looking for? I will give you a hint; it’s probably already in your household right now. When supermarket inventory gets scarce, a majority of families will need to replenish the products listed below on as soon as possible.

The everyday essentials that are guaranteed to be on everyone’s shopping list:

I’m a baker so a lot of my most used ingredients I have to constantly purchase from Amazon. I routinely have coconut flour, almond flour, golden flaxseed meal, and my favourite ‘Love Good Fats’ Keto Friendly Protein Bars in my online shopping cart.

Tip: Don’t forget about the Amazon’s subscription option so that you’ll never have to worry about running out of items when quantities are depleted by the end of the month.

Customer reviews make buying on Amazon easier

Product reviews are the cornerstone of online businesses. Without them, sellers would have limited optics on how well their products and services were doing in the marketplace. Not only does it serve as a place for buyers to share their ‘user experience’.

It also provides valuable insight to sellers when it comes to making improvements. Updates like offering additional merchandise i.e. adding different colours/ quantities to meet an increase in demand.

Amazon encourages customers to provide reviews in 2 ways:

Customer Questions & Answers Section
After Purchase Reviews

Learn About Products Here On Amazon — Find helpful product information, user experiences, and reviews in this section on Amazon

Before the Customer Review section on any product page, you’ll often find a list of inquiries that contain useful information for the intended buyer. The responses are provided by real people, I know because I have received and responded to e-mails from Amazon asking about my after-sale purchasing experience.

It’s important to mention that I still comparison shop while on the Amazon website. What makes it so much better than being in a physical store is all the reviews I can read up on to gain some background product knowledge before buying.

Many items have hundreds if not thousands of crucial feedback (comments) to assist you in making the best choice with your money. This is invaluable information you just don’t get anywhere else.

Unless, you’re the type of person who enjoys approaching several strangers to ask random questions!

Shop on Amazon and get cash back through Rakuten

I must admit that I heard about Rakuten about a year before I started using it. Thinking back, I regretted not joining earlier on. When you become a Rakuten member, you’ll receive a portion of your purchase back for transactions made with retailers that associated with Amazon’s website.

Rakuten connects its business with many big-box store brands. These are legit retailers like Chapters-Indigo, The Children’s Place, Gap Inc., Sephora, Nike, Inc. and of course Amazon, Inc. Once more, you can choose to have your refund sent in the form of a cheque, PayPal, or as an Amazon electronic gift certificate that can be applied to future online purchases.

I prefer gift certificates. I anticipate the arrival of the e-mail notification letting me know when it’s ready. In case, you are wondering… The certificates get used right away!

Ready To Join Rakuten? Click here to sign up

Lighting speed shipping on most products

Amazon offers multiple shipping options for your orders. Prime members will automatically get super fast free delivery (24-48 hrs. on most orders) depending on the mode of delivery whether it be ‘same-day’ or ‘one-day’ options.

Non-members can choose ‘standard’ shipping methods which if you’re not in a rush, your order will still get to you within a week.

In my opinion, it makes more sense to have an Amazon Prime Membership not only for the opportunity to receive my orders in less than 48 hrs., I can also take advantage of all the other benefits listed below plus, I get it billed on one subscription. No need to deal with a multitude of invoices.

Start Your Free Trial With Amazon!

Amazon Prime membership offers the best value

Here are some of the great features of having an Amazon Prime membership:

30 Day Free Trial prior to commitment
Free Two-Day Shipping
Prime Video Streaming
Prime Music Streaming
Unlimited Photo Storage For Free
Unlimited Access To Kindle eBooks Through Free Kindle App

Other companies would charge separate fees for all of these services. Not Amazon. Get it all for one low price.

The bottom line

When time is a commodity that you can afford to waste, don’t spend it doing the little things. Relieve yourself of remedial tasks like standing tirelessly in line during weekly shopping trips for everyday items that you know you can’t go without.

You can turn to Amazon to shop from the comfort of your home any time, day or night.

With basic essentials always available, tons of customer reviews, substantial member benefits AND, fast FREE shipping, it’s no wonder Amazon’s marketplace is growing at an astounding rate.

This company is here to stay. Go ahead and start your membership today!

To Your Health,

welowcarbliving.com

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The Main Reasons Why I Love To Shop On Amazon