The internet has profound effects all around the world, among them online shopping is the tremendous one, equally popular in developed and developing countries. The large populated countries like China where urban and rural life is significantly different from each other but internet has become more powerful and apparent. Big companies have connected rural and urban areas through e-commerce as time has proved the impact of the internet on the rural area as well, containing a huge potential for online shopping.
According the facts, online shopping has shown that rural areas are more punching than the urban area with respect to internet shopping. It is also predicted that online shopping will grow in a rural area more briskly as per the online retail index. Online shoppers in rural areas have limited choices and poor access to big markets. It can be seen that rural areas have lack of brick and mortar stores and shopping centers. A poorly developed network of roads and infrastructure has also given many reasons to accept online shopping.
Internet shoppers of rural areas are more focused on necessities than luxuries which are another reason for increasing trend of online shopping there. Online shopping has changed all these scenarios and circumstances by giving rural-customers equal access to online stores as they are providing to urban cities. Now, each and every online product is easily accessible for rural and urban areas both. It is also notable that whilst the choice of products may be related, but buying habits of customers are very much influenced by location or area. People of rural areas are more discreet and frugal in terms of their buying behavior. They preferred quality than fancy labels and designs due to their low incomes and unavoidable needs.
Online shopping has got an upsurge in improbable places of rural areas despite remaining by most measures of destitute. Inhabitants of rural and countryside areas are found more eager for internet shopping as compared to urban population and providing quite satisfactory feedback after shopping. Due to scanty stores and big shopping malls has expanded the rate of shopping in these areas as per Financial Times reports.
Between 2012 and 2013, spending on online shopping has increased over more than 156 percent according to the report of Alipay which is the e-payment platform of Alibaba. Industry and workers have changed their directions to internet stores and their products, making manufacturing hubs in all big cities. In developing countries, seven out of ten percent rural areas are increasing their expenses on online shopping and among this expenditure, a key product is a smartphone which is driving internet expenses.
After the significant penetration of online shopping in rural areas, online retail stores such as Getnow.pk and Homeshopping are going to be large in numbers in remote areas as the physical stores have become expensive to build and difficult logistically. Altogether, online retailers have more potential in rural areas as compared to urban areas due to all above mentioned reasons. The only obstacle is the infrastructure of rural areas which caused delivery or shipping sometimes costly and time-consuming but by having more sophisticated warehouses and transport network than current, online shopping can achieve all the milestones of success.
