Overtime not only online shopping but also social media ads have become more and more popular. There may be a level of ease that comes with the shopping because it is as simple as typing in your card information, and then buying whatever you want. 

Student Jack Beckett, 10’, does a lot of online shopping himself. There was a point in quarantine, where all stores were closed and almost nothing could be purchased in person. Seeing an ad on social media for practically anything often has to be purchased online. This shows how convenient online shopping has become. 

“Online shopping has made my life easier especially around the holidays because it gets rid of the nuisance of going to crowded stores. Sometimes on days like Black Friday, it’s worth it to go into stores, but there’s still Cyber Monday for online stuff,” Beckett said.

Just to be able to find anything he wants online without the crowd is something Beckett prefers. One way companies increase sales on social media is through advertising. The shopping itself simply won’t happen without the advertisements. Getting companies’ names out with advertisements can be the best way to become popular. For a casual shopper, Beckett follows multiple accounts simply for their product.

“There are a few companies I follow on social media because I like their products. This includes Nike, Air Jordan, Goat, Vans, and Apple,” Beckett said. 

All of these companies have a variety of different things and post frequently on their social media to keep their customers in tune with all of their products. Beckett is a “sneakerhead” which is another name for people that are really interested in the shoe game. He shops for a lot of fashion shoes and has multiple pairs.

“So over the last year, I purchased 3 pairs of shoes. The first pair was a custom pair of Air Force 1 lows that had a purple swoosh, laces, and lining. They also said, “RYL” (royal) on the heel tab. The second pair I ordered was the Jordan Retro 1 Phantoms which are a Retro 1 high that is all white with red outlines & stitching. The final pair I got was the Air Force 1 Flyknit 2.0  Pure Platinum. They resemble normal Air Force 1 lows in silhouette, but they are lighter, have silver accents and are fly knit so they don’t crease,” Beckett said. 

Most shoes that are purchased on the sites that Beckett uses are for fashion or sports and Beckett tends to aim more towards the fashion part. The shoes named above can work with many different outfits. Although it is convenient, there could be a problem involved in shopping for clothes and shoes online; Size. The fit of the shoes can depend on which company you are shopping from, just like clothes.

“If I’m buying something like shoes from a company I’ve already bought from like Nike, I know how the shoes fit so I won’t be worried about the shoes being too small or anything. But, the first time I bought clothes from Born x Raised I got a medium which is usually my shirt size and it showed up really big on me. That would be when I would rather buy something in person because I can see if what I’m buying is what I’m actually wanting to buy,” Beckett said.

The more things a person will buy from different sites the more comfortable you will get with their fits and sizes. More and more stores are starting to realize the convenience of their customers and are starting to take advantage of many people’s busy schedules. Sometimes they just don’t have the time to go and shop for all the items themselves. Places like Walmart hire people to go around shopping for the people that choose to shop online. With their “pickup and delivery” options people come and pick up the things that are found for them. They simply have to pick it up. Online shopping has evolved and is only going to keep evolving.

“One thing my mom does for online shopping is that she orders her groceries online and then we go to pick them up. It’s helpful because when we’re busy all we have to do is order them online then pick them out. We don’t have to go throughout the entire store looking for things. We just go on the app and have the workers get them for us,” Beckett said.

Just like Mrs. Beckett, a lot of people are starting to do this. They may not have the time to go into the store and find every single item. Rather have someone do that for them and have a certain time that fits in their schedule to pick up all the items at once.  There once was a time where you simply didn’t have a chance to shop in person so you had to estimate what size would work best. Due to online ads and COVID, Beckett has found shopping online to be a better option and truly believes it is the best option for really anyone shopping. To some, the greatest thing about online shopping is that it will continue to grow and spread throughout the entire world while evolving for the convenience of the people.