The National Shoe Retailers Association has recognized research completed by Amazon that online purchases of shoes is increasing at an astonishing rate of 17% per year. This phenomenal growth can mean only one thing, the consumer is finding value when they buy shoes online over making the same purchase in traditional retail stores.
Price Advantage
The primary driver of this perceived consumer value is in price. When you buy shoes online you save money because the online shoe retailer has a lower cost of doing business than the traditional retail shoe store. In fact, even online outlets that are affiliated with traditional retail footwear stores oftentimes give the consumer a better price than is offered in the store. This discount price is then increased with the ease of access of coupons and coupon codes as well as the fact that most online shoe stores do not charge a sales tax when you buy shoes online. This threefold price advantage is no doubt a factor in driving sales volume upward.
Selection
When you buy shoes online there is no denying the fact that the consumer is able to choose from hundreds of styles and brands offered by dozens of different stores in minutes. This is in juxtaposition to the traditional shoe retailer that has a limited selection and if the shoe buyer wants to see more styles, they must walk or drive to another store. This lack of selection and time burden make it more difficult to shop at a traditional store than it is to simply buy shoes online.
Convenience
Imagine how in the past if you wanted to buy shoes you had to determine the style of shoes you wanted and then you had to go to a store that specialized in offering that style of shoe. While there were shoe stores with different types of shows, say for example work boots and athletic shoes, the more the store offered by way of different types of shoes, the smaller their selection within each type of shoe. In fact, most shoe buyers in the past came to expect to only have a few styles to choose from whenever they went out to buy shoes. If they wanted to see more, they would have to go to a different store.
Compare that past method of shopping for shoes to the way shoes a person can buy shoes online today. They can see hundreds of styles within each type of shoe and comparison shop selection and pricing at the click of a mouse. What would have taken hours in the past would not take minutes. Add to this the price advantage of when you buy shoes online and it is no wonder that more and more consumers are opting to shop online for shoes over going to traditional shoe stores each year.
It is possible that if this trend continues it is possible that almost all consumers will buy shoes online and major shoe retailers and shoe departments within department stores will cease to exist or at a minimum, become much smaller than they are today.


December 11, 2011
Buying Shoes Online