Shopping has long become a preferred form of entertainment for many Israelis. The goal when buying is the purchase itself and not the product you want to buy. This form of recreation, by definition, encourages buying things you “want,” in addition to things you “need.” The shopping holidays are a great opportunity to continue buying things we “want”, at a cheap and easy price, when only a second is required to add them to the online shopping cart and the credit ironing is done automatically without even feeling that money has been transferred from our bank account to the seller.
Why do we buy so much during online shopping holidays?
- The prices are really cheap – the online stores offer significant discount deals that sometimes reduce the price of the product by many tens of percent.
Consumers belong to different types: some consume wisely and some will make wrong decisions. Some buyers are aware of the original price of the product, some compare prices before purchasing, some compare prices in stores in Israel, which also join the shopping celebration, and some impulsively buy without exercising any discretion. Online shopping is similar to shopping in physical stores and shoppers as well. - A great shopping season – the shopping holidays come at a “good” time of year – although in the bank account this is not forgotten, in the mindset we have managed to forget the many holiday expenses. To this is added the new season that is upon us – winter – which requires special equipment of clothes and shoes.
- Be smart – a consumer who buys on a Chinese website during the shopping holidays feels that he has succeeded and in a big way, has succeeded in beating the Israeli consumer system, the high prices compared to the world that we are required to pay in Israel for everything. The discounted shopping makes him larger than life and successful – he managed to buy cheap!
- Children as shopping agents – children and youth also join the celebration of online shopping. Requiring children to receive money dedicated to shopping during Chinese shopping holidays has become something that is not foreign to many homes. The demand is sometimes for money for purchases and not for money that will enable the purchase of a particular product that was agreed upon in advance.
- Children shop fast and efficiently – for children, the act of making purchases online is simple. Within minutes, each teenager will buy you the product you dream of at a very attractive price. Youth serves as a bridge between the adult’s desire to buy and technological difficulties that sometimes exist for him. The adult gives his credit card and all the headaches, wasted time and tinkering are spared him.
- You can buy at any time of the day or night – the working hours in Israel are long and numerous compared to the rest of the world. How convenient it is that shopping can be done at any time of the day, and from the armchair.
- Buy and Tell – Shopping during the shopping holidays is a buzz as everyone buys online, at a great deal. Every purchase is reported to others so everyone knows what you’ve been able to buy.
- Everyone buys that way, so do I – we operate as part of the herd. Everyone buys online on shopping holidays, there is a strong feeling of wanting to belong to a group.
Paamonim recommendations for online shopping during shopping holidays
- Examine whether to enter the sites. Just as we recommend not going to the mall, online shopping is not a pastime, and before entering the site, one must think carefully about whether we want to enter the “mall” of festivities online and if we have a specific need. We know that the celebration will come down to expenses and therefore it is worth asking the zero question – do we want to spend money and do we even have the financial option to make these purchases?
- Making a list before entering the sites – sounds like a well-known cliché tip, but our need must be defined in advance and not when browsing the site and examining deals and products offered to us free of charge. Just like going to the supermarket equipped with a list saves money when buying.
- Don’t be tempted by promotions – the products are sometimes offered to us for free, for pennies. Just because a product is almost free doesn’t make it one we should buy. A few shekels and another few shekels on one holiday, and on three other holidays, add up to significant sums that are often spent on things that were not even in our original purchase plan.
- Just because it’s on sale during the shopping holiday doesn’t guarantee that it’s cheap – before purchasing a large product, you should check its price in Israel and its price on several websites. In quite a few cases it will be possible to find the product at a cheaper price in Israel, when purchasing in Israel guarantees receipt of the product, receipt of service and allows an easy, simple and immediate refund when canceling the transaction and returning the product.
- Before making large purchases, it’s a good idea to check the return policy. PayPal helps and some major websites have a clear product return policy. Sometimes the low price found does not allow the return of the product in case it is defective and makes it difficult to get a refund if the product did not arrive.
- Among the considerations, tax matters on purchases over $75 must also be taken into account.
