Women need no second invitation to shop online

Dubai Stolen credit card information, packages lost in delivery, size or style shocks and scams are all risks of shopping online but none of them seem big enough to faze women from adding items to their virtual shopping cart and wish lists. Gulf News spoke to readers about how the online shopping world appeals to women. Ewan Abbasi, a 25-year-old Palestinian, is an unabashed online shopping enthusiast. "I shop online about once a week. I regularly check my favourite stores for new items or sales, though I don't always place an order," says Abbasi, who has been shopping online since 2002. While she finds it frustrating having to wait for a few weeks until her purchase is delivered, Abbasi loves the wide range of products. "Online shopping means that you have [almost] everything at your fingertips. You can browse stores in the US or UK and compare prices to UAE branches. I prefer it to dealing with crowds or items being out of stock." For other online shoppers, the attraction of online shopping is the constant availability, regardless of time and place. Anam Ahmad loves to shop online because "these websites give us the opportunity to shop 24/7." She said: "I love browsing and to go for online stores or websites; I like Souq.com and MarkaVip.com. I ensure security by using cash on delivery." April Perez, a Dubai-based administrative executive, browses online shops as often as twice a week. Online shopping is April's first choice because she can shop for "anything at anytime". Watches, shoes, and dresses are the biggest attractions for her. It works out cheaper and styles and collections are beautiful, she adds. "I usually use Sukar.com and Asos.com. I only use trusted online stores," she adds. April says the most appealing factor is that "they deliver everything to my doorstep." Finding a box delivered to her door is a sight that Sarah Al Shammari also loves to see. Dubai-based Sarah recalls that the lack of bookstores when she was young prompted her mother to make regular book purchases online. "Once a month a big box would show up filled with books," and since then Sarah has been a casual online shopper. "I shop online a couple of times a year. It used to be more often, but now the shops here have gotten better. I usually use it to find things I can't find in the malls," she said. "It started with books from Amazon.com, but then eBay started up. I'd get jewellery, cameras, and all sorts of stuff. Recently I bought certain shoes online, which you can't find here," she said. For men, browsing on the internet for various items is just not as appealing, according to their comments on our Gulf News Facebook page. "Online? No way! I can't trust online stuff," said Rashid Al Janahi. Gilroy Britto purchases his music online but that's about it. Gulf News reader Mathew Litty said: "I normally purchase e-tickets and pay for it online. I find it easier and convenient doing it in my comfort zone with a click of a button." While men may not share the same level of enthusiasm for online shopping, it seems safe to say that women will be able to keep the demand for online stores rising. From gulfnews