By now, we know that millions of people shop online, whether for products for themselves or gifts for their friends and loved ones. Granted, online shopping represents only about ten percent of all retail purchases made, but the statistics consistently show year-over-year growth. This trend, taken together with the outrageous increase in the cost of gas, means that you're likely to be doing less driving to the store and more clicking of your mouse. In fact, the virtual shopping mall has enjoyed a boost, but - and this is important - not all online malls are created equally. Here are five things you should look for when selecting a virtual shopping mall from which to make your online purchases. 1. Selection, selection, selection - If you're a savvy Internet shopper, you know that going from site to site and making one purchase at each can cause shipping charges to escalate at an alarming rate. The virtual shopping mall you choose should have an incredible selection - think in terms of hundreds of thousands of products. It should have everything from jewelry and electronics to leather goods and supplies for pets. Truly, you should be able to find household items like knives and toys, as well as automotive parts like a car alarm or radar detector. An all-in-one type shop will save you a considerable sum in shipping charges. 2. Drop shipping - Speaking of shipping, the virtual shopping mall you choose should dropship. This means that the items you ordered will be shipped to you directly from the supplier, rather than from a middleman. The result? You'll receive your shipments in record time. 3. Real-time inventory - There's nothing that sabotages the online shopping experience more than ordering something, only to find out that it's out of stock. The mall you choose should have real-time inventory, so you can be assured that the items they're displaying are immediately available. 4. Wholesale or near-wholesale prices - Because there's much lower overhead at a virtual shopping mall (and incredibly low if they dropship, since they don't have to keep inventory), you should be able to find bargain prices. Now, the prices might not be as low as you'd find at a flea market, but it's not unreasonable to expect to save 10, 20, or even 50 percent off the suggested retail price. 5. Customer service - Make sure that the virtual shopping mall you patronize prides itself on customer service. You shouldn't have any problems, but if you do, you want the peace of mind knowing that the mall will give you their undivided attention to resolve the issue. When you find an online source that provides a huge inventory of items, fast shipping service, real-time inventory, and that will dropship, you can make the most of your shopping experience - and pocket the money that you'd otherwise spend on gas.
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