If there is one industry that benefitted from the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns it caused, it’s the online retail industry. When they are under quarantine, many people bought stuff online, mainly clothes. Maybe it because of boredom. Perhaps it’s because of anxiety, Or perhaps they need new shirts while working from home. Whatever the reason is, online retailers are making a killing. But some people are asking too: Is the art of buying clothes online here to last? If you’re interested to know the answer to this question, then you need to read this article until the very end.
It’s understandable why many people became addicted to shopping for clothes online during the height of the pandemic. First of all, it’s the only option available for shopaholics who are under quarantine. The shops are closed and there’s a virus out there trying to kill people. So online shopping also keeps people safe (or does it?). When people shop for clothes online, they are primarily practicing social distancing, and they don’t even have to wear a mask. It’s also convenient to shop for clothes online. You don’t have to drive to the shop. You don’t have to choose the clothes from the racks physically. You can shop where you are lying on the bed in your pajamas.
Let’s go back to the issue of safety. Is it safer to buy clothes online? The coronavirus is spread through droplets from an infected person. Studies have proven that they can stay alive on certain surfaces. What if the person packing your clothes has COVID? What if he coughs while preparing your order and droplets fell on the shirt you bought? The chances of people catching the coronavirus from the stuff they ordered online may be low, but the possibility still exists. Given the severity of COVID-19, we should all do whatever we can to protect ourselves and other people. So should people stop buying clothes online? At this point, it is still a personal call. Because there are still no clear guidelines from experts, many people will probably continue buying clothes online.
Then what will happen when the pandemic ends? Will people continue buying clothes online? Will the Internet remain their main shopping channel? Or will they return to old habits and frequent malls the way they used to before COVID-19 hit the world? It’s hard to imagine people returning to their “normal” lives when the pandemic ends. For sure, the coronavirus outbreak will have a psychological effect on them. Even with a vaccine, many people will most likely act as if they are unprotected. It’s also possible that because of the lockdown, they are finally convinced that online shopping is the way of the future and that physical stores are a thing of the past.
Is the art of buying clothes online here to last? It is safe to say that it is. All indications are pointing to the probability that online shopping will be part of what people are calling the new normal.
Wendy is a freelance writer whose specialty is lifestyle. She goes to different places and sees to it that she experience life as she can. She is currently owns and lives in an apartment with her dog Suzie.