Here's all you need to know about comparative shopping

Shopping activities have witnessed a massive transformation after the advent of online marketplaces like Flipkart and Amazon.

Comparative shopping, which refers to a practice through which consumers can compare the available products in a market and choose one that matches their wants and has an affordable price, has also gained more popularity due to the rise of people using online modes for their needs.

Comparative shopping is widely being used in clothing applications under the option ‘filter’ – where one can choose certain features they want as well as a budget. This helps a customer to compare similar products of different brands and pick one on the basis of their wants and more importantly cheaper price.

It is time to be proactive and include this concept in our day to day life to filter out the products that offer the same features but cost more.

For instance, let us look at X and Y, who go out on a weekend at the same place. X uses comparative shopping and hence, plans ahead while analysing different hotels to stay at, restaurants for food and travelling expenses. Y does not use comparative shopping and hence does not compare prices and does not plan ahead.

Let us compare the expenses incurred by both:

We can see that X actually saves Rs 2,500 while Y saves no money. This example emphasises on the effectiveness of comparative shopping for any kind of product or service.

Efficient planning and analysis of a product or service as done by X can help one take part in comparative shopping to choose a final product and save money. All one needs to do is put in a little time and effort.