Your online purchases? Yes, but… in Belgium!

Monday 3 april 2023

Currently, the online sales market is exploding and breaking new records every year. However, it is important to differentiate online sales sites into two very distinct categories: Belgian online stores, which sometimes also have a physical store, and international marketplaces.

If the crisis linked to the 2020 pandemic has raised consumer awareness, it is important to continue on this path, because it is reformed with each new crisis that we go through.

Here are 5 reasons to deepen your thinking and promote online sales sites in Belgium

1) No time wasted traveling

The practical side undeniably remains the number 1 attraction of online sales: no time wasted on journeys, no parking worries, no queues, you can shop comfortably and comfortably. Especially when it comes to specific purchases, the speed of adding to cart and paying is unbeatable. In addition, being online generally allows you to have the availability of items in real time, no more unnecessary trips to return empty-handed.

2) Available 24 hours

The stores are open when we are at the office, once at home, everything is closed. It's so convenient to be able to do your shopping after 8 p.m., when the day is (almost) over. In addition, more and more online stores have a chat service available 24 hours to guide you in your search. For more specific questions, the teams will certainly be available the next day.

3) Contribute to your own economy

One of the most overlooked aspects of online sales is what happens to our money once the 'buy' button has been clicked. In a physical store, we pay, it is collected, and we know that this money will pay the staff, the rent, the goods, the VAT, the contributions, etc. it is concrete, it is human, it is alive !
On one site, we don't know if this money is going to exploited staff, to ridiculous rents for dilapidated warehouses, to shareholders detached from reality. Hence the importance of checking the origin of the site on which you are purchasing. A quick glance at the head office or 'about' section allows you to get a first idea of the company: small committed team, head office in Belgium. IF this is the case you know that your money will be used to revive your country's economy. Every amount counts.

4) Returned items

Another controversy to highlight: returned items. On large market places, a large majority of returned items are simply destroyed and thrown in the trash. In fact, it is more expensive for the company to put a returned item back into circulation than to destroy it…. Oh yes ! By purchasing from a smaller online store, you know that the returned product will be put back on the shelves, because the structure does not have the volumes that allow 'to throw away something new', and that is very good as That.

5) The kms

Generally, Belgian online stores send your packages to you from Belgium, which greatly reduces the km traveled by your package. You place an order on a large platform, it's a safe bet that it has traveled 4,000km before arriving at your home. So climate change, for or against?

Once again, we can only encourage you to do your shopping wisely, also when it comes to going online. In a store, you assume that the manager pays his employees, his rent, his suppliers, and you trust him. Online, vagueness persists, hence the importance of ensuring that this is also respected, by checking who and how the site on which you make your purchases is managed.

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