Like most sane people, if I can avoid a shopping mall, I do.

It’s good for my mental health and the physical health of the slow walkers in shopping centres that don’t get out of my way.

That’s why online shopping is preferable. I can do it from the comfort of my home, in yoga pants, with a glass of wine and nobody gets hurt.

One glass of wine, mind you, because drunk online shopping is a thing with the same level of regret as drunk texting.

MyBroadband’s 2019 e-commerce survey, completed by 2 161 South Africa consumers, proves that I’m not alone in my desire to avoid malls.

The results revealed that the majority of respondents, who were mainly IT professionals and tech-savvy users, prefer online shopping to brick-and-mortar stores.

It further showed that consumer electronics, and flights and accommodation are the most popular online shopping categories among this audience.

Takealot came out on top as the most popular online store – but let’s get real, they aren’t without their issues. Remember those dodgy discounts and deals?

Here’s a table showing how other local online stores did in the rankings:

Despite being tech-savvy, a lot of South Africans still think that the stores listed above are their only options when buying online.

Which is fine,  I guess, if you want to stay a novice in the online shopping game.

If you’re ready to play in the big leagues, this is how you go pro:

You can order goods from anywhere in the world with Postbox Courier, and have them delivered to your door within three to five working days.

Postbox Courier is the groundbreaking service that gives you a shipping address in the US, UK and Hong Kong.

So if you’re buying products that don’t ship to SA, just give your US address (which Postbox Courier give you) and as soon as it is delivered there (usually same day) then Postbox Courier will grab it and bring it to you in South Africa.

Setting up an account is free, their ‘pay as you go’ system is easy to follow, and there’s also a handy calculator that gives you an instant quote on all of the shipping costs involved.

You know – the shipping itself, import duty and VAT, clearance, and disbursement, which are the kind of thing that you really don’t want to be hit with when you try and collect your goodies from Customs.

Rather, have them delivered to your door. Now, all that’s left to do is put on a pair of comfy pants, pour a glass of wine and start shopping.

[source:mybroadband]