The Growth Of Online Shopping Will One Day Lead To All Shops In Towns And Cities Closing | Band 8 IELTS Essay Sample

The growth of online shopping will one day lead to all shops in towns and cities closing. Do you agree or disagree?

Here is a band 8 IELTS essay on this topic written by one of our students. Need help with IELTS writing? Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.

Band 8 IELTS essay sample

A growing number of people prefer to shop online these days and this has led to the closure of many shops in cities and towns. However, in my opinion, even though online shopping will continue to be more popular, all shops will not shut down because there will always be a need for physical stores that cater to last minute and expensive purchases.

Shopping online offers convenience and works well when purchasing items that do not require the buyer to touch and feel the goods. People are more comfortable buying small ticket items than expensive things online. For instance, women prefer to visit a local jeweller to try on the jewellery and see how it looks on them, before they decide to buy it. As a result, the online marketplace has not succeeded in captivating the buyer who is looking to spend a lot of money on a product.

In many large cities, orders placed online are delivered within a matter of a few hours. And yet, shoppers continue to visit their local stores for items that they need on an urgent basis. In a recent survey of citizens of New York, 70% admitted to having visited a physical shop at least once that week. It is frequently believed that categories such as medicines, gifting and food will continue to be fulfilled by local shops in cities and towns.

In conclusion, online shopping may continue to grow in popularity but it will not completely replace physical stores because there are still many items that people want to touch and feel before buying. Physical stores are also necessary to cater to customers who need something urgently.