According to the expert, modern marketplaces have fostered a certain behavior model among customers based on maximum comfort and speed. Shopping turned into spontaneous and frequent activities, and having to physically go to the store began to seem like an anachronism. The key advantages of online platforms are unprecedented fast delivery and the most simplified return procedure, which completely take any effort off the buyer.
However, this convenience for the end user hides huge and often non-obvious costs that are borne by sellers and logistics operators. The seller is forced to pay for the assembly of the order, its packaging and transportation, even if the customer changes his mind at the last moment to pick it up. This consumption model, based on a huge number of small, individual parcels, creates a huge burden on the entire logistics infrastructure of the country.
Sooner or later, these rising costs will inevitably affect the final cost of the service to the consumer. The share of shipping costs in the total order price will steadily increase, despite all technological improvements such as warehouse robotization and the introduction of unmanned vehicles. In the future, ordering an inexpensive product, the cost of delivery of which may be several times higher than its price, will become economically impractical for the general population.
The expert gives a good example: if out of a consumer basket of 10,000 rubles, 3,000 rubles will be logistical expenses, then only a very small and well-off part of citizens will agree to such an overpayment. The majority of buyers will start to reconsider their habits and look for more economical ways of shopping. This will lead to a natural flow of part of the audience back to offline retail, where you can buy goods without extra charge for delivery.
Thus, the market is waiting for a natural cooling and restoration of the balance between online and offline trading. It would be a mistake to believe that e-commerce will completely destroy traditional stores. Instead, we will see a more balanced and pragmatic consumption, where each sales channel will occupy its niche depending on the type of product, its cost and the willingness of the buyer to pay for additional convenience.
