In the decade between 2010 and 2020, e-commerce expanded to an essential part of worldwide retail. While in 2010 there was an estimated $572 billion in global online sales and by 2020 that number had spiked to $4.2 trillion, estimates are that the e-commerce market is expected to exceed $5 trillion worldwide in 2025.

The pandemic, of course, increased online buying as people were restricted in the amount of shopping in stores that they could do. But online shopping was growing well before the pandemic with year-over-year increases of hundreds of millions of people every year.

In addition to the convenience, many people shop online because they believe that's where they'll find the best bargains. Sometimes that's true and sometimes it isn't. But one thing is for sure – you can't assume that just because you're buying something online, you're getting the best deal.

Be smart and save money on your online shopping tour so that you can more easily afford the leisure activities that you enjoy, such as travel, online casino real money gaming entertainment, recreational hobbies, and other fun. Some of the most useful shopping online tips and tricks that will save you time and money include:

The Right Timing

Timing is everything. In general, it’s a good idea to place orders at the beginning of the week. It shows that this is the time when it’s possible to find the most bargains and deals. If you want to be more specific, you should book Tuesday mornings for online shopping - it seems as there the deals are the sweetest while on Fridays they are most expensive.

Beyond that, it’s worth your while to get a chart that shows when the best time is to buy different products. It may sound weird, but for example, on Tuesdays, flight tickets seem to be more affordable than on other weekdays. Additionally, if you aim to find the best seasonal bargains, you might want to check a season earlier for the best sale items. For instance, in January, February and March you’ll find great bargains on summer-related items.

The Prize Factor

Truth be told; it's about the money, money, money. Despite what others may say, we still check the price tag whenever we want to buy something. Tuesday morning is about low prices, as we know. Yet there are other smart ways to save some money while shopping online.

Influencer Discounts

If you find a brand that you like, follow the brand updates on social media or on their website to stay on top of upcoming offers and discounts. Bloggers and influencers also often have codes and discounts to give to their followers as a way of directing traffic to their sponsors. Influencer marketing isn't something new. They get promotions for people using their codes and you? ... You'll get the item cheaper. So why not find an influencer who promotes the brand that you like and follow him/her to get those codes.

Dynamic Pricing

Some online retailers use a little trick called dynamic pricing. This describes price changes based on current market demands. The algorithms that the site uses to set its price consider competitor pricing and supply and demand. It also takes into account the area in which you live, based on your zip code (are you living in a more affluent area?) and your past browsing history – if you're returning to the site, it's likely that you're back to make a purchase so the price that you are about to pay goes up. It also checks whether you're using a laptop or a mobile device.

To avoid such dynamic pricing  increases, use an “incognito window” on your browser when you are preparing to make your purchase. It's a bit inconvenient because you have to resign in – the incognito window doesn't “remember” your passwords for log-in purposes so you can't log-in using the automatic log-in. But the seconds that you waste with the log-in will be well-rewarded as you make it more difficult for the site to identify whether you've been browsing there before, what kind of device you are using and where you live. You're more likely to see the site's rock-bottom price and enjoy some cost control.

Smart Bargain-Hunter Deals

Before you search for an item on an e-commerce site like Amazon, identify the best coupons available for the website on which you're shopping using a plug-in like Honey. Install the plug-in onto your web browser and then go to the e-commerce site. Once there, tell Honey what you're looking for and Honey will search the site for the best coupons.

There are other sites like Slickdeals, MoneySavingMom, Offers.com and DealNews that search the Internet to help you find the best deals for each items. It works, but saving money has always involved a bit of time to plan.

Gift Cards

Gift cards are usually a nice gift but some people receive these cards and never use them. Starting with today, you'll no longer be one of them. Use the gifts cards used. It might take a while until a product is in store you need, but don't give up. Even if it is the smallest item, use the gift card and save yourself some cash.

Shop Around

The advice to shop around is a no-brainer. But when you’re shopping around online, you can take it to the next step. In addition to looking for the best price on a product, you can register for the site and receive first time purchase offers.

As you shop around to find the smartest deal, you definitely should also compare prices of the various sellers for the same item. Sometimes it can happen, that the item might be slightly cheaper on a different shop, althougth from the same seller.

Details

Once we set our eyes on a product we are ready to purchase, we might second-guess the decision. Before you get some buyer's remorse after clicking on buy button, the best is to check other points before you click on the buy button.

Product Reviews

Read the reviews and comments about an e-commerce site or the product BEFORE you place an order. This is the best indicator of whether a company gives the service that it says that it will give. If you see red flags in the reviews, negative comments about the product quality, then you know it's better to leave your hands off it. It's not worth the hassle.

Sizing on Clothes

Clothes shopping is tricky online. Not only do clothing items not necessarily fit you like they fit the model that you see on the website. Sizes differ from one company to the next. You can check out the online fit assistant and size guides to help you find the right size, or you can order two sizes you deem to fit and return the one that does not. Just make sure to check the return policies beforehand.

Shipping Information

Shipping costs can add significant costs on to your order. You don't have to compromise on a good price by accepting a big addition for shipping. You'll just lose everything that you just saved!

Look at a store's shipping policy before you place your order – many stores offer free shipping (after reaching a certain total) as part of the purchase price.

If there are shipping costs, invest some time in research. Look at FreeShipping.org to find free shipping offers and codes and identify the stores where you can use these codes.

Your Cart

As you shop online, you are encouraged to add items that you want to your cart. Try leaving some items in your cart and do not yet proceed with the cashout. Often, e-commerce sites will see that you have items sitting in your cart and will send you extra coupon codes for those, to encourage you to complete the purchase. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is called "workin' the system."

Of course, while you're online shopping, be sure to stop in at SlotoCash for a relaxing spin or two....and then go back to the business of shopping.

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