Introduction of the Stroopwafel Squad:
We are called the Stroopwafel Squad, because a stroopwafel is a waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle. It is very popular in the Netherlands. And we really like to eat them! :D And the “Squad” is because we are a group and we thought it sounds nice with Stroopwafel. So you have the double s sound.
We are students of 2TTA1 and TTA means a bilingual education. We get all subjects in English except from German, French, Dutch and Technology. Our form teacher is Ms. Richardson and she also teaches us French. Each year we’re going to England. This year (the second year) we will visit London!
We look forward to Skype with you! And to get to know you better!
We are called the Stroopwafel Squad, because a stroopwafel is a waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle. It is very popular in the Netherlands. And we really like to eat them! :D And the “Squad” is because we are a group and we thought it sounds nice with Stroopwafel. So you have the double s sound.
We are students of 2TTA1 and TTA means a bilingual education. We get all subjects in English except from German, French, Dutch and Technology. Our form teacher is Ms. Richardson and she also teaches us French. Each year we’re going to England. This year (the second year) we will visit London!
We look forward to Skype with you! And to get to know you better!
What can you expect to find?
Our main theme is Online Shopping. You can find anything about it in no time. We have some articles, we've worked out the result of a survey combined with interviews. We've asked local people about their experiences of online shopping.
You can find introductions about us (Gwynn, Femke, Jannes, Lisanne) too. Existing of a video we've made and a small introduction. There are things like Action Plans too! To find out what, when and who did what.
We all hope you enjoy reading it!
Our main theme is Online Shopping. You can find anything about it in no time. We have some articles, we've worked out the result of a survey combined with interviews. We've asked local people about their experiences of online shopping.
You can find introductions about us (Gwynn, Femke, Jannes, Lisanne) too. Existing of a video we've made and a small introduction. There are things like Action Plans too! To find out what, when and who did what.
We all hope you enjoy reading it!
The group members:
You can click on our photos to watch a short introduction of us.
You can click on our photos to watch a short introduction of us.
Hi its me, Gwynn! :D
Hello my name is Gwynn, I am 13 years old. My school is called Beatrix College and I am a student of 2TTA1. My birthday is at the 15th of August. My favourite foods are pizza and sushi. My favourite drinks are Ice tea and Frappuccino. My favourite colours are purple and tuqoise. What are my hobbies? I really love to dance. I dance in a demo/competition team called: DCX-crew. The DC is derived from the school name DC company and the X stands for Extreme. My trainer and coach is Davey. Next to dancing I am a huge fan of Ariana Grande, I have a fanaccount on Instagram. At this fanpage I make edits of her. There are fanaccounts of Ariana Grande all over the world, so I follow them and communicate with the other fans. Ofcourse in English, because most of them can speak that language. My family: I live with my parents and my little sister. My sister is called Phoebe. My mom is called Mandy and my dad is called Sebastian. My family lives all over the world. From my mother’s side in Indonesia and some also in America. And from my father’s side in England, Brazil, Curacao, Trinidad & Tobage, Surinam and Jamaica. |
About me!
Hello, my name is Lisanne Roosen and I am 13 years old. I do TTA on the Beatrix College, I am in class 2TTA1. My favourite subjects are English, art and music. My hobbies are hanging out with my friends, I like to draw and I like to listen music too. My favourite food is pizza (I love pizza Salami the most), and my favourite drinks are Ice-Tea, Arizona and Starbucks. At home, I live together with my mother, my father and my brother. My brothers name is Marijn and he is fifteen years old, my mother is called Francis, she is 45 years old, and my fathers name is Wim, he is 48 years old. I live in the Netherlands, and I have never lived in another country. |
The name is Smits, Jannes Smits
And I’m 13 years old. I live in Tilburg, a city in the Netherlands with my mom, dad and sister. I don’t have any pets, I had a hamster but unfortunately, she died. I love pizza and almost anything that has fish in it. I like playing video games and playing board games. I also like hanging out with friends. And I like going to the cinema. I played a lot of sports; street-dance, baseball, karate and hockey. I still play hockey and I play in the C5, with my classmate Jasper. My dad and I have the same habits, he likes gaming, I like gaming. He likes watching movies, I like watching movies! My mom and my sister have other hobbies, they both love make-up and watching talent shows. My school is called the Beatrix and I’m a second year student, I’m in 2TTA1 |
This is me!
Hello, my name is Femke. I’m 12 years, but I’m turning 13 on the 29th of November. My school is called the Beatrix College. I’m doing bilingual education, so almost all of my classes are in English. I live with my parents and my sister I have a lot of hobbies, like sailing, windsurfing, singing, acting, dancing, field hockey and acro gymnastics. Other things I spend my time on are the internet and reading. My favourite book is The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I also love the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I’m currently reading the Percy Jackson series, and I love them, too. I also like Disney movies, my favourite Disney movie is Pocahontaas. I don't watch a lot of television, but in the future I want to watch Game of Thrones, Haven and Once Upon A Time. |
READING RESEARCH
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Shopping
Advantages:
Advantages:
- Save time- you don’t have to drive to the store
- Save fuel- again, you don’t have to drive to the store
- Save energy- shopping can be tiresome
- Comparison of prices- you can easily compare the prices in different stores
- Always available- you can order something 24/7
- No waiting in lines- this requires no further explanation
- You can still buy a product you’re ashamed to buy in public- for example lingerie
- Easy to search merchandise you want to buy
- You can’t personally check the item- you don’t know it fits until after you’ve bought it
- You can’t instantly use it after you’ve bought it- if you buy something, you have to wait
- People can easily fake it, and then they can take your money
Advantages and disadvantages of Local Shopping
Advantages (to the customer):
Multiple shops in one place - much more convenient.
Better parking facilities (normally)
Ability to shop around for prices more easily
More competition
Potential for lower prices given the number of customers - economies of scale
Usually bigger stores with wider range of products
Larger stores have better facilities (e.g. better changing rooms)
Disadvantages (to the customer):
Prices can be inflated as people are prepared to pay for convenience.
Price fixing - easy for similar companies to check each other’s prices and both keep high prices.
Usually busy - some people don't like fighting for their personal space.
Niche shops are usually not available in large retail parks.
Doesn't benefit local trade (some high street shops will) - tends to be big corporate wholesalers.
Growth of Online Shopping
Not too many years ago, people shopped at their local stores, even if it rained or the waiting liner were very long. When online shopping ‘launched’ people still went to their local stores. They didn’t trust the online shopping method.
Throughout the world, online shopping has grown gigantically. For example: The money Australians spend on online shopping is projected to increase by about 10 billion dollars within the next five years.
Online shopping keeps on growing because of the fast delivery, easier return policies and many sites offering free shipping.
The expected growth of online shopping is 8,6% per year over the next five years.
Even in African countries shopping has become a normal thing. In South Africa 51% online shops, in Kenya 18-24% and in Nigeria 28%.
A survey of U.S. online customers found that 82% of the people is satisfied with online shopping. The satisfaction dropped to 62% when people bought online, but had to pick up their order themselves at the store.
The Internet is growing in popularity all the time. So online shopping continues to have a positive outlook far into the future.
Not too many years ago, people shopped at their local stores, even if it rained or the waiting liner were very long. When online shopping ‘launched’ people still went to their local stores. They didn’t trust the online shopping method.
Throughout the world, online shopping has grown gigantically. For example: The money Australians spend on online shopping is projected to increase by about 10 billion dollars within the next five years.
Online shopping keeps on growing because of the fast delivery, easier return policies and many sites offering free shipping.
The expected growth of online shopping is 8,6% per year over the next five years.
Even in African countries shopping has become a normal thing. In South Africa 51% online shops, in Kenya 18-24% and in Nigeria 28%.
A survey of U.S. online customers found that 82% of the people is satisfied with online shopping. The satisfaction dropped to 62% when people bought online, but had to pick up their order themselves at the store.
The Internet is growing in popularity all the time. So online shopping continues to have a positive outlook far into the future.
Online Shopping and Local Shopping in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands people also shop online. These customers are mainly of the new generation. Elderly people prefer to go to the store itself. In the Netherlands there are many online stores for clothes as H&M, V&D, Sting etc. Young people find online shopping convenient if they need something fast and don't have time to drive all the way to the shop, but if they have time and they just want to shop they shop in their local area. A very popular second-hand shop in the Netherlands is called: Marktplaats. You also have popular online warehouse shops like: Wehkamp, Zalando and Neckerman. For telephony and internet, you have many online companies like: Tellfort, KPN, Ziggo, T-mobile and Vodafone.
Shopping in our local area Tilburg
In our local area we have different kinds of shops. In Tilburg, you have actually all shops you need to do your daily or weekly shopping. Tilburg got lots of supermarkets like: Jumbo, Albert Hein, PLUS, Aldi and Lidl. We have a big centrum with lots of cloths shops. We also have shops in the Reeshof (a part of Tilburg) it’s where we live, there we have a small centrum called Heyhoef, with shops supermarkets, toys stores and cloth stores.
In our local area we have different kinds of shops. In Tilburg, you have actually all shops you need to do your daily or weekly shopping. Tilburg got lots of supermarkets like: Jumbo, Albert Hein, PLUS, Aldi and Lidl. We have a big centrum with lots of cloths shops. We also have shops in the Reeshof (a part of Tilburg) it’s where we live, there we have a small centrum called Heyhoef, with shops supermarkets, toys stores and cloth stores.
This is a survey about Online/Local shopping filled in by 100 people. Click on the small piegraphs to see them bigger.
Map of our region Reeshof in the city Tilburg
We live in the Reeshof, it’s a district in Tilburg. It doesn’t have really big shopping areas, but we have some small ones. For example the Heyhoef a local shopping area with supermarkets, pharmacies, a glasses shop, a shoe shop, restaurants, clothes shops and a candy store. We also have another small shopping area called “Buurmalsenplein” with a pharmacy, a supermarket, a hairdresser and a glasses shop as well.
We live in the Reeshof, it’s a district in Tilburg. It doesn’t have really big shopping areas, but we have some small ones. For example the Heyhoef a local shopping area with supermarkets, pharmacies, a glasses shop, a shoe shop, restaurants, clothes shops and a candy store. We also have another small shopping area called “Buurmalsenplein” with a pharmacy, a supermarket, a hairdresser and a glasses shop as well.
Interviews on paper
1.
Have you ever bought something online?
Yes! Multiple times.
Do you prefer online shopping or going to a store?
Online shopping.
According to you, what are the advantages of online shopping?
It is easy and fast to do.
According to you, what are the disadvantages of online shopping?
Sometimes the computer is stuck and is goes wrong.
Which online shops do you like to use?
I use different shops every time!
How do you know whether a website is reliable or not?
I only shop at names I’m kind of familiar with.
Do you also order valuable products online?
Yes, very often.
Has anything ever gone wrong when you ordered something online?
No.
Do you think there will ever only be online shops?
If I had the choice, there will be only online shops in the future.
1.
Have you ever bought something online?
Yes! Multiple times.
Do you prefer online shopping or going to a store?
Online shopping.
According to you, what are the advantages of online shopping?
It is easy and fast to do.
According to you, what are the disadvantages of online shopping?
Sometimes the computer is stuck and is goes wrong.
Which online shops do you like to use?
I use different shops every time!
How do you know whether a website is reliable or not?
I only shop at names I’m kind of familiar with.
Do you also order valuable products online?
Yes, very often.
Has anything ever gone wrong when you ordered something online?
No.
Do you think there will ever only be online shops?
If I had the choice, there will be only online shops in the future.
2.
Have you ever bought something online?
Yes.
Do you prefer online shopping or going to a store?
Going to a store.
According to you, what are the advantages of online shopping?
You can order something whenever you want.
According to you, what are the disadvantages of online shopping?
Sometimes you choose like, the wrong size or something.
Which online shops do you like to use?
Most of the times I use Zalando.
How do you know whether a website is reliable or not?
I go and check the internet for reviews.
Do you also order valuable products online?
Yes.
Has anything ever gone wrong when you ordered something online?
Yes, but only in my favour.
(If yes, what?) I ordered something from 90,- and later on we got a mail that we’ve sund this product back, and so we got our money ‘back’.
Do you think there will ever only be online shops?
No, I don’t think so.
Have you ever bought something online?
Yes.
Do you prefer online shopping or going to a store?
Going to a store.
According to you, what are the advantages of online shopping?
You can order something whenever you want.
According to you, what are the disadvantages of online shopping?
Sometimes you choose like, the wrong size or something.
Which online shops do you like to use?
Most of the times I use Zalando.
How do you know whether a website is reliable or not?
I go and check the internet for reviews.
Do you also order valuable products online?
Yes.
Has anything ever gone wrong when you ordered something online?
Yes, but only in my favour.
(If yes, what?) I ordered something from 90,- and later on we got a mail that we’ve sund this product back, and so we got our money ‘back’.
Do you think there will ever only be online shops?
No, I don’t think so.
3.
Have you ever bought something online?
Yes.
Do you prefer online shopping or going to a store?
Going to a store.
According to you, what are the advantages of online shopping?
You can do it whenever you want to.
According to you, what are the disadvantages of online shopping?
Sometimes it isn’t reliable.
Which online shops do you like to use?
I don’t really have a site I use a lot
How do you know whether a website is reliable or not?
I mostly shop at like, known companies.
Do you also order valuable products online?
No, never
Has anything ever gone wrong when you ordered something online?
No.
Do you think there will ever only be online shops?
No, there still are people who prefer going to local shops.
Have you ever bought something online?
Yes.
Do you prefer online shopping or going to a store?
Going to a store.
According to you, what are the advantages of online shopping?
You can do it whenever you want to.
According to you, what are the disadvantages of online shopping?
Sometimes it isn’t reliable.
Which online shops do you like to use?
I don’t really have a site I use a lot
How do you know whether a website is reliable or not?
I mostly shop at like, known companies.
Do you also order valuable products online?
No, never
Has anything ever gone wrong when you ordered something online?
No.
Do you think there will ever only be online shops?
No, there still are people who prefer going to local shops.
4.
Have you ever bought something online?
Yes.
Do you prefer online shopping or going to a store?
Going to a store, because I love to shop with friends.
According to you, what are the advantages of online shopping?
You can compare prices.
According to you, what are the disadvantages of online shopping?
Sometimes it isn’t reliable or the wrong size.
Which online shops do you like to use?
I like to use zalando.nl or aliexpress.com.
How do you know whether a website is reliable or not?
I shop at known websites.
Do you also order valuable products online?
No.
Has anything ever gone wrong when you ordered something online?
Luckily not.
Do you think there will ever only be online shops?
No I don’t think so.
Have you ever bought something online?
Yes.
Do you prefer online shopping or going to a store?
Going to a store, because I love to shop with friends.
According to you, what are the advantages of online shopping?
You can compare prices.
According to you, what are the disadvantages of online shopping?
Sometimes it isn’t reliable or the wrong size.
Which online shops do you like to use?
I like to use zalando.nl or aliexpress.com.
How do you know whether a website is reliable or not?
I shop at known websites.
Do you also order valuable products online?
No.
Has anything ever gone wrong when you ordered something online?
Luckily not.
Do you think there will ever only be online shops?
No I don’t think so.
To see our interview on video, please copy-paste this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE35DT6liw8
We're sorry for the inconvenience
P.S: To watch with subtitles, click the "subtitle" icon in the video!
We're sorry for the inconvenience
P.S: To watch with subtitles, click the "subtitle" icon in the video!
COMPARISON
Even though we would love to, we couldn’t compare our findings with India’s. Anyway, we found out a lot of things about online shops/shopping. We do think things are different in India, but we don’t expect it being too different. In our opinion online shopping becomes more and more popular and so, small local shops suffer. In Tilburg most big, known, popular shops survive but smaller, less known shops won’t all survive this internet vibe. We expect India having the same problem, only having these ‘average’ shops left.
During our skype conversation we’ve learned some small things about India and their shopping-habits. One of the Indian girls told us, thay would rather go to a local shopping centre. In stead of ordering everything online. They admitted that they shop quiet often too. Because of these questions we’ve asked we kind of know something about shops, and shopping centres in India.
During our skype conversation we’ve learned some small things about India and their shopping-habits. One of the Indian girls told us, thay would rather go to a local shopping centre. In stead of ordering everything online. They admitted that they shop quiet often too. Because of these questions we’ve asked we kind of know something about shops, and shopping centres in India.
What could shop owners do to be more costumer friendly?
- Organise events in which a costumer can test the products, or something alike
- Make a website for your store, so costumers can buy your products online, too
- Make your costumers feel comfortable in your shop, for example with decorations
- Read your costumer’s reviews and take them into account
- Make sure your store is well-organised; put the same products and sizes together
- Make sure the workers are educated about the products, so they know how to help costumers
- Clothing stores: make sure there are enough fitting rooms
- Know how many workers you need for the amount of costumers you get
- Put useful objects in the right places. For example: a mirror and wipes at the make-up department, a place to sit at shoe shops or
- Make sure the costumers can use the facilities if they need to, without having to ask a worker. This is very scary for people with social anxiety.
THE CONCLUSION
From the research we have done, I think it’s safe to say that shop owners do suffer at least a bit due the popularity of online shopping. However, they don’t have to fear extinction of real shops.
From the survey we have done, we have concluded that most people, regardless of age group, still prefer physical shopping over online shopping. Even though there are many advantages to online shops, there are also big disadvantages. For example, you don’t know if the size is right or if it works the way you want it to. This seemed to be the biggest issue for most people, and it’s not solvable. This will always remain a problem with online shopping, so most people will prefer normal shopping. A lot of people, especially young people, really like to shop physically. It’s not only viewed as a necessary thing, also as a fun activity.
In conclusion, there are enough reasons to keep real shops. Most people agree with this, so shop owners don’t need to fear. It’s true that some shops get less costumers due to the popularity of online shops, but if the shop owners are smart, they use this in their advantage; they make an online shop for their shop. This way, people can buy their products both online and physically. In the end it’s both a gain and a loss, but they don’t need to be afraid to lose their job because of it.
From the survey we have done, we have concluded that most people, regardless of age group, still prefer physical shopping over online shopping. Even though there are many advantages to online shops, there are also big disadvantages. For example, you don’t know if the size is right or if it works the way you want it to. This seemed to be the biggest issue for most people, and it’s not solvable. This will always remain a problem with online shopping, so most people will prefer normal shopping. A lot of people, especially young people, really like to shop physically. It’s not only viewed as a necessary thing, also as a fun activity.
In conclusion, there are enough reasons to keep real shops. Most people agree with this, so shop owners don’t need to fear. It’s true that some shops get less costumers due to the popularity of online shops, but if the shop owners are smart, they use this in their advantage; they make an online shop for their shop. This way, people can buy their products both online and physically. In the end it’s both a gain and a loss, but they don’t need to be afraid to lose their job because of it.
The sources:
http://theguardian.com/business/2013/may/28/local-shops-to-close-online-retail
http://www.businessinsider.com/shopping-malls-are-going-extinct-2014-1?IR=T
http://ejournal.eumind.net/regions8/index.php?action%5D=IArticleShow::showArticle(%2741013%27
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-online-stores-store-owners-55599.html
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Advantages-of-Online-Shopping-and-its-Disadvantages-/10000000177896151/g.html
http://theguardian.com/business/2013/may/28/local-shops-to-close-online-retail
http://www.businessinsider.com/shopping-malls-are-going-extinct-2014-1?IR=T
http://ejournal.eumind.net/regions8/index.php?action%5D=IArticleShow::showArticle(%2741013%27
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-online-stores-store-owners-55599.html
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Advantages-of-Online-Shopping-and-its-Disadvantages-/10000000177896151/g.html