“Online shopping” is a familiar topic. This is also a fairly popular topic in IELTS Speaking recently.
Describe a website you have bought something from
You should say:
- What the website is
- What you bought from this website
- How satisfied you were with what you bought
- And explain what you liked and disliked about using that website
Sample Answer
Well, to tell you the truth, I am not quite a shopaholic; therefore, browsing endless shopping websites is not my cup of tea. However, there is this one website that I visit pretty often whenever I feel an overwhelming urge to search for something. That is Oopsie Studio. It is pretty popular among youngsters in my country. It provides tons of options to satisfy customers’ preferences.
Although I am not a big fan of online shopping, I have made some purchases on this website before, and to be honest, I have mixed feelings about my experiences with it. I used to purchase a few shirts from this website during the pandemic, when everything was out of reach, even going shopping for a shirt.
Therefore, I got lost in this paradise of uniquely designed shirts for customers my age. After browsing hundreds of different designs, I finally got my eyes on this shirt, which had a cute logo of Mr. Bean’s teddy bear in front of it. I immediately put it in my virtual shopping cart, but before I could complete a series of confirmations and transactions to make it mine, it was sold out. I was down in the dumps. As a consequence, I had to pick a new one, and it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It is still my favorite shirt now, as it makes me feel comfortable in my own skin. The fabric is of good quality and is the perfect length for my liking.
Speaking of my past experiences with the website, they varied from time to time. On the one hand, there is one outstanding remark that I really love about this website: that it has a clear interface, making it easier and more convenient for customers, especially first-timers, to explore and enjoy its products.
On the other hand, the system is not so professionally designed that it breaks down easily, causing discomfort for customers while using it.
Follow-up questions : Part 3
Do you agree that the prices of all goods should be lower on internet shopping sites than in shops?
In my opinion, I do believe that goods sold on the Internet should be charged less than those in physical stores due to various reasons. Firstly, retailers don’t have to pay for the monthly rent for a store; therefore, they are not burdened by that one huge share of revenue. What’s more, there would be fewer salaries to be paid as the size of online businesses is rather small and hiring employees is only optional. A particularly salient example of this would be business households, with all family members operating the business together.
Will large shopping malls continue to be popular, despite the growth of internet shopping?
Frankly speaking, shopping malls have been going through hard times since the increasing popularity of online retailing. However, I personally think that this should not be declared a death sentence for physical stores; rather, it should be an opportunity for them to evolve. Malls should consider integrating themselves back into city dwellers’ lives to serve the need for window shopping or just as a place to unwind at weekends. Additionally, they could shift their focus to families with children, investing in recreational places for children while parents browse the shops.
Do you think that some businesses (e.g. banks and travel agents) will only operate online in the future?
Frankly speaking, I wouldn’t think that online operations can do magic, and it might not be something that will happen overnight. However, I have to admit that there are already several businesses that have made a breakthrough in the field by shifting to a completely digital platform. Nowadays, there are services that function as fully online bank accounts, providing all the benefits of conventional banking. Although there are already a large number of services being provided totally online, it is still not a particularly well-known concept since people are still wary of conducting business online. Nevertheless, I believe this is a very likely future trend for commerce.
