Now some might say the only good shop includes crowds and pavements, but if you’ve experienced the fun and camaraderie of online bingo sessions, you’ll know the pleasures of shopping online for entertainment. Join us for a look at the benefits of getting your goods and services online – and yes, one of them is shopping in your socks!

A world of shopping at your fingertips

Before the World Wide Web hit our screens, we could only dream of the power of clicks. If you have more than a few decades under your belt, you’ll remember the famous line from the Wizard of Oz: “Click your heels together three times and say, ‘There’s no place like home‘ and you’ll be there.” Now online shopping lets us buy almost anything our hearts desire with little more than three clicks – add to cart, proceed to checkout, make the purchase – and soon the item is at your door.

One of the most popular reasons for purchasing online is the enormous variety of goods we have to choose from. Take soap for instance. Visit your local shop and you’ll have several soaps to choose from. But what if you’re after a natural product that uses vegan ingredients only and is infused with olive oil and orange blossom? Unless you’re very lucky, you won’t find this product in your corner shop, but search the internet and you’ll not only have a very good chance of sourcing your soap, you’ll probably be able to get it delivered to your door or a shop nearby.

Stocks of goods also tend to be more plentiful when you buy online, and you may even be able to put in an order for out-of-stock items that can be shipped to you when they come in.

At Mecca Bingo, we’ve found that as internet consumers become increasingly used to exercising their freedom of choice in the assortment of items they can buy online – that they expect greater variety in the choice of online casino games on offer. Which is why we go to great lengths to keep our huge selection of slots and games fresh and exciting with over 400 amazing titles, from instant win games to online scratchcards and casino classics.

Cyberspace bargains and better prices

Exchanging high street shopping for cyberspace has a welcome spinoff for your pocket. There’s no middleman when buying directly from a manufacturer, which typically means lower prices for you. It’s also not unusual to be offered discount vouchers and rebates for shopping online. In fact, most manufacturers and service providers will love you for purchasing from them on the internet because the cost of running a virtual shop is so much cheaper than the overheads involved in setting up and operating a series of retail outlets.

Another fabulous feature you’ll enjoy when taking it online is that you can make easy price comparisons. If you’re always on the lookout for a bargain and believe full price should be a guide only – then you and your mouse (or click pad) will be in cyber heaven with all the online offers of discounts and rebates. You’ll also be able to read other buyers’ ratings and reviews of companies and products which can give you valuable insight before trying a new item. Oh, and you’ll save on petrol and parking, too. Not to mention wear on your shoes!

You can shop in your socks!

If you’ve ever suffered the fallout of a shopping spree – blisters on the feet, uncaring shop assistants, a broken shopping bag or weather that rained on your hairdo – then you’ll appreciate the convenience of cruising today’s Information Superhighway. All that’s needed for your next purchase is a credit card, digital device and internet connection.

Had a busy day? You could do your online food shopping on a Sunday morning in your socks while sipping a cuppa. Forgot your better half’s birthday? It’s midnight and you’re in your pyjamas! No problem. Buy that special gift online and don’t forget to ask for next-day delivery.

Shopping sites are undoubtedly a convenience but they are also a lifeline for people who are not fully mobile. This could be a new mum who is housebound, those who are ill or face a physical challenge of some sort, or the elderly who have passed the first blush of spring and would prefer to avoid the supermarket jostle. Being able to shop on the internet opens up a world of choice and possibility.

This is also one of the reasons online bingo has become so extraordinarily popular in recent years. It’s so easy to play wherever you are. Even on your mobile, Mecca Bingo is just a swipe away. Playing online bingo also connects enthusiasts to like-minded people through relaxed, moderated chat rooms that are a popular way to connect socially even when you’re sitting in your living room.

Connecting with easy gift-giving

A fun feature of online retail is the ease it brings to gift-giving. You can send that special gift, irrespective of size, to a relative on the other side of the world – without having to negotiate the logistics of international delivery. Or you could send a thoughtful token gift to a friend or colleague in need of a small pick-me-up. Many sellers will even wrap the gift for you and include your special message.

Shopping online allows you to purchase gift items as well as experiences – from manicures to restaurant meals or even skydiving. Far from being an impersonal way to shop, this makes cyber gift-giving truly personal and meaningful. It’s also nice when choosing a gift for a loved one, to be able to take as much time as you need to find something that’s just right without being hurried along or pressured by a shop assistant.

Taking it online for a more sustainable lifestyle

When you buy online, you leave a smaller carbon footprint because you’re not driving around from shop to shop, collecting soap here, a gift there and groceries elsewhere. Of course, if you shop by bicycle, you are already doing your bit for the environment, but there’s a limit to how many items you can fit in a basket or backpack.

There is some debate about the environmental effects of all those heavy goods lorries filled with shop and home deliveries plying our roads and freeways. But we seem to be headed in the right direction with a number of exciting, futuristic tech innovations in the pipeline. We’re talking electronic vehicles, drones and even robots. In fact, Amazon has said its aim is to have half its shipments ‘net zero carbon’ by 2030. Some of the world’s cleverest minds are busy in workshops around the world, trying to figure out the ins and outs of sustainable electric vehicles, or working on drones that can deliver several kilograms of goods at a time.

In the meantime, a number of progressive online sellers are rethinking their packaging – using package-free options or biodegradable and recycled materials. Others, where practical, are making deliveries by bicycle.

Those in the know, who study these sorts of things, advise that we can have a more positive impact on the environment when we think carefully about how we spend the time we’re saving with online shopping. So, say you save two hours a week by buying on the internet instead of driving from shop to shop – use those two hours to either stay at home and relax, spend time with your family or even plant a veggie garden for extra brownie points.

Another great example is swapping a night out at your local gambling club, now and then, and opting to play online bingo or your favourite casino games on the internet instead. If you’re looking for some of the best casino games in town that offer the most fun and the biggest wins, Mecca Bingo has a huge selection – whether you prefer to play slots, instant win games, online scratchcards or the casino classics. Why wait? Get with the online revolution, reduce your carbon footprint, and join us today!