As the use of the net becomes more accessible, shopping on the net is becoming more popular.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics figures for the 12 months to November 2000 indicate that 66% or 9.2 million of all adults in Australia used a computer with 50% or 6.9 million accessing the internet. This had doubled over the previous 2 years and the trend would have escalated to now. One of the major grocery retailers on the net is ShopFast.com.au who have over 180,000 householders, in Sydney alone, shopping or considering to shop with them.

There are many reasons for this trend:-

Convenience - You can shop from the comfort of your home or office. No need to fight for a car park, to carry your heavy groceries from the shop to your car and into your house. There is a no need to go to many shops, ShopFast has over 17,000 lines including groceries, pharmacy, alcohol, office and school stationary, chocolates and flowers and many more.

Pricing - usually very competitive with a reasonable delivery charge added to the bill. We have found the WineRobot could not find any better prices than at ShopFast of wine and liquor. All the prices are listed so you can compare the prices yourself.

Time saving - after the initial setup, the average shopper at ShopFast is taking 15 minutes to place their order each 2 weeks. The initial set up will take approx. 1 hour where you set up your details and your first order. Subsequent weeks you only need to modify the order for your particular requirements that week. The weekly shopping would be done in the time it takes to blow dry you hair and put your make up on.

Delivery - ShopFast delivers to your home, and will bring your groceries right into your kitchen. Delivery times range from 9am - 10:30 pm in most areas on most days, with customers choosing a 2 or 4 hour timeslot that meets their needs.

Payment - Payment by credit card over the web is now more common. Most internet shops have secure transmission that prevent someone tapping into the line and copying your credit card number. Look for the closed padlock symbol indicating a secure connection on your screen. ShopFast and WomenInGolf use the secure web servers in payment screens for your security. Shopfast also allow you to Pay On Delivery with either cash, EFTPOS or credit cards. However, cheques are not accepted.

Security and Privacy - The Privacy Act prevents organisations selling your details on to another company without your written consent. You can feel comfortable that you details at ShopFast are secure and private and only to be used by ShopFast.

Reputable - As with any shops you need to deal with shops you can trust and have a reputation for reliability, quality and service. ShopFast has been operating since 1998 and I am sure many of you who live in Sydney have seen the increasing presence of ShopFast trucks around your neighbourhood. ShopFast use the same drivers in each area so that you can be assured of a familiar face for your delivery at your home.

Local Sites -Many more local companies providing goods and services over the internet. Sites like ShopFast are bound by our local laws in consumer affairs and fair trading. Many of the overseas sites are very reputable. However, to be cautious, if you must uses an overseas site it is advisable to check them out first. Are they a recognised mail order supplier previously, do they advertise in industry leading magazines, how long have they been operating.

Shopping sites to visit - ShopFast.com.au