In the modern era, online shopping is exceedingly popular. Online stores outsell actual physical locations three and four times over. Now, every retailer that can be walked into can be just as easily accessed through the world wide web. However, with the wide variety of online retailers to comb through, what are the best? With all of the options available, it is easy to get overwhelmed. It may seem slightly hard or even very complicated to choose what website to go to for what needs to be bought. Rest assured, this helpful guide will break down some of the best places to shop online, hopefully making the journey around the internet a bit easier.

The Best Places to Shop Online

eBay

Anybody can sell their items on eBay, making it a prime destination for out-of-print, obscure, and rare items. There's not a true limit on what can and can't be sold on eBay (aside from illegal items, of course) which explains its broad range of items being sold. One of the features that sets eBay apart from the rest is the lack of set prices. Some items do have set prices (like other websites) but many items being sold on eBay allow the buyer to put in their best offer or bid for the item. The positive of this is the possibility of being able to get a lower price than expected for a certain item. The negative, however, is the possibility of being outbid on something. Nevertheless, eBay's wide variety and unique features make it one of the best places online to shop in.

Wayfair/Overstock

Wayfair and Overstock are indeed two different online retailers but they're very similar. Both sell home items, such as furniture, appliances, decor, lighting, and much more. Overstock is different in that, in addition to those items, they also sell clothing - which Wayfair does not. However, their prices and items for sale are very comparable. For anyone looking to redesign or redecorate their home, these two online sellers will be of great use. They will still be of great use even for the smallest change in a home, right down to pillowcases on a couch.

Etsy

Etsy may be ahead of its time, but it sure is popular. Similar to eBay and Amazon by offering works from individual sellers, Etsy focuses on creativity and home crafted items and designs. With 'vintage' and home made items being very popular among the millennial crowds of today, Etsy has become one of the strongest retailers on the internet. In addition to the homespun charm it has, many of the items offered on the website can be customized at the request of the customer, adding just another reason it stands out from the rest of the online shopping centers.

Walmart/Target/Best Buy/etc.

Not Walmart, Target and Best Buy specifically, but simply the general concept of physical stores that also have online retail websites. Most stores that can be walked into also have an online website. So what's the benefit of visiting the website in place of just going to the store? Usually, the website will show listings for the stock of all locations of the retailer, providing a wider selection than that of just one store. Similarly, stores that have a large inventory will have it all uploaded to the website. There may only be one copy of the new Foo Fighters album in store, but on the website the customer might be able to buy four copies. In this respect, it's more beneficial to visit the websites of these stores than to actually venture into the stores themselves.

Amazon

The biggest online store. It's so big that the CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, is now the richest man in the world. Combining items sold directly from companies and sellers with items sold by independent sellers (like eBay), Amazon is virtually a virtual one stop shop for every conceivable item someone could purchase. Unlike Wayfair and Overstock, Amazon has no specialty - it deals in all departments. In this respect, Amazon is very similar to eBay. However, there are some marked differences. Very rarely do companies choose eBay as official outlets for their merchandise whereas they commonly do with Amazon. Also, Amazon doesn't offer the bidding wars that happen with eBay but just straightforward prices. Recently, Amazon has begun testing "same day delivery" trials in certain locations. Perhaps this is the wave of the future and soon online stores will all follow in Amazon's large footsteps.

No matter what's intended to be purchased, this guide will have hopefully listed a website that can help with any and all purchasing needs!