Identifying the determinants of online retail patronage: A perceived-risk perspective

The literature has examined the determinants of retail patronage from various perspectives, however, its online counterpart has received less attention. This study adapts a perceived-risk perspective to identify the antecedents of online retailers’ service quality and subsequent online patronage behavior. In addition, the contextual role of security concerns is also examined. Data were collected from online shoppers, and PLS-SEM was used for analysis. The results indicate that product quality, price transparency, and website convenience are positively associated with service quality. In addition, security concerns negatively moderate the relationship between service quality and online retail patronage. Implications for research and managers are discussed.     

Re-examining online customer experience to include purchase frequency and perceived risk

This research examines the important emerging area of online customer experience (OCE) using data collected from an online survey of frequent and infrequent online shoppers. The study examines a model of antecedents for cognitive and affective experiential states and their influence on outcomes, such as online shopping satisfaction and repurchase intentions. The model also examines the relationships between perceived risk, trust, satisfaction and repurchase intentions. Theoretically, the study provides a broader understanding of OCE, through insights into two shopper segments identified as being important in e-retailing. For managers, the study highlights areas of OCE and their implications for ongoing management of the online channel.     

Consumer perceived value,involvement, trust,susceptibility to interpersonal influence,and intention to participate in online group buying

Postulating consumer involvement as crucial to online group buying, this study deploys consumer perceived value, perceived trust, and susceptibility to interpersonal influence to provide a closer look at consumer intention to participate in online group buying. The results of the proposed model, tested using structural equation modeling on a sample of 553 respondents, show that consumer involvement plays a central role in explaining intention to participate in online group buying. Consumer perceived value, perceived trust, and susceptibility to interpersonal influence all show a significant relationship with consumer involvement. Consumer perceived value also exhibits a strong relationship with perceived trust, which, in turn, exhibits a significant relationship with intention to participate in online group buying. The results furnish significant contributions to the theory and practice of online group buying and retailing. The limitations of the study and implications for future research in online group buying are discussed.     

How augmented reality (AR) experience affects purchase intention in sport E-commerce: Roles of perceived diagnosticity,psychological distance,and perceived risks

How does augmented reality affect consumers’ online purchase intentions? The authors used media richness theory and construal level theory to test hypotheses that augmented reality will improve consumers' perceptions of diagnosticity, psychological distance, risks, and purchase intention of e-commerce products (in Study 1), as well as to examine the relations among these constructs (in Study 2). The results indicate that (1) perceived diagnosticity and (2) purchase intention were higher, and (3) psychological distance and (4) perceived risks were lower in the group that experienced augmented reality e-commerce, compared to the group that experienced conventional web-based e-commerce. The impact of perceived diagnosticity on purchase intention was fully mediated by (5) psychological distance and (6) perceived risks. This research adds to the literature on augmented reality, particularly in the context of sport e-commerce, and suggests important practical implications.     

How to reduce perceived risk when buying online: The interactions between intangibility,product knowledge,brand familiarity,privacy and security concerns

This paper studies how product intangibility and its moderators affect perceived risk in an online shopping setting. The moderators studied were brand familiarity, product knowledge, privacy concerns and security concerns. Student samples performed online experimental tests, wherein product intangibility was manipulated. The findings indicate that both mental intangibility and physical intangibility increased perceived risk. Mental tangibility had more impact over perceived risk than physical tangibility. This study is the first to show how intangibility, product knowledge, brand familiarity, privacy and security concerns interact and affect perceived risk. Previous studies did not have the opportunity to observe the interactions of these relevant dimensions, thus not identifying which one would have a stronger effect over the perceived risk of buying online. In short, we found that when interacting with intangibility security and privacy concerns increase perceived risk to the same degree. On the other hand, product knowledge reduces the perceived risk more than brand familiarity.     

The impact of user perceptions of AR on purchase intention of location-based AR navigation systems

As new AR supported products such as location-based AR navigation systems become available in the consumer market, it is particularly important to understand how user perceptions of AR can be optimized to enhance customer satisfaction and increase purchase intention of these products. However, little research has addressed this gap in the literature so far. Therefore, this study developed a theoretical framework including user perceptions of AR, experience, satisfaction and purchase intention employing experience economy theory. This study's main theoretical contribution is that three user perceptions of AR – spatial ability (sensory domain), sense of presence (feeling domain), and conceptual understanding (cognitive domain) – were found to be key antecedents of consumers' intention to purchase location-based AR navigation systems through the mediation of educational, entertainment, aesthetic, and escape experience. The findings have important implications for future development of location-based AR systems.     

The role of perceived enjoyment and perceived informativeness in assessing the acceptance of AR wearables

Augmented reality smart glasses are a major trend in retailing. However, little is known about the factors that drive customers’ acceptance of these wearables as a channel in stores. Especially, the roles of perceived enjoyment and perceived informativeness for usage intentions of such novel and immersive technologies are unclear. Thus, the authors propose an extended technology acceptance model as an instrument to predict future adoption. The results indicate that perceived enjoyment largely mediates the influence of perceived informativeness and other variables on attitude and usage intention. Further, perceived enjoyment functions as a direct predictor for attitude and in strength even exceeds perceived usefulness. Hence, retailers should consider focusing on joy-related aspects when aiming at the introduction of broadly accepted AR applications in stores.     

Do extrinsic cues affect purchase risk at international e-tailers: The mediating effect of perceived e-tailer service quality

The inherent nature of the international e-tailing environment leads to the consideration of purchase risk. In this study, an attempt is made to investigate the effect of three extrinsic cues, e-tailer brand equity, Country-Of-e-tailers (COE) and guarantee quality, within such an environment in Taiwan. The research findings support the proposed hypotheses that these exogenous factors affect a mediator, i.e., perceived e-tailer service quality, which in turn affects purchase risk perceived by online shoppers in a borderless marketplace. In conclusion, managerial implications of the research results as well as future research directions are presented and discussed.     

The impact of perceived crowding on consumers' store patronage intentions: Role of optimal stimulation level and shopping motivation

Abstract

Past empirical studies leave open the question of whether perceived crowding has a positive or a negative effect on shopping outcomes (Eroglu, Machleit, & Barr, 2005 Eroglu, S.A., Machleit, K.A. and Barr, T.F. 2005. Perceived retail crowding and shopping satisfaction: the role of shopping values. Journal of Business Research, 58(8): 1146–1153. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Hui & Bateson, 1991 Hui, M.K. and Bateson, J.E.G. 1991. Perceived control and the effects of crowding and consumer choice on the service experience. Journal of Consumer Research, 18(2): 174–184. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Based on the premise that shopping is a social phenomenon involving hedonic as well as utilitarian motivation, this study hypothesizes an inverted U-shaped relationship between perceived crowding and consumers' store patronage intentions. Additionally, past research considers the mediating role of emotions in the relationship between perceived crowding and shopping outcomes. In this research, the authors argue that consumers' cognitive evaluations of the store and its merchandise also mediate the perceived crowding?patronage intention relationship. Survey results of actual shoppers (n?=?201) in a hypermarket in India demonstrate that there exists an optimal level of crowding that maximises consumers' store patronage intentions. The effect of perceived crowding on patronage intention is mediated by the emotional dimension of pleasure and store evaluation. Further, the effect of perceived crowding on emotions and evaluations appears to be moderated by consumers' optimal stimulation level. In particular, the inverted U-shaped relationship of perceived crowding with pleasure and merchandise evaluation is increasingly manifested with increases in optimal stimulation level. The results also reveal that the effect of pleasure on patronage intention is stronger for individuals who score high on hedonic motivation than for individuals who score low on hedonic motivation. The article provides potential research and managerial implications of the findings.     

The influence of in‐store personnel on online store value: An analogical transfer perspective

In today’s multichannel retail environment, consumers’ experiences in one channel influence their perceptions of another channel. Specifically, consumer evaluations of a firm’s online store have been found to be influenced by consumer interactions with the firm’s in‐store personnel. This paper is among the first to address this assumption and test it empirically. Drawing upon the analogical transfer paradigm, we propose hypotheses and accordingly model in‐store personnel’s competence and friendliness as determinants of online store usefulness, online store enjoyment, and online store value. Using consumer data collected from two Dutch multichannel retailers, we test this model with partial least squares modeling. The results provide clear support for the model and confirm that consumers may use characteristics of in‐store personnel as analogies when evaluating a firm’s online store. Implications for research and retail managers are discussed.     

Differential effects of atmospheric cues on emotions and loyalty intention with respect to age under online/offline environment

Effects of atmospheric cues are usually not compared across offline and online contexts as well as across age groups. This study proposes a model that examines the effect of the atmospheric cues graphics design and information design on positive emotions and loyalty intentions. The model is compared across offline and online stores and regards the consumers' age as moderator. A field study was conducted, which collected data from 363 customers. Hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling. Results for the offline context reveal that graphics design foster positive emotions and loyalty. Information design predicts loyalty. Results for the online context reveal that information design is salient over graphics design. Information design fosters positive emotions and loyalty, while graphics design does not. Further, we found that in the offline context positive emotions predict loyalty among younger customers but not among older ones. In the online context the effect of graphics design on loyalty is stronger and, thus, significant for younger customers than compared to older ones.     

Explaining the impact of consumer religiosity,perceived risk and moral potency on purchase intentions

The role of religion has been overlooked as an antecedent to risk perception, as has moral potency, when purchasing religiously sensitive products. The aim of this study is to demonstrate how perceived risk and moral potency explain the impact of shopper religiosity on purchasing religiously-questionable products from retailers. A conceptual model was tested on a sample of 271 respondents, elucidating the complex relationships between religiosity, social and psychological risk, moral potency and purchase intention. The model offers a strong psychological explanation of how a shopper's religion may increase their perceptions of risk and personal responsibility, confidence and courage, which subsequently impact purchase intentions. Retail managers may choose to implement this model to better predict shopper adoption behaviour of new religiously-questionable products. The model allows for future empirical examinations across multiple shopping contexts and may be employed to estimate levels of demand for new products based on the extent of religiosity, moral potency and risk.     

Determinants of store patronage: The roles of political ideology,consumer and market characteristics

In this study, we investigate the roles of political ideology, demographic characteristics and market environment in determining households' store patronage behavior. We measure two key dimensions of store patronage—store format preference and store loyalty trait—of 23,092 U.S. households using purchase data from Nielsen Homescan panel. We use county-level vote share of the Republican and Democratic parties across three U.S. Presidential elections to measure political ideology. We obtain measures of demographic characteristics and market environment from the Nielsen panel and the U.S. Census Bureau. Using fixed-effect regression models, we find systematic association between political ideology and households’ store patronage. Our findings contribute to the growing literature in marketing on the effects of political ideology on consumer behavior and have important implications for store loyalty programs, cross-selling strategies and store location decisions.     

The role of time convenience and (anticipated) emotions in AR mobile retailing application adoption

Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory as a theoretical foundation, this research examines the sequential effects of time convenience and (anticipated) emotions on consumer responses to (augmented) mobile retail apps in both pre-usage and usage stages. Two online experiments (N_Experiment1 = 303, N_Experiment2 = 114) using different stimuli reveal that time convenience and emotions stimulate favorable attitude towards the app and hence, behavioral intentions. The findings advance extant literature by identifying time convenience as an important construct prompting positive emotions toward mobile retail apps and consequently, favorable attitude and usage intention. Hence, practitioners should clearly communicate time convenience as an important utilitarian benefit of AR applications.     

Influence of consumer attitude toward online brand community on revisit intention and brand trust

This study proposes to illustrate the relationships between perceived benefits in using online brand communities, attitudes, revisit intention, and brand trust, and it also assesses the moderating role of two types of online brand communities: marketer- and consumer-created communities. The research model is tested by regression analysis using a random sample of 242 respondents. The study finds that social and informational benefits have positive impacts on attitude, which, in turn, significantly influence revisit intention and brand trust. The moderating effect of the type of online community was significant in predicting the relationship between attitude and brand trust but not between attitude and revisit intention. The study concludes the importance of managing online brand communities through managerial implications.     

The effect of specific discount pattern in terms of price promotions on perceived price attractiveness and purchase intention: An experimental research

This study aims to investigate consumer perceptions and reactions in terms of specific discount patterns (fixed price, 40% discount, discount from 500 TL to 300 TL and 20% + 25% discount) in price promotion. According to the results, specific discount patterns in price promotion have a significant effect on perceived price attractiveness and purchase intention. When the specific discount patterns in price promotion and gender interaction were analyzed in terms of perceived price attractiveness, the scenario of the “discount from TL 500 to TL 300” significantly differentiated from both the control scenario (fixed price) and experimental scenarios for female. For males, no significant difference was found between the control and experimental scenarios. In terms of purchase intention, a significant difference was found between the fixed price scenario and the discount scenario from 500 TL to 300 TL and between the fixed price and 20% + 25% discount scenario. The theoretical managerial implications of the study were discussed, and future research suggestions were presented.     

Consumer decision-making styles,involvement, and the intention to participate in online group buying

Recent studies have demonstrated the relevance of consumer decision-making styles and consumer involvement as crucial constructs in understanding online group buying, but none has analyzed their collective impact. This study tests consumer involvement as the mediator in the relationship between consumer intention to participate in online group buying and their decision-making styles. The results show that involvement significantly mediates the relationships between the recreational, hedonistic; price-conscious; habitual, brand loyal; and the confused by over-choice consumer decision-making styles and their intention to participate. Interestingly, the novelty-fashion conscious decision-making style shows a significant direct effect but no mediation through involvement. The study makes substantive contributions toward the online consumer behavior literature and website management. We suggest that website managers maintain consumer involvement at a high level and consider consumer decision-making styles when addressing potential visitors and converting them into buyers. The study describes limitations and implications for future research.     

The influence of social capital on local retail patronage in an urban setting

Local retail stores are currently facing intense competition from both online retailers and large chain stores. An understanding of local retail store patronage (i.e., patronage of retail stores in one's own community) is essential to the survival and growth of local retailers. Drawing on Social Capital Theory, we theorize and show with store-level survey data the influence of social capital (community attachment and reciprocity) on local retail store patronage in a large urban setting. We find that the impact of social factors differs for residents within the community compared to those outside of the community. We also demonstrate the importance of social factors in comparison to non-social factors. These findings contribute to the literature by extending the impact of social capital on local retail store patronage beyond rural settings, providing insight into urban consumers' decision to patronize local retail stores, and highlighting the impact of community boundaries. These findings also generate practical recommendations for local merchants and stress the importance of building reciprocal relationships with local customers as well as varying communications across community boundaries.     

The low effect of perceived risk in the relation between hedonic values and purchase intention

ABSTRACT

This research seeks to identify the influence of perceived risk in the purchase intention environment regarding innovative technological products, and also to understand how brand trust reduces the expected impact of this risk due to the hedonic and utilitarian characteristics influencing purchase intention. Quantitative research was carried out and analysed through structural equation modelling, where the influence of perceived risk on utilitarian value and purchase intention was identified, as well as the influence of brand trust in reducing this risk. The conceptual implications of the study describe as the perceived risk moderates hedonic features less compared to utilitarian features regarding purchase intention, thus demonstrating that emotional relationships are less affected by this risk. The managerial implications suggest that devices with utilitarian characteristics should be more carefully planned according to their brand and complexity, while hedonic products do not require brand trust to guarantee consumers’ purchase intention in the current innovative scenario.