Factors Influencing Web Customers’ Willingness to Engage in Online Shopping with an Internet Retailer

This study is an effort to identify and analyze the factors that could potentially influence web customers’ willingness to engage in online shopping with an Internet retailer. Using the primary data collected from a large sample of a web-based consumer survey, researchers developed a structural Equation model that embodied those factors that potentially influenced web customers’ willingness to engage in online shopping with an Internet retailer. Seven constructs were considered to study the effects of those factors on the web customers’ willingness to engage in online shopping with an Internet retailer, including quality of service, inertia to change, economic value, stress reduction, enjoyment in doing business, comfort level with website, and aesthetic appeal. The proposed model is largely supported and validated by several statistical measures and tests.     

Shopping value in online auctions: Their antecedents and outcomes

Online auctions present unique characteristics in the consumer decision-making process that raise new issues related to consumer shopping behaviors in auction-based purchases. The present research examined the relationship between consumer characteristics (i.e., compulsive buying behavior, variety-seeking tendency, and price sensitivity) and shopping value (i.e., utilitarian and hedonic) in online auctions and found that both compulsive buying behavior and variety-seeking tendency are critical factors of shopping value in the online auction environment. There were no positive relationships between price sensitivity and shopping value. The results of this study also revealed that consumers’ shopping value positively influenced their preference, which, in turn, formed behavioral intentions in online auctions. While utilitarian value was found to be a significant predictor of behavioral intentions, hedonic value was not. However, hedonic value influenced intentions indirectly through preference.     

Why Do Consumers Go Internet Shopping Again? Understanding the Antecedents of Repurchase Intention

Consumer intention of reusing online websites for shopping is a major consequence for an electronic commerce company's profitability. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence online customers' repurchase intentions is of great importance to the EC companies. Drawing on specific dimensions of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), Information Systems continuance model, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and empirical findings from prior studies as antecedents, the related factors were adapted and integrated within the context of Internet shopping repurchase intentions and were tested in a field study. Empirical data for hypotheses testing were collected from the online virtual store of 7-ELEVEN in Taiwan, yielding 444 valid samples. The results show that online consumer repurchase intention is determined by satisfaction, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and Internet shopping self-efficacy. Satisfaction is influenced by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, confirmation, and positive Internet shopping experience. Perceived usefulness, in turn, is influenced by behavior modeling, positive Internet shopping experience, Internet shopping self-efficacy, and confirmation. Confirmation is affected by positive Internet shopping experience and behavior modeling. In addition, confirmation has significant effects on perceived ease of use. Finally, positive Internet shopping experience appeared to have a significant impact on Internet shopping self-efficacy. From the empirical data, meaningful findings and conclusions are derived, and suggestions for future research are also discussed.     

Drivers of E-store Patronage Intentions: Choice Overload,Internet Shopping Anxiety,and Impulse Purchase Tendency

The dotcom era has infused a rapid increase in the usage of e-commerce in India, making online shopping the new way of retailing. This study investigates online consumers’ e-store patronage intentions, specifically modeling the ties from broad dispositional traits including choice overload, Internet shopping anxiety, and impulse purchase tendency among online shoppers. Based on the responses of 243 online shoppers, the findings suggest that consumers’ e-store patronage has a positive relationship with choice overload such that availability of larger assortments online results in a higher possibility of consumers’ patronage toward such e-tailers. Choice overload in the online context was also found to positively influence consumers’ impulse purchase tendency and showed a positive effect on Internet shopping anxiety. Furthermore, results indicate that the impulse purchase tendency of online shoppers had a significant positive effect on e-store patronage intentions, while Internet shopping anxiety was found to negatively affect the patronage intentions of shoppers.     

The effect of COVID-19 on consumers’ channel shopping behaviors: A segmentation study

COVID-19, combined with firms' multichannel adjustments, has accelerated changes in consumer shopping behaviors. This paper explores these issues through a segmentation study to examine consumers’ pre- and during-COVID-19 channel shopping behavior. Using survey data from 485 U.S. participants, Latent Profile Analysis identified six segments that vary in three dimensions: in-store vs. online behavior pre-COVID-19, in-store vs. online behavior during-COVID-19, and the change in channel shopping behavior from pre- to during-COVID-19. Motivation (utilitarian and hedonic), opportunity (time and physical), and ability play significant roles in explaining the findings, while psychographic and demographic variables play lesser roles. Further analysis revealed that these segments have different channel switching intentions when the focal retailer closed its physical store. These findings add greater understanding and support to the assumption that consumers more frequently shopped online than in-store during- than pre-COVID-19. In sum, this research addresses how changes in the shopping environment may affect consumer segments and their behavior.     

The Impact of Website Quality on Information Quality,Value, and Loyalty Intentions in Apparel Retailing

This study investigated relationships among website quality, perceived information quality, perceived value, and loyalty intentions in the context of apparel online shopping. Analysis of data using structural equation modeling showed that among the website quality dimensions, interactivity, online completeness, ease of use, and entertainment significantly influence perceived information quality. Perceived information quality affects perceived value and loyalty intentions and perceived value influences loyalty intentions toward apparel retail websites. The post-hoc test revealed that entertainment and trust affect perceived value. Online completeness and entertainment were found to influence loyalty intentions. Strategic suggestions are provided for e-retailer improvement of website information quality, such as utilizing entertaining and engaging devices and designing their websites for consumer comprehension and enjoyment during the shopping experience.     

The effect of assortment and fulfillment on shopping assistance and efficiency: An e-tail servicescape perspective

The study focuses on comparative effectiveness of two e-tail servicescape dimensions, e.g., product assortment and order fulfillment on consumers’ online purchase intentions for fashion apparel shopping. The mediating effect of shopping assistance and efficiency between e-tail servicescape dimensions and purchase intentions is examined. Additionally, the moderating influence of fulfillment reliability between e-tail servicescape dimensions and shopping assistance is also examined. The survey instrument was used to execute the study and data were gathered from 442 participants from the national capital of India. The hypothesized relationships were verified using covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM), hierarchical regression analytics (HRA), and bootstrap procedure. The findings reveal that there are certain e-tail value disposition oriented benefits in investing order fulfillment landscape over product assortment. The mediating role of shopping assistance and shopping efficiency is empirically verified and the moderating influence of fulfillment reliability is also confirmed.     

Conflicting attitudes and scepticism towards online shopping: the role of experience

Researchers typically study how levels of risk perception about online shopping affect whether and how consumers use the channel to buy products. In this paper, we propose to study how different types of attitudes towards online shopping are formed when consumers consider both the benefit and the risk of using the Internet to do their shopping. We consider the possibility that general types of attitudes are formed when consumers' perception of the risk and the benefit of using online shopping conflict. We pay particular attention to the concept of online shopping scepticism where consumers may fully realize the benefit of using the Internet to do their shopping, but also express a certain level of concern about the risk of using that channel. In the risk literature, researchers have shown that experience and increased exposure to a particular technology usually involves the accumulation of more and better knowledge that in turn may lead to a reduction in the perception of the risks involved. In this research, we also explore the role of experience in the context of consumers' intention to use online shopping. More specifically, we postulate that online shopping experience has a direct effect as well as an indirect effect on the intention to use online shopping. Experience with online shopping directly increases the consumer's intention to use the Internet to buy products but it also reduces the degree of scepticism and risk aversion, and that in turn, also increases the intention to use online shopping.     

Driving Goal-Directed and Experiential Online Shopping

Goal-directed and experiential online shopping are two general categories of consumer behavior on the Internet. Internet stores promoting online transactions may face challenges regarding how to satisfy distinct online shoppers. This study develops a dual-state of cognitive and affective reactions to online services and flow experiences to predict goal-directed and experiential online consumer behavior. This survey mailed 300 questionnaires to a random sample of volunteers with substantial online shopping experience. Of these, 150 samples were returned for data analysis. Empirical results from the survey indicate that the dual-state of online services is more appropriate for assessing goal-directed purchase intentions than for examining the willingness to purchase experientially. In contrast, the dual-state of flow experiences is better at assessing goal-directed purchase intentions and the willingness to purchase experientially. Finally, this study features implications for academics and practitioners.     

Adoption and usage of online shopping: An empirical analysis of the characteristics of “buyers” “browsers” and “non-internet shoppers”

We empirically study and model how socio-demographic variables, attitudes and beliefs towards Internet shopping affect both the adoption decision and usage of the online shopping channel. Previous research on online shopping focuses on whether to adopt online shopping. This paper extends this research by delineating non-adopting individuals into non-browsing and browsing. Our results demonstrate that there is a fundamental behavioural difference between three forms of behaviour: that is, those that purchase online, those that browse online but then purchase in-store and those that do not shop online at all.     

A comparison of online and offline gender and goal directed shopping online

The aim of this paper is to model the effect of the consumers’ perceptions of their offline and online gendered behaviour on online utilitarian shopping motivation and purchase intentions. We hypothesise that when consumers shop online, their behaviour is mediated by two gendered behaviours, namely offline and online. To test this hypothesis, 515 usable responses were collected in face-to-face interviews. The conceptual model was tested with confirmatory factors analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) across five product categories. Our findings show that the effect of a consumer's perception of their gendered behaviour offline vs. online on online utilitarian shopping motivation and purchase intentions is significantly different. In particular we found that utilitarian shopping motivation online has a significant effect on purchase intentions online mediated by gender (online) overall: strongly for females but not for males. Conversely, utilitarian shopping motivation online has a significant effect on purchase intentions online mediated by gender (offline) for males but not overall and for females.     

Integrated consumer shopping decision model: A Japanese online supermarket context

Abstract

Online shopping is not a new marketing channel but has been growing tremendously throughout Japan. The rapid growth of Internet technology has enabled the Japanese to break away from their conservative culture and embark on different shopping experiences by shopping online. With the growing importance of online reviews to promote one’s business, Japanese online supermarkets are looking for ways to increase consumer-generated content. The purpose of this study is to investigate Japanese repeat online consumers and the antecedents that encourage them to review their shopping experiences, including the supermarket website they used and product availability in the online supermarket. It was found that online supermarkets must focus on establishing confidence with their repeat online consumers if they desire to increase the electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) of their online supermarket. Implications are discussed in relation to online supermarkets and repeat consumers’ intentions to review their online shopping experiences.     

Promises,Promises: How Consumers Respond to Warranties in Internet Retailing

Past studies have shown that perceived risk is a critical determinant of purchase intention in non–store retailing contexts, including Internet retailing. Extant literature in physical retailing suggests that warranties can be a significant variable in reducing consumers’ perceived risk. We examine the role of Web site warranties in risk reduction and how warranty information interacts with retailer reputation and brand name as two other risk relievers in an online shopping environment. Results suggest that warranties can make a positive difference for online retailers with strong reputations with respect to perceived risk, perceived product quality, and purchase intentions. However, consumers are less influenced by warranty information when dealing with online retailers with weak reputations. For the other extrinsic cue, however, we find that warranty information does not have an effect when dealing with brand names, suggesting that a brand name’s impact on online risk reduction remains regardless of the presence of warranty information.     

Why is Price Dispersion Higher Online than Offline? The Impact of Retailer Type and Shopping Risk on Price Dispersion

When physically similar products, of similar quality, are offered by retailers both online and offline, we often observe that the dispersion in prices of these products online is greater than the price dispersion offline. This observation runs counter to early theories that suggested price dispersion online would be smaller than that offline due to the ease of search and information availability online. This paper investigates and provides an explanation for this puzzling phenomenon by examining the impact of two important drivers of price dispersion: retailer type and consumers’ shopping risk. Retailer type refers to whether a retailer is a pure offline, pure online, or dual channel retailer. Shopping risk is defined as the product of consumers’ perceived risk of shopping and the transaction uncertainty related to shopping at different types of retailers.A game-theoretic approach is adopted to model consumers’ price search and product purchase, as well as price competition within and across retailer types in online and offline markets. Equilibrium pricing strategies are derived for different retailer types competing for different consumer segments with different levels of perceived shopping risk. The impact of retailer type and shopping risk on online versus offline price dispersion are quantified, and conditions when price dispersion is greater online than offline are identified.Results indicate that price dispersion is greater online when the number of pure online retailers is sufficiently large and is increasing in the number of pure online retailers. In addition, a reduction in online shopping risk may actually increase online price dispersion. Results further suggest that even without any online sales, dual channel retailers should maintain their online presence for the purpose of information dissemination, which justifies the importance for pure offline retailer to incorporate webrooming strategies, where consumers can search for prices online but purchase offline.     

Validating the search,experience, and credence product classification framework

Prior research identifies the influential factors for patronage intentions as product classes, retailer attributes, and risk perceptions. The Internet's ability to offer easy information search, therefore to reduce certain types of risk for products mandates evaluation of a new product classification framework called Search, Experience, and Credence. To test the nomological validity of the SEC-framework, this study investigates whether the SEC-products influence the (1) level of importance consumers place on retailer attributes, (2) level and types of risks consumers perceive, and (3) consumer patronage intentions for Internet and physical stores. The relationships between the (4) importance consumers place on retailer attributes and their risk perceptions, and (5) risk perceptions and patronage intentions for Internet and physical stores are investigated. The findings indicate while the importance of retailer attributes is equally significant across the four product classes, the SEC-products influence consumer risk perceptions and purchase-intentions for online and physical-stores. The relationship between important retailer attributes and risk perceptions is also significant.     

Online Customer Experience in e-Retailing: An empirical model of Antecedents and Outcomes

The theoretical understanding of online shopping behavior has received much attention. Less focus has been given to the formation of the customer experience (CE) that results from online shopper interactions with e-retailers. This study develops and empirically tests a model of the relationship between antecedents and outcomes of online customer experience (OCE) within Internet shopping websites using an international sample. The study identifies and provides operational measures of these variables plus the cognitive and affective components of OCE. The paper makes contributions towards new knowledge and understanding of how e-retailers can provide effective online experiences for customers.     

Please explain why it happened! How perceived justice and customer involvement affect post co-recovery evaluations: A study of Iranian online shoppers

As online shopping is growing, the probability of service failure is increasing, too. Therefore, online retailers need to employ particular recovery strategies in online setting. Online shopping relies more on information and communication rather than traditional shopping. In addition, involving consumers in co-recovery procedure triggers them to perceive post-recovery satisfaction higher than usual, hence, resulting enhancement behavioral intentions (i.e. positive word-of-mouth, repurchase intention, loyalty, intention to future co-creation). While recent researches in online shopping did not examine the impact of informational justice and co-recovery, this study aims to investigate the influence of four justice dimensions (e.g. distributive, procedural, interactional and informational) by mediating role on involvement on post-recovery satisfaction. Thus, a scenario-based, between-subjects experiment was performed to reduce extreme memories and biases of the subject matter. A sample of 278 Iranian online shoppers from two shopping websites (i.e. Digikala and Bamilo) was employed to analyze data. Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) was employed to analyze data. First, the measurement model was performed to check validity and reliability of the constructs involved in the conceptual framework. Then, proposed hypotheses were tested using structural model. Results show that justice dimensions are positively associated with post-recovery satisfaction. Also, it is confirmed that involvement is mediator between justice dimensions and satisfaction, which means customers participation in recovery procedure is necessary in online post-recovery assessment. These findings also suggest that informational justice should be consider as a crucial factor in online shopping, particularly online recovery. Results suggest that managers should be generous to share information with customers and explain them what is the reason of failure, in detail. Finally, post-recovery satisfaction is positively related to behavioral intentions such as positive word of mouth, loyalty; repurchase intention and future co-creation tendency.     

Multichannel shopping: The effect of decision making style on shopper journey configuration and satisfaction

Prior research demonstrates links between the maximizing tendency in decision making and online shopping behaviour, with maximizers spending considerable time on their online shopping yet being somewhat dissatisfied with their shopping decisions. Our research extends prior knowledge to the multichannel shopping context. Multichannel shopper journeys are an important form of shopping, whereby the activities comprising a shopping event occur in more than one channel. Our quantitative study examines relationships between two dimensions of maximizing, maximization as a strategy and maximization as a goal, multichannel shopper journey configuration and subsequent affect. Maximization as a strategy directly and positively relates to the numbers of channel switches and of pauses in a shopper journey and to the use of product and retailer reviews. It is indirectly associated with increased counterfactual thinking and regret, and with decreased satisfaction. Maximization as a goal has no effect on multichannel shopper journey configuration or on affect. Our findings have managerial relevance for multichannel retailers. We demonstrate that product and retailer reviews are of particular importance to those employing maximization as a shopping strategy, as they mitigate against their increased tendency to engage in counterfactual thinking. As counterfactual thinking leads maximizers to increased regret and decreased satisfaction, multichannel retailers can improve shopper satisfaction by actively directing their customers to reviews. Shoppers using maximization as a strategy could be helped to configure their shopper journeys with fewer channel switches and fewer pauses, as these provide maximizers with opportunities to doubt their decisions.     

Hedonic and utilitarian use of user-generated content on online shopping websites

The Internet has made it possible for consumers to share reviews, opinions, and thoughts about products and services on online shopping websites. This user-generated content (UGC), which can be considered to be part of social commerce, is likely to influence other consumers’ attitudes toward a product and subsequent purchase intentions. The purpose of this study was to investigate two major uses of UGC: hedonic and utilitarian, and how they impact purchase intentions, along with users’ trust for different types of comments and reviews. Also investigated are associations between hedonic use, utilitarian use, and trust, with purchase behavior at online shopping websites. Results of this study will add to the domain knowledge related to marketing and how it impacts consumer psychology and behavior. From a practitioner perspective, marketers need to understand the impact of UGC so they can monitor this method of marketing communication as it can impact trust and purchase intentions.     

Untangling the relationships between consumer characteristics,shopping values,and behavioral intention in online group buying

This study examines the link among consumer characteristics (price-sensitive behavior, variety-seeking behavior, and compulsive buying behavior), shopping values (utilitarian and hedonic shopping values), and behavioral intention in online group buying (OGB). This study tests usable responses collected by means of mall-intercept systematic sampling from consumers who previously participated in OGB. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data and test the hypothesized relationships. Findings suggest that price-sensitive and variety-seeking behaviors are significantly related to utilitarian shopping value, whereas price-sensitive, variety-seeking, and compulsive buying behaviors are significantly related to hedonic shopping value. Both utilitarian and hedonic shopping values significantly influence consumers’ OGB intentions. For a successful OGB strategy, Internet marketers and site operators should emphasize the utilitarian shopping value of price saving and selection and introduce the hedonic shopping values of promotions and sensory experiences. This study provides a link between two streams of prior research – that is, consumer characteristics and shopping values. Furthermore, it validates an empirical model whose results can help business practitioners make better-informed marketing management decisions for OGB and help academics and consumers better understand OGB behavior.