Individual Online Shopping Behavior

Individual Online Shopping Behavior
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Individual Online Shopping Behavior
The evolution of online shopping has seen tremendous growth since its inception in the 1990s. As a result, online shopping has redefined consumers’ shopping behavior. The popularity of ecommerce can be attributed to changes in consumers’ attitudes and social influence. Factors that drive online shoppers are not the same as those that motivate conventional shoppers. The latter group prefers brick-and-mortar locations due to the face-to-face experience that allows them to touch or try a product before purchasing it (Marinsek et al., 2018). Another reason is for socialization with their peers. Conventional shoppers visit physical locations for purposes of bonding and socializing.
On the other hand, online shoppers are motivated by different factors. According to Daroch et al. (2015), perceptions towards online shopping are mostly affected by ease of use, consumer traits, situational factors, product characteristics, previous online shopping experiences, and trust in online shopping. First, ease of use allows consumers to purchase products at the convenience of their homes which are delivered at their doorsteps. Second, consumer traits such as age and social status influence online shopping. Fischbach (2020) reveals that Millennials and Generation Z are more likely to shop online than the previous generations since they are more astute with technology. Furthermore, people in higher income households are also likely to shop online than those from low income households.
Third, situational factors also encourage people to resort to online shopping. For instance, the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic forced people to purchase goods from ecommerce platforms (Torkington, 2021). Moreover, product characteristics may encourage people to shop through online channels, especially if the products are very sensitive and consumers want to maintain anonymity. Lastly, previous online shopping experience may encourage consumers, especially if they were satisfied with the process. This last factor is likely to improve consumers’ trust in online shopping. Aside from these two categories of shoppers, there are those that utilize both channels. Marmol & Fernandez (2019) refer to this phenomenon as the multichannel strategy. Consumers who use this approach look for products online and then go and buy them physically.
Interviews and Data Analysis
The study utilized a qualitative research design to collect data primarily through structured interviews. We located a sample size of twelve individuals from different demographics to determine each group’s perception of online shopping. There were five females and seven male participants divided into three economic classes, including high income, middle income, and lower income. Their ages ranged from 18 to 65 years. They were also categorized based on their level of education. The interviews were conducted in person, and each lasted approximately 25 minutes. The interviewers utilized a mix of open and closed ended questions to gather the information from the participants. Key research questions include:
1 Would you kindly provide your name and age, please?
2 What income group do you belong to?
3 What is your highest level of education?
4 What do you think about online shopping?
5 Have you ever bought items using any online channels?
6 What was the experience? Or did the process meet your expectations?
7 If you were to choose between online shopping and physically going to a store, which one would you prefer?
8 Explain why you prefer one over the other.
Findings
The findings of the interviews corroborate with most of the information from the existing literature related to the topic. The first metric used for the study was age. The research revealed that most participants between ages 18 and 35 years were more likely to use online shopping than visit a physical retail outlet. Those in age groups above 35 years were less likely to use online shopping and preferred shopping physically. The second metric of study was income. Participants in the upper and middle income levels preferred ecommerce to shopping physically with the exception of the older participants above 35 years. Those in the lower income levels said they preferred shopping physically as they are able to take advantage of bargain prices in thrift shops.
The third metri...