Category: Online Shopping

Abstract

This study aimed to examine students’ attitudes towards online shopping. The researcher strived to answer three key questions, which sought to find out students’ attitudes towards online shopping, the nationality of students who make the largest number of online purchases, and the barriers that prevent international students from embracing traditional and online shopping methods.

The researcher conducted the study at Liverpool International College (LIC) and the evidence showed that most students held a neutral view regarding online shopping. Comparatively, Chinese students emerged as being the most active users of online shopping platforms, while the time-consuming nature of traditional shopping and the extra costs associated with online shopping emerged as impediments to the growth of both commercial platforms.

Introduction

The growth of the internet has led to an increase in the number of young people who choose to buy goods online. According to Statista (2019), about 1.8 billion people buy goods virtually. The same statistics mirror the revenue generated from online shopping because different countries have recorded increased revenues from online purchases. For example, in the United States (US), online shopping generates about $2.8 trillion for local businesses, while projections show that this number could double to about $4.8 trillion in the year 2021 (Statista 2019). Comparatively, the United Kingdom (UK) is home to the third-largest online market globally because it generates about £533 billion in revenue (Statista 2018).

Statistics also show that about 87% of the UK population has bought an item online in the last year (Kitonyi 2017). In Europe, Norway is the only country that surpasses the UK in terms of online vibrancy of virtual sales (Kitonyi 2017). Globally, the US and China are the biggest players in the online retail sector (Kitonyi 2017). According to the UK Office of National Statistics, online sales are likely to increase by around 30% in the next few years (Kitonyi 2017).

Students are a major growth driver of this trend. However, few studies have focused on this demographic and how their attitudes influence the future performance of online shopping. This paper investigates the attitudes of international students in online shopping. Its findings will be instrumental in expanding the volume of literature regarding business-to-consumer (B2C) relationships and informing marketing decisions for retailers who target students as their main market. The aim and objectives of the study are highlighted below.

Research Aim

To examine students’ attitudes towards online shopping.

Research Objectives

• To find out the attitudes of international students towards online shopping,
• To establish the nationality of students who make the largest number of online purchases,
• To identify barriers that exist in traditional and online shopping for international students.

Research Questions

1. What is the attitude of international students towards online shopping?
2. What nationality of international students makes the largest number of online purchases?
3. What are the barriers to traditional and online shopping for international students?

Hypotheses

1. More than half of international students have a positive attitude towards online shopping.
2. Chinese students make the largest number of online purchases.
3. Lack of privacy and the time-consuming nature of online shopping are barriers to online and traditional shopping, respectively.

Literature Review

This section of the study will investigate what other researchers have written about the research topic. Notably, the section will contain an investigation regarding the attitudes of international students towards online shopping, the influence of different nationalities on online purchasing behaviors, and the barriers to traditional and online shopping.

Attitudes towards Online Shopping

In a quantitative study authored by Al-Debei, Akroush, and Ashouri (2015), researchers argued that trust significantly affected consumers’ attitudes towards online shopping. Trust is predicated on web quality because the higher the web quality, the more trusting customers become, and the more they are likely to have a positive attitude towards online shopping (Al-Debei, Akroush & Ashouri 2015).

Al-Debei, Akroush, and Ashouri (2015) developed these findings after sampling the views of 250 shoppers using a self-administered questionnaire. The researchers administered the questionnaires as a survey because of the large number of respondents involved (Al-Debei, Akroush & Ashouri 2015).

A Jordan-based study authored by Nabot, Garaj, and Balachandran (2017)also highlighted the role of trust in influencing consumer attitudes towards online shopping. The researchers gave the example of trust in e-retailers and online payment methods as being key drivers in the development of positive attitudes towards online shopping (Nabot, Garaj & Balachandran 2017). These findings were developed after sampling the views of 50 respondents using structured questionnaires. The researchers also used the survey technique because of the large number of respondents involved.

A different study conducted by Dani (2014) showed that web design and features influenced consumer attitudes towards online shopping. Dani (2014) also noted that many online shoppers use the virtual platform to buy goods because it saved them time and was convenient to use. Therefore, e-retailers that have integrated useful web design features on their websites have the best chances of succeeding in the online retail space.

Dani (2014) developed these findings after sampling the views of 100 respondents. He used the survey technique to collect the respondents’ views because the informants lived within a wide geographical radius.

In a different study authored by Kibet (2016), the researcher established that many people had a positive attitude towards online shopping. However, such an attitude depended on their awareness of online shopping techniques. Kibet (2016) developed these findings after collecting the views of 384 respondents using questionnaires. He administered the questionnaires as a survey because the respondents were dispersed across a large geographical area.

Nationalities Making Largest Number of Online Purchases

Few academic works of literature have investigated the main nationalities that take part in online shopping. Therefore, this information is mostly available in market reports and regional publications for national data statistical management. For example, Eurostat (2019) suggests that the UK is among the leading markets for online shopping. According to 2018 statistics, Denmark nationals form the only group of people who surpass the UK (Eurostat 2019). Figure 1 below highlights this comparison.

A report authored by Spath (2016) also shows that the UK is among the leading markets for online shopping, followed by Germany, South Korea, the US, and France in that order. World Atlas (2019) gives a different order of assessment by suggesting that American online shoppers are the most active in online shopping, followed by the UK, Sweden, and France. A report by Golob (2017) also affirms the view that the US is the largest market for online shopping sales, followed by China, Japan, India, Germany, and France, in that order (see figure 2 below).

Broadly, the above findings reveal that the US, UK, and China are the leading markets for online shopping.

Barriers to Traditional and Online Shopping

According to Alyami and Spiteri (2015), some international students refrain from shopping for goods online because of the possibility of exposing their personal information. Besides, many international students choose to study abroad to complete their studies. Therefore, they spend a lot of energy on studies, which gives them little “time” to undertake online shopping. Relative to this assertion, Wenjie (2010) said that some students consider online shopping a risky activity, while others deem traditional shopping as a time-consuming venture.

However, the development of online payment systems has encouraged people who are skeptical about online shopping to try it. For example, the Credit card has become one of the most commonly used payment methods among international students (Wenjie 2010).

Traditional shopping is based on the brick-and-mortar business model where customers physically visit a shop and make a purchase. Comparatively, online shopping is based on the principle that a customer can order for a good or service without physically visiting a shop. There are many barriers to both types of shopping models. The first barrier to traditional shopping is its inconveniencing nature (Venkatakrishnan & Loganathan 2018).

In other words, some customers find it difficult to make a physical trip to a shop to make a purchase. Therefore, they may simply choose to order the same item online and have it delivered to them. The time-consuming nature of traditional shopping also undermines its viability because making physical trips to a store is more time-consuming, relative to online shopping. Another barrier to traditional shopping is the inability for customers to compare prices (Alyami & Spiteri 2015). Indeed, visiting one store at a time makes it difficult for customers to know the prices of similar goods in other stores.

Many studies have highlighted different barriers to online shopping. However, delivery costs have emerged as one of the most notable impediments to the growth of this shopping model. This view is supported by Vasić, Kilibarda, and Kaurin (2019) in a Serbian study aimed at investigating the influence of online shopping determinants on customers buying goods online. After sampling the views of 311 participants using a survey, the researchers established that traditional shoppers do not have to pay this extra cost because they receive the goods immediately after purchase, thereby reducing their cost of purchase (Vasić, Kilibarda & Kaurin 2019). Comparatively, many online shoppers have to pay this cost.

Another barrier to online shopping, which has been highlighted by researchers such as Vasić, Kilibarda, and Kaurin (2019) is the lack of knowledge about how to complete online transactions and the lack of access to online infrastructure that would allow shoppers to make a purchase. Concisely, internet penetration rates in some regions are still low, thereby making it difficult for people to take part in e-commerce. Therefore, even knowing online transactions would not help customers because of the lack of infrastructure to execute online transactions.

Summary

This literature review has shown what different researchers have said about online shopping, the nationalities that largely take part in it, and the challenges that characterize traditional and online shopping modes. Many researchers have conducted these reviews using the qualitative method because of their focus on subjective issues such as human attitudes. Although the evidence provided is informative, there is a gap in the literature because no studies have explored students’ attitudes towards online shopping. This study will fill this gap.

Methodology

Introduction

According to Hair (2015), the methodology of a study relates to the processes a researcher undertakes to answer the study questions. This chapter will explore five key issues relating to the methodology adopted in this study. They include the research design, research method, data analysis techniques, ethical considerations, and limitations of the study.

Research Design

The research design for the current study was based on the framework of the mixed method. This model includes the integration of both qualitative and quantitative data. The justification for using this approach stems from the nature of the research aim, which contains both qualitative and quantitative aspects of research. For example, attitude is a qualitative issue, while a determination of the number of students who use online shopping is a quantitative issue. Therefore, the technique of the mixed method provided a holistic framework for assessing all aspects of the analysis.

Research Methods

Data Collection method

As highlighted in this chapter, the researcher collected data using the questionnaire survey method. The questionnaire had two parts. The first one related to demographic information, such as gender and occupation, while the second part contained information relating to the research questions. The questions posed to the students were a combination of open-ended, closed-ended, and multiple-choice questions. Questions 3-7 related to question 1; statements 8-12 related to question 2; and questions 1,2, 13, 14, and 15 related to the second research question. Notably, the questions asked related to the hypotheses listed below.

1. More than half of international students have a positive attitude towards online shopping
2. Chinese students make the largest number of online purchases.
3. Lack of privacy and the time-consuming nature of online shopping are barriers to online and traditional shopping, respectively.

Sample

The researcher recruited informants using random and snowball sampling methods. The random sampling method gives an equal opportunity for researchers to take part in a study. Comparatively, the snowball sampling method involves the recruitment of participants through known contacts. In sum, 55 participants provided information relating to the research questions. However, the researcher initially sent questionnaires to 60 respondents. Therefore, the response rate was 92%. The researcher recruited 42 international students using the random sampling method, while 13 students took part in the investigation after the researcher secured their participation using the snowball sampling method.

Example Questions

The questions posed to the students who took part in the study covered different issues, such as the most convenient payment modes, reasons for using online shopping, how to circumvent the risks of online shopping, disadvantages of traditional shopping, the frequency of online shopping, and advantages of online shopping. The researcher worded the questions as follows: “Present your opinion on online shopping,” “Why do you choose this shopping method?” “What payment method do you usually choose to pay for online shopping?”

Pilot Study

The researcher conducted a pilot study to assess the validity of the questions asked. The pilot study involved 21 students (8 females and 13 males) and revealed that some respondents could not understand the terms used to describe the questions. For example, the use of the term “virtual shopping” was problematic for five informants. Consequently, the researcher replaced it with “online shopping.” The results of the pilot study also revealed that the questionnaire took a short time to complete (less than 3 minutes). Therefore, the researcher increased the number of statements from eight to 15.

Although Veal (2017), Watkins, and Gioia (2015) caution that undertaking a pilot study is not a guarantee that a research project will be successful, the findings of the evaluation helped to increase the likelihood of success in the current study.

Data Analysis

The information that will be obtained using the questionnaire will be analyzed based on how they align with the original three questions guiding the study.

Ethical Considerations

According to Creswell (2014), it is important to observe ethical principles in research to promote fairness and protect the rights of human subjects when participating in research studies. The researcher observed the following ethical considerations in the study.

• Informed Consent: Before participating in the study, the researcher sought consent from the participants. To do so, the researcher furnished the students with information relating to the study, including its purpose and scope. Consequently, they took part in the study voluntarily.
• Right to Withdraw: The respondents were free to withdraw from the study without any repercussions.
• Anonymity: The researcher presented the information obtained from the respondents anonymously. In other words, the researcher did not publish the names and student numbers of the participants.
• Confidentiality: The data obtained from the participants was stored safely and secured using a password. The researcher was the only person with access to this information. Upon completion of the study, the data will be destroyed.
• Health and Safety: The researcher undertook the current study in an institutional setting, which was safe for both the researcher and the participants. Stated differently, the students were free to answer the research questions away from distractions that are often associated with undertaking studies in alternative settings, such as public restaurants.

Limitations of the Study

Time was one limitation of the study. The researcher had to conduct the investigation and submit its results within a limited period, which was fixed by the university’s academic calendar. This limitation affected the number of questions asked and the depth of information the researcher could collect. Another limitation of the study is related to the small sample of participants. Future studies can use a larger group of participants if more resources are available.

Conclusion

This chapter has shown that the methodologies adopted in the study related to the nature of the research aim, which contained both qualitative and quantitative aspects of analysis. The researcher also aligned the data collection instruments with the type of questions asked. In the next chapter, the data obtained from the implementation of the methodological approaches highlighted in this chapter will be discussed.

Findings

As highlighted in this paper, this study aimed to examine students’ attitudes towards online shopping. Data were collected using questionnaires and the findings highlighted in the form of charts and pie charts. The findings of the questionnaire are highlighted below.

Questionnaire Findings

This study was based in LIC and it involved a sample of 55 international students. Twenty of them were females, while 35 of them were male. The respondents were asked to state their preferred mode of shopping and why they would choose it. According to table 1 below, 36% of the respondents said, they used multiple modes of shopping.

The researcher also asked the respondents to state their main motivations for choosing online shopping and their opinions regarding this mode of purchase. Product quality was the main factor influencing their decisions, while the price of goods was the second most important consideration. Product category and after-sales services were the least notable considerations for taking part in online shopping as seen in table 2 below.

Another question that the researcher asked the students was their thoughts about online shopping defects and their preferred mode of payment. According to table 3 below, Sixty-three percent of the informants said they were concerned that they would not get after-sales service after shopping online. Thirty percent of them also said that online shopping was cumbersome, while five percent of them thought the online payment was unsafe.

Besides, a majority of the students (40%) stated that they used bank cards to complete online transactions, while PayPal was the second most preferred payment mode (see table 4 below).

When the researcher asked the respondents to state their views regarding the flaws associated with traditional and online shopping, most of them said that the time-consuming and tedious nature of traditional shopping made it a “waste of time” and an inconvenient way of purchasing goods and services. Comparatively, when the researcher asked the respondents to state the benefits of using online shopping, a majority of them mentioned convenience as being the biggest motivator for using this platform.

The students also deemed online shopping as a cheap and timesaving method of making purchases. When the researcher asked the respondents to state their views regarding customer service, fifty-four percent of them were unsure about whether they would get good customer service through online shopping. Comparatively, only 5% of them agreed that they would get this type of service by buying goods online.

Lastly, the researcher asked the respondents to state how to improve the adoption of online shopping and most of them (38%) believed that an application-based model would yield the best results. Most of the respondents (56%) also said that they shopped online multiple times in one month. Comparatively, about 38% of them said that they shop online once a month, while the smallest group of respondents said they shopped online once a year (see table 5 below).

Summary

The findings of this study show that students’ attitudes towards online shopping are shaped by several factors, including their frequency to shop, purchasing power, and trust. These findings could are largely representative of both male and female students because a near equal number of participants from both genders took part in the study.

Discussion

In this section, the researcher evaluated the primary findings highlighted above, relative to the research questions. The sections below show the effects of the findings on the proposed hypothesis and research questions.

Attitude of Students towards Online Shopping

The literature review findings for the first research question showed that most people have a positive attitude towards online shopping (Kibet 2016). Based on this understanding, the researcher hypothesized that more than 50% of international students would have a positive attitude toward online shopping. However, the questionnaire findings opposed the hypothesis because most of the students held neutral views regarding online shopping.

Nationalities with the Highest Frequency of Online Shopping

The findings derived from the literature review showed that Americans were the leading customers for goods and services bought online (Golob 2017). Alternatively, the proposed hypothesis suggested that Chinese students are more active in online shopping compared to other international students. The questionnaire findings supported the hypothesis because Chinese students reported the highest frequency of shopping online.

Barriers to Traditional and Online Shopping

Findings from the literature review section showed that the time-consuming nature of traditional shopping and the shipping costs undermined the viability of online shopping (Vasić, Kilibarda & Kaurin 2019). Alternatively, the proposed hypothesis suggested that the biggest barriers to online and traditional shopping for LIC students were privacy and time, respectively. However, the questionnaire findings disapproved of the hypothesis because pricing and quality issues emerged as the most significant barriers to traditional and online shopping.

Limitations of the Study

The current study was limited to international students who studied at LIC. Therefore, the findings are representative of this group of students. Time was also another limitation of the study because the researcher had to undertake the project within the university’s academic calendar.

Summary

Based on the findings highlighted in this study, the perception of international students towards online shopping emerged as a product of several factors, including security, trust, and convenience. These insights show that the attitude of international students towards online shopping is dependent on how well the shopping platform integrates with student life.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The current study was guided by three key questions, which sought to find out the number of international students who have a positive attitude towards online shopping, the nationality of students who make the largest number of online purchases, and the barriers that exist in traditional and online shopping for LIC students. The evidence gathered in the analysis showed that most students held a neutral view regarding online shopping and Chinese students emerged as being the most active users of online shopping platforms at LIC. The time-consuming nature of traditional shopping and the extra costs associated with online shopping also emerged as impediments to the growth of both shopping platforms.

Future research should investigate these findings in-depth because the views expressed in this study are largely indicative. For example, researchers should explore why Chinese students emerged as the most active online shoppers compared to other nationalities at LIC. Similarly, future studies should expand the scope of this study by including a larger sample of students from other universities to have a broader understanding of students’ perceptions regarding online shopping.

Reference List

Al-Debei, M, Akroush, MN & Ashouri, MI 2015, ‘Consumer attitudes towards online shopping: the effects of trust, perceived benefits, and perceived web quality’, Internet Research, vol. 25, no. 5, pp.707-733.

Alyami, E & Spiteri, L 2015, ‘International university students’ online shopping behaviour’, World Journal of Social Science, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 227-243.

Creswell, JW 2014, Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach, SAGE, New York, NY.

Dani, NJ 2014, ‘A study on consumers’ attitude towards online shopping’, International Journal of Research in Management & Business Studies, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 42-46.

Eurostat 2019, E-commerce statistics for individuals. Web.

Golob, P 2017, Who tops the big 15 e-commerce markets in 2017 – China or US?. Web.

Hair, JF 2015, Essentials of business research methods, M.E. Sharpe, New York, NY.

Kibet, KA 2016, A study of consumer behaviour towards online shopping in Kenya: case of Nairobi County. Web.

Kitonyi, N 2017, UK online shopping and e-commerce statistics for 2017. Web.

Nabot, A, Garaj, V & Balachandran, W 2017, ‘Consumer attitudes toward online shopping: an exploratory study from Jordan’, Mobile Commerce: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1110-1123.

Spath, D 2016, Countries with the most online shoppers. Web.

Statista 2018, E-commerce in the UK – statistics & facts. Web.

Statista 2019, E-commerce worldwide – statistics & facts. Web.

Vasić, N, Kilibarda, M & Kaurin, T 2019, ‘The Influence of online shopping determinants on customer satisfaction in the Serbian market’, Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 70-89.

Veal, AJ 2017, Research methods for leisure and tourism, 5th edn, Pearson UK, London.

Venkatakrishnan, S & Loganathan, NG 2018, ‘The consumer behaviour towards online shopping in Coimbatore city-an exploratory study’, International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, vol. 120, no. 5, pp. 1459-1489.

Watkins, D & Gioia, D 2015, Mixed methods research, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Wenjie, X 2010, ‘A empirical study on influencing factors to college students‘online shopping’, International Conference on Computer and Automation Engineering (ICCAE), vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 612-615

World Atlas 2019, Countries who spend the most money shopping online. Web.

Introduction

The aim of this paper is to analyze the article titled “When shopping online, can you trust the reviews?” written by Elizabeth Holmes. The paper will discuss strategies used by online retailers in their product reviews as well as describe a research study that can be used to explore the relationship between customer comments and their buying habits.

Summary

Holmes’ article explores the importance of customer reviews in the modern retail industry. She begins by admitting that nowadays, retailers dedicate more time and effort than ever to the commentary on shopping experience left by their customers. The author points to the fact that modern e-commerce websites discourage anonymous commenters from leaving reviews in order to eliminate so-called ‘sock puppets’ who have an agenda. Holmes (2016) emphasizes the importance of negative reviews and notes that they help to effectively respond to complaints. The author also discusses various strategies used by online retailers to encourage their customers to leave reviews.

Citations

In order to support her arguments, the journalist refers to the Deloitte 2016 Holiday Survey with a sample size of 5, 000 customers (Holmes, 2016). The findings of the study show that “66% of shoppers who research online say they read customer reviews on websites” (Holmes, 2016, para. 3). The author cites chief executive of PowerReviews who suggests that only 4% of shoppers leave reviews (Holmes, 2016). Another sources cited to justify the importance of online product reviews is a study conducted by Northwestern University’s Spiegel Digital and Database Research Center in 2015 (Holmes, 2016). The study reveals that verified customers leave an average rating of 4.34 in their reviews, whereas an average rating from an anonymous buyer is only 3.89 (Holmes, 2016).

Practices

There are many strategies used by online retailers for encouraging their customers to leave reviews and make them more useful for potential buyers. According to Holmes (2016), Target allows sorting reviews by different categories such as “’ease of assembly’ for furniture, or ‘design’ for home décor items” (para. 17). The retailer also simplifies voting for its shoppers, thereby allowing them to participate in classifying other people’s reviews as ‘helpful’ or ‘not helpful’ (Holmes, 2016).

Another strategy that should be adopted by other e-commerce websites is a customer loyalty program launched by Zappos. The retailer rewards its customers for feedback by granting them 100 points for participation, which is “the same number of points a shopper gets for spending $10” (Holmes, 2016, para. 12). This useful strategy indicates that the company treats reviews and recommendations left by its customers as an asset rather than a liability.

Study

Word-of-mouth (WOM) in the context of e-commerce is an important factor that can influence consumer behavior to a great extent. In order to assess how consumer communities react on reviews left by other buyers, it is necessary to explore the relationship between positive reviews to negative reviews ratio and purchase decisions. A research study assessing relative proportions of reviews and how they affect the credibility of a website and buying habits of online shoppers would provide invaluable insights into concrete experiences of customers. Furthermore, such study would be useful for e-commerce companies that do not know how to better present WOM communication on their websites.

Conclusion

The paper has helped to better understand the influence of product reviews on consumer behavior. It was shown that many customers make their informed decisions on new purchases based on electronic WOM.

Reference

Holmes, E. (2016). When shopping online, can you trust the reviews?The Wall Street Journal. Web.

Introduction

There are many factors that affect consumer behaviour today. For instance, the Internet has influenced buyer behaviour significantly compared to the traditional shopper. The proposed research seeks to determine the effect of online shopping applications on impulsive buying. The issue to be addressed will focus on whether this influence is positive or negative. Bhardwaj and Manchiraju (2017) note that the Internet, and technology in general, has increased impulse buying among target audiences. Whereas impulse buying supports profitability for the owner of the business, it can have dire negative effects on the shopper.

Although there is significant research on the topic, one gap that is easily identifiable is that there is little research on how consumer behaviour affected by online shopping apps impacts the quality of life. The research proposes that online shopping apps, whereas beneficial, are addictive and can lead to financial dependency. The study will prove this by determining whether individuals using online shopping apps believe their behaviour has changed, and how the said behaviour has been altered.

Literature Review

Vonkeman, Verhagen and Dolen (2017) argue that the Internet has revolutionised shopping. The rise of e-commerce has allowed people to buy their favourite products from different parts of the globe with just one click. Additionally, technology has made logistics that much easier and relevant due to the amount of products that are shipped worldwide (Wen, Li & Liu 2019). Chen, Su and Widjaja (2016) confirm that e-commerce is currently valued at $3.46 trillion in 2019. The projections for the future are positive with critics anticipating that the sector will grow even further. Today, consumers do not need to go to a web shop to buy the products they need (Moser 2018).

Online purchasing has been made easier through the development of applications (Farah & Ramadan 2017). Apart from individual store apps, there are shipping companies that allow the consumer to buy items from different shops and ship them at once (Moser, Schoenebeck & Resnick 2019). Additionally, apps such as Amazon also bring together different merchants and work as a one stop shop for consumers.

According to Chan, Cheung and Lee (2017), the rise and evolution of online shopping apps has also increased impulse buying among consumers. This can be considered a negative side effect of the industry. One element that has to be considered when discussing online shopping apps and impulse buying is purchase intention. In the traditional set-up the purchase intention was often crafted through the display of the products and the physical environment that the client was in, when he or she visited a shop.

An example can be given to clarify further. If a consumer was interested in buying a chandelier, many of the physical shops would display their chandeliers in high ceilings with bright lights and they would always be lit, even if it was during the day. This presentation was attractive and would ideally push the client to buy a piece as they could imagine how the beauty of the chandelier would be translated to their own houses despite not having the same environment. Since this cannot be done with online shopping, Xiang et al. (2016) believe that consumers go through a trial and error phase until they get what they actually like.

Olsen et al. (2015) go further and confirms that online shopping apps have increased impulse buying due to the wealth of information they provide the consumer. Ideally, each of the products that are listed on a shopping app like Amazon has a link to the manufacturer, a list of reviews from other shoppers and even other similar products. All this information makes shopping easy. The consumer can also go online and get more information on the product before they decide to buy.

Thompson and Prendergast (2015) confirm that this is one of the reasons why online shopping has grown over the last couple of decades. This can be compared to traditional shopping which only gives the consumer limited information. For example, if a person goes to a supermarket to buy hair shampoo, he or she will only get information on the back of the box or bottle of each shampoo. Darrat, Darrat and Amyx (2016) argue that the 21 century shopper wants to make smart decisions about the products they buy, including understanding the materials that were used in the manufacturing process.

This brings in the concept of ease of price comparison. Notably, a significant percentage of shoppers love good bargains (Chen & Yao 2018). Thus, the knowledge that is shared, plus the ease of price comparison, makes online shopping highly addictive and convenient. In turn, clients tend to buy products they do not need but that they believe are offered at a cheaper rate at that particular time (Shapiro 2015).

It is important to note that impulse buying only describes the purchase of products that are not needed and that were not planned for at the beginning. This is enhanced by the online advertising which tempts users to buying things they would ideally love but had not, at that particular moment, prepared to buy. The nature of the Internet and synching allows different browsers and other online platforms to collect user interests when they are online. This data is then used to develop proper marketing and advertising material for individual users. Online shopping apps also collect this data and use it to suggest other items that the user can purchase alongside the planned products already bought.

It is arguable that there is a section of consumers who would not indulge in impulse buying even through online shopping apps. Gautam and Jenis (2018) explain that marketers group consumers in two main categories – emotional buyers and non-emotional buyers. Emotional buyers are people who would more likely fall victim of impulse buying whereas non-emotional shoppers would need more convincing to buy things they had not planned for earlier.

To attract the non-emotional shoppers, the concept of customer is king is often used in online shopping apps (Joo 2017). The apps offer 24-hour chat support, have attractive return policies and can be reviewed for other consumers (Yigit & Tıglı 2018). All these make online shopping in general more attractive but more so to the non-emotional shopper who find it convenient and fast.

Park, Jun and Lee (2015) argue that the issue of online shopping apps and impulse buying is demographical. The premise suggests that there are several characteristics that an online shopper has to have to make them vulnerable to impulse buying.

For example, the previously mentioned emotional angle has to be considered in order for someone to become an impulse buyer. According to Liu and Lu (2017), other characteristics to consider include age, where younger people are more likely to become impulse buyers than older ones; gender, where females are at a higher risk of developing impulse buying behaviours than males; and financial status, where people with less responsibilities are more likely to shop without planning than people with responsibilities. These demographics can be used to also explain why some people fall victim of impulse buying while others do not (Tak & Panwar 2017).

It is crucial to point out that the idea of owning things that have been branded as classy or luxurious is tempting to shoppers (Akram et al. 2018). This is why some of the most common brands use celebrities and role models to advertise their products. The same applied to online shopping apps where they use different models, or even celebrities to urge consumers to purchase the products (Ku & Chen 2019). Some of the words that are used on the apps also attract the shoppers as consumers feel the product is a must-have at that particular moment. Arguably, a majority of the research papers already published agree that online shopping apps have greatly affected consumer behaviour (Liu & Hsu 2017). Interestingly, this change is often described as negative due to the fact that it ties to individual financial crises.

Research Questions

There are five main research questions that will be asked in this study. The five questions are:

1. Do online shopping apps have any influence on impulsive buying?
2. Are online shopping apps increasing impulse buying among the target populations?
3. How do online shopping apps affect consumer behaviour?
4. Are online shopping apps reducing impulse buying among the target populations?
5. What can be done to either increase or reduce the influence of online shopping apps on impulse buying?

Research Methodology

The research project will employ a qualitative research methodology. Bengtsson (2016) defines qualitative research simply as a non-numerical approach to data collection. The research design works best for the study proposed as the research questions seek opinions, characteristics and personal description of activities (Connelly 2016). Additionally, the researcher will use a combined secondary and primary data collection techniques.

It is critical to note that the researcher will use the phenomenological approach to qualitative research methodology. This approach is best suited due to the fact that the researcher will use both secondary and primary data collection techniques as mentioned. Notably, the secondary data collection technique will include reading and drawing information from books, journals, conference materials, dissertations and other academic materials. Secondary data is important as it allows the researcher to find out what other research studies on the same topic, or similar topic, have realised. Ideally, the information that has been presented in the literature review was gathered through the secondary approach.

The primary data collection, on the other hand, will include interviews that will be done by the researcher on a sample population. The selected sample will be made up of 50 people who will be randomly selected. The random selection ensures that no bias is recorded in the study, thus, making the research more viable and reliable. It is important to note that the researcher will distribute the questionnaires and conduct the survey physically.

One of the ethical concerns that might arise from the research is the proper disposal of data after collection. The researcher anticipates that the sample population will inquire about how the data will be handled. To curb any anxieties over this, the researcher will not require any personal identification of the participants. Additionally, the participants will be assured that the researcher will adhere to data disposal methods as stipulated by the university. It is also important for the researcher to notify all participants that the research is purely for academic purposes.

Questionnaire

The following questionnaire will be used to collect primary data.

Bio Data

• How old are you?
  • 18-29 years
  • 30-39 years
  • 40-49 years
  • Over 50 years
• Are you male or female?
  • Female
  • Male
• What is your level of education?
  • None
  • High school
  • University
  • Post-graduate

Online Shopping

• Have you ever tried online shopping?
  • Yes
  • No
• Which of the following apps have you used before?
  • Amazon
  • Alibaba
  • AliExpress
  • Flipkart
  • Social Media Online Shops
  • Other (specify)
• Would you recommend online shopping to anyone?
  • Yes
  • No
• How often do you shop online?
  • All the time
  • Often
  • Not Often
  • Never
• What type of products do you buy most online?
  • Personal care products
  • Electronics
  • Food items and groceries
  • Cosmetics
  • Clothes
  • Shoes
  • Anything
  • Everything

Consumer Behaviour

• Where do you shop most among the following?
  • Online Shopping App
  • Physical shop
  • Equal for both

Influence of Online Shopping Apps on Consumer Behaviour

• Ranging from 1 to 10, with 1 being lowest and 10 being highest, what would be your response to the following statements
  • Online shopping apps have changed how much I spend on shopping
  • I often buy unnecessary things due to the ease of online shopping apps
  • My shopping behaviour has not changed due to online shopping apps
• From a range of strongly disagree to strongly agree, how would you rank the following statements:
  • Online shopping has cheaper options so I use it often
    • Strongly Disagree
    • Disagree
    • Agree
    • Strongly Agree
  • Online shopping helps save time so I use it often
    • Strongly Disagree
    • Disagree
    • Agree
    • Strongly Agree
  • Online shopping delivers products at your doorstep making it convenient and this is why I use it often
    • Strongly Disagree
    • Disagree
    • Agree
    • Strongly Agree
• Would you agree that online shopping apps have done the following?
  • Made me shop more
    • Yes
    • No
  • Made me shop less
    • Yes
    • No
  • Made me use more money in shopping than I would have
    • Yes
    • No
  • Made me borrow money to buy something I liked
    • Yes
    • No

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are various advantages of online shopping. For instance, it is easier and more convenient as it can be done from anywhere. Additionally, consumers get impressive bargains due to discounts and also the ability to compare prices of different brands of the same product. However, one of the negative factors that have been tied to online shopping is impulse buying. Arguably, the notion is made that much worse due to online shopping apps.

The essay looks into the influence of online shopping apps on impulse buying. The researcher will employ the use of both secondary and primary data collection techniques to get the required information. Additionally, the study uses a qualitative research methodology. It is important to note that the selected study sample will be randomly selected to ensure a significant representation of the target population. Additionally, it will also reduce the level of bias recorded in the study.

Reference List

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Bhardwaj, V & Manchiraju, S 2017, ‘The role of impulse buying, hedonism, and consumer knowledge towards sustainable consumption of fast fashion’, in 2017 ITAA annual conference proceedings: oral presentations, Iowa University Press, Iowa City, pp. 1-6.

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Online and offline purchase behavior studies have become quite numerous and widespread. On the one hand, earlier studies argue that purchase intention is the key motivator for the consumers. On the other hand, recent inquiries show that purchase behavior plays a far more significant role than the initial plan to buy anything. Qualitative forecasting techniques show that individual buying habits are more critical in purchase decision making.

Qualitative Forecasting

Qualitative forecasting is an approach based upon subjective factors at times when there is no sufficient data to use quantitative techniques. Qualitative method is based upon judgment and intuition of the experts in the matter and consumers. Forecasters usually apply this method for intermediate or long-range predictions (Ezeliora, Umeh, Mbeledeogu, & Okoye, 2014). There are four basic qualitative forecasting techniques: executive opinion, sales force opinion, Delphi method, and consumers’ opinion.

Executive opinion is averaged subjective views of key members from all departments about the number of sales during the examined period. The executives usually discuss a matter during a brainstorming session or other meeting. Therefore, the forecast is made quickly and easily without the need to elaborate statistics and charts. However, this is still groupthink, so leaders and other authorities present in the room may affect the opinions of individual members making the forecast less objective (Ezeliora et al., 2014). Another relevant and straightforward forecasting technique is sales force polling as it consists of opinions of people close to the action. Salespeople are the closest to the customers and can provide specialized predictions about the specific territory and period.

Consumers’ opinions are usually obtained through surveys using telephone contacts, questionnaires, and interviews with the customers. This technique is especially relevant for business with a limited market to find out their customers’ future needs and make an accurate forecast. Equally important is the Delphi method which is a jury’s opinion taken anonymously and analyzed by a panel of experts. Even though all the techniques mentioned above are subjective and may be considered inaccurate, experts continue using qualitative forecasting at times when there is no sufficient historical data.

Online Purchase Behavior

Getting to know consumer online purchase behavior is crucial for those who want to succeed in selling their goods on the internet. In the past 60 year psychologists and consumer behavior researchers implied a powerful influence on purchase decision (Liu, Li, & Hu, 2013). This means that people who are shopping online often make their decision about purchasing something relying on the impulse rather than on a plan. On the one hand, it is common knowledge that most people do not buy online if they have not planned to do so. On the other hand, the sole intention does not guarantee that a customer will buy at a certain online store. Several factors influence customers’ purchase decision, among those factors is the overall attractiveness of the website, secure payment methods, positive feedback, fast and safe shipping, and client support availability (Lim, Osman, Salahuddin, Romle, & Abdullah, 2016).

Moreover, in specific scenarios, customers may buy something entirely without a plan especially when it comes to buying new types of products. Liu et al. (2013) mention that purchases of unfamiliar brands “result more from impulse than from prior planning” (p. 83). So, controlling and influencing online purchase is far more important than getting to know what customers actually want.

Conclusion

Under the above-mentioned circumstances, it is only natural that online stores use qualitative forecasting techniques to examine the specific online purchase behavior their customers have. Customers’ surveys, salespeople’s opinion, and the opinions of experts are common sources of information for the online business to improve the buying experience thus increasing their sales. So, today’s studies show that getting to know consumer online purchase behavior is much more valuable than information regarding what customers plan or want to do.

References

Ezeliora, C. D., Umeh M. N., Mbeledeogu, N. N., & Okoye U. P. (2014). Application of forecasting methods for the estimation of production demand. Decision Support Systems, 3(2), 2–20.

Lim, Y., Osman, A., Salahuddin, S., Romle, A., & Abdullah, S. (2016). Factors influencing online shopping behavior: The mediating role of purchase intention. Procedia Economics and Finance, 35, 401-410.

Liu, Y., Li, H., & Hu F. (2013). Website attributes in urging online impulse purchase: An empirical investigation on consumer perceptions. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology Research, 55, 829–837.

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