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TopDespite an increasing number of online shoppers and offering of wide range of products on Internet, one finds paucity of research work undertaken with a focus on demographic variables especially gender as well as the attitudes; perceptions and profiling of online shoppers worldwide and especially in India.
An attempt has been made by the researcher to throw light on attitudes of online shoppers reflected through their online shopping activities as follows.
Anne (2007)1 focused on the appearance of new kinds of risk and new risk-relievers in electronic buying situations. A qualitative study was conducted in order to identify risk dimensions and risk relievers. The links between risk and risk-relievers were taken into account. A quantitative survey was conducted to measure perceived risk level and risk-reliever utility, and to present a cluster analysis of consumer risk reduction behaviour based on risk-reliever utility scores. Author identified different type of risks such as the risks of Security; Confidentiality and Credibility which were perceived as the strongest risks. The results of the study suggested that online retailers should build web sites that are not only useful, secure, and respect privacy, but it should be trustworthy to reduce risk associated with buying of product or service. Higher Perceptions of privacy and security were found as highly associated with a promise of safeguards for personal information (Anne-Sophie Cases, 2007).
Shwu (2003), examined relationships between Internet users’ concerns and perceptions of online shopping. The attitude of Internet users toward online shopping was measured using the relationship between the attitudes and its attitude and influence factors showed that Fishbin Model could effectively measure consumer characteristics. Author analyzed the factors affecting the online consumer’s behavior and examined how e-marketers can influence the outcome of the virtual interaction and buying process by focusing their marketing efforts on elements shaping the customer’s virtual experience (Shwu, 2003).
Chanaka (2004) studied on a Value-Attitude-Behaviour Model to investigate the role of personal values in online shopping consumer behaviour. Structural Equation Modelling identified that personal values such as self-direction, enjoyment, and self-achievement were significantly related to positive attitudes towards online shopping. Individual attitudes toward online shopping were direct predicator of buying behaviour, and mediated the relationship between personal values and behaviour of online shoppers. This hierarchical relationship among personal values, attitudes and behaviour need to exploited by e-tailors to position e-shops that provides a persuasive means to e-shoppers to better satisfy needs of online shoppers(Jayawardhena, 2004).
Glenn.J. Browne and others (2004) undertook study to develop insight into problems concerning online shopping by assessing online shoppers’ beliefs and preferences from physical stores. Internet business problems included the need to structure internal and external business processes to serve customers appropriately for online shopping. Marketers need to provide adequate technology; physical infrastructures, and pleasant environment for the customers. They need to understand customer consumption processes in virtual and physical environments. (Browne, Durrett & Wetherbe, 2004).
Marry and others (1999) conducted a study to identify personal characteristics; shopping patterns, and attitudes of potential innovators and non-adopters of an interactive electronic shopping innovation. They also examined differences among all potential adopters groups based on a national sample of 2,500 US cable Televisions subscribers, and its results suggested that strongest predictors of potential innovator and non-adopter group memberships were perceived characteristics of the interactive Internet shopping innovation including relative advantage over other shopping formats and compatibility with lifestyles (Eastlick & Lotz, 1999).
Jarvenpaa et al. (2000) tested a model of consumer attitude toward specific lower stores, in which perceptions of the store's reputation and size were assumed to affect consumers’ trust of the retailer. The level of trust was found as positively related to the attitude toward the store, and inversely related to the perception of the risks involved in buying from that store ( Jarvenpaa et al. ,2000).