电子商务翻译第一篇英文

1、A typology of online shoppers based on shopping motivationsAndrew J.Rohm a,*,Vanitha Swaminathan b,1aDepartment of Marketing,Northeastern University,Boston,MA 02115,USAbKatz Graduate School of Business,University of Pittsburgh,Pittsburgh,P A 15260,USAAbstractThis paper develops a typology based upon

2、 motivations for shopping online.An analysis of these motives,including online convenience,physical store orientation (e.g.,immediate possession and social contact,information use in planning and shopping,and variety seeking in the online shopping context,suggests the existence of four shopping type

3、s.These four types are labeled convenience shoppers,variety seekers,balanced buyers,and store-oriented shoppers.The convenience shopper is more motivated by convenience.The variety seeker is substantially more motivated by variety seeking across retail alternatives and product types and brands than

4、any other shopping type.Balanced buyers are moderately motivated by convenience and variety seeking.The store-oriented shoppers are more motivated by physical store orientation (e.g.,the desire for immediate possession of goods and social interaction.Shopping types are profiled in terms of backgroun

5、d variables and the propensity to shop online.The results are contrasted with a matched sample of off-line shoppers.Implications of this typology for theory and practice are discussed.D 2002Elsevier Inc.All rights reserved.1.IntroductionRevenues from online retailing continue to grow.A recent Forres

6、ter Research report forecast that online retail sales will reach US$269billion in 2005,from US$45billion in 2000(Dykema,2000.The growth of online shopping has generated considerable interest among academic researchers.In particular,researchers have begun examining the impact of online shopping envir

7、onments on consumer choice (Swaminathan et al.,1999,the role of Internet shopping as a channel of distribution (Alba et al.,1997,factors influencing shopping online (Swaminathan et al.,1999,and the impact of online shopping on price sensitiv-ity (Shankar et al.,1999.Given the significant growth in o

8、nline retailing,the online retailer needs to understand the particular reasons why consumers choose to shop online.This need is par-ticularly relevant for the increasingly competitive online grocery retail market,in which numerous national and regional firms compete among themselves as well as brick

9、s-and-mortar stores within a relatively static market.The objective of this research is to develop a typology of online shoppers based on shopping motives.While there is a rich tradition of shopping typologies developed for store or catalog settings (Stone,1954;Stephenson and Willett,1969;Darden and

10、 Ashton,1975;Williams et al.,1978;Bellenger and Korgaonkar,1980;Westbrook and Black,1985;Gehrt and Shim,1998,there is a paucity of research examining typologies in the online context.This research makes an important contribution to the current literature by extending our knowledge of consumer typolo

11、gies to the online channel.From a managerial perspective,online shopping typolo-gies or classification schemes provide the basis for under-standing and targeting different groups of consumers.Given that online retailing has tremendous growth,a typology specific to this channel will enable us to iden

12、tify distinct segments of consumers,thereby enabling retailers to effec-tively tailor their offerings to these customer types.The shopping typology developed here is based on the grocery-shopping context.The grocery-shopping context is an effective one in which to study consumers and their shopping

13、motivations for various reasons.First,previous research (e.g.,Darden and Ashton,1975;Williams et al.,1978examines shopping motivations in the grocery con-text.Therefore,this context allows us to contrast results obtained in this study with previous research findings.Second,the purchase cycle for gro

14、ceries is frequent and a wide array of goods.Third,although numerous online0148-2963/$see front matter D 2002Elsevier Inc.All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/S0148-2963(0200351-X*Corresponding author.Tel.:+1-413-545-5665;fax:+1-413-545-3858.E-mail addresses: (A.J.Rohm, (

15、V .Swaminathan.1Tel.:+1-413-545-5665.Journal of Business Research 57(2004748 757grocery retailers have struggled to reach profitability,the potential for growth in the online replenishment channel remains significant.Anderson Consulting (Buss,1999pre-dicts that by the year 2007almost 20million peopl

16、e will buy their groceries and other household goods online,compared with fewer than 200,000currently.Based upon Bunn (1993,we employ a five-step pro-cedure for empirical typology development.The resulting cluster solution supports and extends current shopping typologies by differentiating between o

17、nline grocery con-sumer types.In order to gain a broader understanding of shopping motives across retail settings,we conducted a parallel study of grocery shoppers in the offline,or bricks-and-mortar,setting.A cluster analysis of offline shoppers reveals a unique to the bricks-and-mortar setting.The

18、 paper is structured as follows.First,we review the literature on shopping motives.Second,we discuss the sampling frame and data collection procedures.Third,we present analyses and results.Fourth,we discuss the impli-cations of this research as well as future research directions.2.Conceptual backgro

19、undPast shopping typologies have primarily been based on consumer motives for shopping (e.g.,Tauber,1972;Bel-lenger and Korgaonkar,1980;Westbrook and Black,1985.Motivation theory (e.g.,McGuire,1974which suggests that human motives,whether cognitive or affective,areprimarily geared towards individual

20、 gratification and sat-isfactionprovides the theoretical basis for examining the underlying reasons for why people shop.Consumers may be motivated by the ability to implicitly derive a certain set of utilities by patronizing a given type of shopping setting (Sarkar et al.,1996.These utilities may in

21、clude location (place utility,expanded store hours and quick,efficient checkout (time utility,and an efficient inventory and distribution system that enables consumers immediate pos-session (possession utilityof the goods purchased.The motivations that underlie extant shopping typologies are summari

22、zed in Table 1.As can be seen in Table 1,several motives may be used to classify the online shopper:shopping convenience ,including time savings (e.g.,Bellenger and Korgaonkar,1980;Darden and Ashton,1975;Eastlick and Feinberg,1999;Stephenson and Willett,1969;Westbrook and Black,1985;Williams et al.,

23、1978;information seeking (e.g.,Bellenger and Korgaonkar,1980,social interaction gained from shopping (e.g.,Bellenger and Korgaonkar,1980;Westbrook and Black,1985,and shopping as a recre-ational experience itself (e.g.,Bellenger and Korgaonkar,1980;Gehrt and Shim,1998.Additionally,the literature sugg

24、ests that the tendency to seek variety (e.g.,Raju,1980;McAlister and Pessemier,1982;Menon and Kahn,1995and the desirability of immediate possession (e.g.,Alba et al.,1997may also be motives for shopping.These six motives,that help to classify the online shopper,are examined in greater detail next.Ta

25、ble 1Review of the shopping typology literature Primary shopping motives Author(sShopping contextSample and data collectionOverallconvenience/time savings The shopping experience Social interactionInformation seekingGehrt andmail-order catalogs Frenchcatalog shoppers B BShim (1998writtensurveys West

26、brook and Black (1985urban retail department stores203adult female shoppers BBBmall and shopping centerretailers structured personalinterviews Bellenger andmall-based 324adult shoppers B B B B Korgaonkar (1980nonmall shopping centers intercept questionnaires Williams et al.(1978retail grocery stores

27、 298grocery shoppers B Bpersonal interviews Darden andAshton (1975supermarkets116middle-classsuburban housewives Bpersonal interviews and writtensurveysDarden andReynolds (1971large and small urbanstores167middle to upper classsuburban housewives B writtensurveys Stephenson and Willett (1969consumer

28、 products (e.g.,apparel,shoesactual store patronage and buying behavior B BStone (1954department storesdepth interviews of femaleshoppersBA.J.Rohm,V .Swaminathan /Journal of Business Research 57(20047487577492.1.Shopping convenienceNumerous shopping motive studies(Stephenson and Willett,1969;Darden

29、and Ashton,1975;Williams et al., 1978;Bellenger and Korgaonkar,1980;Eastlick and Fein-berg,1999have identified convenience as a distinct motive for store choice in the offline setting.Bellenger and Kor-gaonkar(1980characterized the convenience shopper as selecting stores based upon time or effort sa

30、vings.Recent research(Swaminathan et al.,1999suggests that conveni-ence is an important factor,particularly because location becomes irrelevant in the online shopping context.The online shopper may be motivated by the convenience of placing orders online at home or at the office any time of day.Cons

31、istent with past research regarding time and effort savings(Bellenger and Korgaonkar,1980;Eastlick and Feinberg,1999,we consider time and effort savings as a part of the overall shopping convenience construct.2.2.Information seekingBellenger and Korgaonkar(1980propose that the ability to seek and ga

32、ther information in a retail setting is a shopping motive in the offline context.Online shopping offers an infrastructure by which the consumer is able to search,compare,and access information much more easily and at deeper levels than within the bricks-and-mortar retail structure(Alba et al.,1997;L

33、ynch and Ariely,2000.This concept of information as adding value to the retail experi-ence is supported by Hoffman and Novak(1996,who suggest that the Internet offers not only a wide variety of information,it offers the capability to deliver specific information tailored to the needs of the consumer

34、.2.3.Immediate possessionSheth(1983and Shaw(1994discuss the utility derived from the possession of goods or services.Certain consumers will demand instantaneous delivery of products or services and will patronize those retailers able to provide immediate possession.In an analysis of competition betw

35、een direct marketers and conventional retailers,Balasubramanian (1998suggests that direct marketers can reduce consumer resistance to catalog or Internet purchases by reducing delivery time.For these reasons,consumers motivated by immediate possession may choose to shop within a conven-tional retail

36、 store format rather than in the online context.2.4.Social interactionThe concept of retail social interaction as a source of shopping motivation stems from work by Tauber(1972 positing that numerous social motives help to influence shopping behavior.These motives include social interaction, referen

37、ce group affiliation,and communicating with others having similar interests.Alba et al.(1997suggest that desire for social interaction plays a role in determining the choice of retail format,e.g.,the store,catalog,or online setting.Past research suggests that consumers motivated by social interactio

38、n may choose to shop within a conventional retail store format as opposed to the online context.2.5.The retail shopping experienceThe retail shopping experience is often considered a shopping motive unto itself(e.g.,Bellenger and Korgaon-kar,1980;Dawson et al.,1990;Bendapudi and Berry, 1997.The recr

39、eational shopper has been defined in the literature as one who enjoys shopping as a leisure-based activity,spends more time per shopping trip on average, considers store decor an important patronage decision,and is more impulsive,e.g.,tends to make unplanned purchases (Bellenger and Korgaonkar,1980.

40、Tauber(1972identified a variety of psychosocial needs related to shopping behav-ior,one of which was that certain shoppers received sensory stimulation from the retail environment.According to Bel-lenger and Korgaonkar(1980,this type of shopper is motivated by the process and enjoyment of the shoppi

41、ng experience itself,independent of product-specific or other task-directed objectives.Online retailers,in general,may find it difficult to replicate the sensory effects and product-trial experiences available to the consumer in a physical store setting. Therefore,similar to the catalog setting,onli

42、ne retailers may find it more challenging to attract recreational shoppers who may be less predisposed to shopping online.2.6.Variety seekingAlthough variety-seeking research is limited in the online setting,previous research has suggested that variety-seeking or varied behavior stems from intrapers

43、onal or interpersonal motives(McAlister and Pessemier,1982.Consumer behav-ior research(Raju,1980;Menon and Kahn,1995has linked variety seeking to the presence of an ideal level of stimulation(e.g.,an intrapersonal motive for novelty,com-plexity,or change,whereby a consumers optimal stimu-lation leve

44、l determines their degree of exploratory and variety-seeking behavior in situations such as shopping. The ability to comparison shop may increase variety-seek-ing behavior in the online context;therefore,variety seeking is likely to be a significant motive in the online context.In summary,a typology

45、 based upon these items will thus capture the mix of motives influencing the various types of online consumers.The sampling frame,data collection procedure,and construct measures are described next.3.MethodThis section describes a study undertaken to better understand the online shopper.It also desc

46、ribes an associ-A.J.Rohm,V.Swaminathan/Journal of Business Research57(2004748757 750ated study of offline shopping motives conducted in the grocery context in order to compare online and offline shopping motives and consumer types.3.1.Online sampleThe research sample employed in this study consists

47、of both active and lapsed customers of an online grocery retailer.Although the respondents are limited to a grocery-shopping context,the random sample employed in this study includes consumers across various purchase frequen-cies.Further,the scale items examine general shopping motivations and utili

48、ties and thus apply to general shopping contexts across retail channels.These items seek to help better illustrate customer motivations for online shopping in general,as well as within the online grocery setting. Appendix A lists these items.The unit of analysis in this study is the individual onlin

49、e grocery consumer.A random sample of1000 potential respondents was drawn from the customer data-base of an online grocery retailer based in the northeast United States.To ensure appropriate response rates,a two-step process was followed.First,prenotification cards introducing the study and emphasiz

50、ing the importance of the respondents involvement preceded the mailing of the written surveys by one week.Second,the surveys were mailed with a cover letter thanking the consumer for their participation along with preaddressed and postage-paid envelopes.This step also included an incentive in the fo

51、rm of credit towards their next grocery order placed with the focal online grocer upon return of the completed survey.Of the1000mailed surveys,a total of429responses were received from online shoppers.Of these,17were eliminated based on incomplete responses(i.e.,several responses had missing values.

52、This resulted in a usable sample of412responses.Eleven percent of this usable online sample(n=46were considered lapsed customers since they had not shopped with the focal online grocery retailer during their last10shopping trips.3.2.Offline sampleTo rule out the possibility that the specific charact

53、er-istics of the sample were responsible for the results obtained,and to gain a better understanding of motivations such as time savings and recreation in the offline context, another survey of a matched sample of grocery customers within the bricks-and-mortar setting was undertaken.This survey was

54、mailed to approximately350grocery custom-ers.Respondents were randomly chosen from a mailing list representing the zip codes from which the original online respondents were drawn.One hundred and three completed questionnaires were returned from this mailing,resulting in a29%response rate.In order to

55、 ensure that the respond-ents were comparable to the online sample,the respond-ents were matched in terms of age,education,and income. Chi-square tests indicated no significant differences among age,income,and education distributions between the off-line and online samples at the5%significance level

56、.Table 2outlines the online and offline respondent demographics by gender,age,education,income,and household size,as well as the propensity to shop online within the online sample.In order to test for nonresponse bias,the early and late responses were contrasted in terms of demographic varia-bles an

57、d responses to the key variables of interest.None of the differences in terms of demographic variables and responses to key variables of interest emerged significant. Therefore,the responses were pooled.Table2Respondent demographics online and offline shoppersPercentage of sample Demographic profile

58、Online shoppers Offline shoppers GenderFemale7275Male2825AgeLess than30years old2719Between30and49years635950years and over1021EducationLess than high school graduate03High school graduate or equivalent25Some college,no degree716College graduate3341 Postgraduate5835IncomeLess than US$15,00034US$15,0

59、0029,99959US$30,00049,9991315US$50,00074,9991914US$75,00099,9991510US$100,000+3536Do not know1012 Household size(including all adults and children1person19312persons37343persons201945persons21166or more persons20 Propensity to shop for groceries onlineHigh propensity a31Moderate propensity b34Low Propensity c35