Typology of online shoppers in India: An empirical study in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

This research paper aims to examine the online buying behavior among a group of online users. The present study develops a typology based upon motivations for online shopping. We have used exploratory factor analysis to examine the factor structure and psychometric properties of the items. We have identified five types of online shoppers those are labeled as fear shoppers, convenience shoppers, novice seekers, trusted buyers and traditional shoppers. The fear shoppers worried about their security and privacy concern.  The convenience shoppers are more motivated by convenience. The novice seekers are substantially more motivated by information seeking across retail alternatives. Trusted buyers are moderately motivated by quality and variety seeking. The traditional shoppers are more motivated by physical store orientation. Confirmatory factor analyses successfully validated the items used to measure five type buyer of online shopping. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS version 16 was used for model testing and to verify the five types of online shoppers.  Shoppers’ types were profiled in terms of background variables and the propensity to shop online. The managerial implications of the research outcome are also discussed for the typology of online buyers.

Keywords: Online shopping, shopping motivations, structural equation modeling