E-shopping and its interactions with in-store shopping

Abstract

Nowadays, the Internet permeates society: for many people, life without the Internet is hard to imagine. E-shopping (searching and/or buying products online) has rapidly gained popularity in the past few years, and could affect consumers’ visits to stores. The goal of this research is to show which consumers shop online and how this relates to their store visits.

The findings show that people who frequently shop online do not visit stores less often. On the contrary; store visits seem to be stimulated by e-shopping. Additionally, e-shopping seems to be encouraged by visiting stores. For the present, it looks as if retailers need not worry about the closure of their stores through an increase in e-shopping. In the long term, however, this is not beyond the realms of possibility.

Sociodemographics, Internet behaviour, and shopping attitudes are all associated with the adoption of e-shopping. Where you live and how many stores are close by are factors that also affect online shopping.

E-shopping is unlikely to function as a means of reducing travel, although the results also show that e-shopping might substitute for shopping trips. Overall, more rather than less travel is likely to occur. More travel leads to more pollution, so policy makers have to be aware of the potential environmental effects of e-shopping.