Web-Based Shopping Versus Other Shopping Modes: When Given A Choice What Do Consumers Prefer

Abstract

Consumers in the United States can purchase products using many different shopping modes, from traditional land-based stores to shopping at sites on the Internet's World Wide Web. Given this array of choices, retailers need to know what modes consumers prefer so they can develop appropriate strategies to keep existing customers and attract new ones. This study investigates the shopping preferences of a sample of consumers who are both computer literate and technology adopters. The results counter expectations and indicate that the path to widespread consumer adoption of Internet shopping may be somewhat bumpier than anticipated.