Study on influence of co-shoppers on purchase intention of consumers during online shopping

Abstract

Consumer shopping habits keep on changing constantly. There are many factors which affect their purchase decision. At times, when people shop online along with family members or friends in their vicinity, their shopping tendencies change. Through our study, we have tried to find out how the presence of a co-shopper impacts the buying behavior of the consumer. We tried to find out how the physical distance of the co-shopper, the relationship with the co-shopper, the gender of the co-shopper and the frequency of online purchases made by the co-shopper impact the buyer’s online shopping behavior. We also looked at how these factors affect the buyer’s engagement in e-commerce sites. A survey-based experiment was conducted to assess these. Through our analysis, it was found that a shopper was more prone to making online purchases when he/she was shopping with a family member or a friend as compared to making purchases alone. He/she also engaged more in e-shopping when accompanied by people. Our report also suggests recommendations for managers to enhance such opportunities.