Effect of attitude and culture on online grocery shopping

Abstract

Similar to other purchases made online, convenience, delivery time, discounts etc are important considerations for consumers purchasing grocery online. However, consumers have apprehensions about the quality of the food material and the perceived risk (in terms of health) is higher in grocery purchase. Moreover the ritual of going to a store, checking the quality by actual touch & feel and bargaining are an integral part of Indian culture. Online purchase while providing ease of use and convenience lacks these psychological benefits and satisfaction. However, India dots a significant population (especially in metros and tier-I cities) of working professionals, who have high spending capacity, are technologically savvy and lead busy work schedules. Such people prefer doing most of their purchases online as it saves time and effort. This upcoming market might be very different from the traditional Indian consumers in terms of their expectations from and preferences for grocery shopping. Thus, the study plans to look into the difference between this new market and the traditional grocery shoppers. The aim of the study is to give recommendations to online grocery stores to modify the communication to better suit the culture and attitude of their potential consumers.