THE ROLE OF PRE-PURCHASE BROWSING BEHAVIOR IN PURCHASE AND POST-PURCHASE DECISION MAKINGS

Abstract

Despite the significant success of E-commerce, many companies are still confronting problems such as low purchase rates and high product return rates. In this thesis, we conduct two empirical studies to address these two issues respectively. In Study 1, we propose a new typology of consumer browsing patterns based on two theoretical dimensions: shopping goal concreteness and visit path. By using sequence analysis and cluster technique, we identify eight browsing patterns from a large-scale clickstream dataset. Furthermore, we investigate how the evolvement of browsing patterns across store visits affects consumers’ subsequent purchase decisions. In Study 2, we investigate a paradoxical relationship between consumers’ pre-purchase page viewing and post-purchase product return decisions. We find a U-shaped relationship between pre-purchase page viewing and product returns for search products, and a positive relationship for experience products. Moreover, the use of IT systems (e.g., product- vs. consumer-oriented IT systems) will moderate these relationships.