Typology of online shoppers

Abstract

This article aims to examine the online buying behavior among a group of Internet users. Based on a sample of over 3,700 Internet users, this study explores their information-seeking patterns as well as their motivations and concerns for online shopping. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were used to classify the respondents into six types of online shoppers. Coupled with their demographic information and actual buying behavior, it was possible to constitute a distinct profile for each of the segments. Discriminant analysis was also conducted to seek out the important attitudinal variables that differentiated the various clusters of online shoppers. The implications of such classification are also discussed.