Ideal types of online shoppers : a qualitative analysis of online shopping behavior

Abstract

Due to the growing popularity of online shopping, there is a growing demand for understanding the motives and behaviour of online shoppers. This study aims to increase this understanding by examining online shopping behaviour from the perspective of UTAUT2 theory integrated with self-efficacy and risk avoidance components. The thematically analysed data from 31 participants highlights the unique aspects of online shoppers by grouping them into ideal types, presenting the data as extensively as possible. An ideal type is an analytical construct used to ascertain similarities and deviations to concrete cases in an individual phenomenon. This study discovered five ideal types of online shoppers: Conservative Shoppers, Rational Shoppers, Hedonistic Shoppers, Spontaneous Shoppers and Vanguard Shoppers. The main theoretical contribution of this study are the formed ideal shopper types enriched with practical implications for online shop providers on how to best meet the needs of each ideal type. The purpose of the ideal types is not to categorize online shoppers under one category but rather help to understand regularities of different types of online shopping behaviour. This understanding is beneficial for online shop providers as well as for academics interested in studying online shopping behaviour from the information systems point of view.