International Business Management

Year: 2016
Volume: 10
Issue: 6
Page No. 1072 - 1078

A Comparison of Consumer Behavior Towards Luxury Goods: Online vs. In-Store

Authors : Pejman Khashayari and Mansoor Aminilari

Abstract: The objective of this study is to compare how online and in-store shoppers behave towards luxury goods. The study is a descriptive survey with applied goals. The statistical population includes in-store and online customers of luxury watches in the city of Isfahan. Due to its complicated nature, the population was assumed to be infinite. A questionnaire was used as the data collection instrument. Patrons at several luxury watch stores in the city were asked to participate in the study. Furthermore, a number of online stores carrying luxury watches were contacted to help with the study. In compliance with privacy policies, copies of the questionnaire were sent to online customers by store administrators, as the researchers were not granted access to customer emails. The samples were inherently mixedin terms of online or in-store shopping experience. Therefore, the first item of the questionnaire asked participants to rate their tendency toward shopping luxury goods online. Sample size was determined using the designated formula yielding 368. Accordingly, a total of 370 questionnaires were collected from online and offline sources. Analysis of the data revealed that 122 individuals intended to buy luxury goods online or had previous experience doing so. This group was labeled as “online shoppers” (average rating above 3) and the remaining participants were classified as “in-store shoppers” (average rating below 3). Our findings show that onlineshoppers of luxury watches highly value convenience and access. Moreover, online stores enable them to compare prices and find the best deals. They claim to be price-conscious. However, they are more trusting and take more risks, as opposed to in-store customers who regard personalized service and personal interactions as important.

How to cite this article:

Pejman Khashayari and Mansoor Aminilari, 2016. A Comparison of Consumer Behavior Towards Luxury Goods: Online vs. In-Store. International Business Management, 10: 1072-1078.

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