Abstract:
Purpose: Keeping in view the drastic shift in purchasing behavior of consumers, moving from conventional stores to online mediums it is becoming highly integral to study the factors that influence online purchasing behavior. Another question that ponders the mind of marketers is that do same factors influence both traditional and online purchasing? Thus, this study aims to seek the aspects that influence online shopping among university students in Pakistan.
Methodology/sample: The researcher opted for a quantitative research where a self- administered questionnaire was used to collect the data from 400 respondents that belonged to various universities of Karachi, Pakistan. The data gathered from the questionnaires was analyzed using SPSS frequencies, descriptive analysis and correlation.
Findings: Pearson correlation was used to test the relation between the dependent and independent variables. A positive correlation was found between the three independent variables (socio-demographic background, purchase perception and the quality of the website) and the dependent variable (attitude towards online shopping behavior among students of Karachi, Pakistan).
Practical implications: There are three areas from which the significance of the study can be viewed. Marketer perspective - Marketers can use the findings from this research to devise strategies that will boost the online sales for merchants and can result in a growth of the respective industry. This implies that marketers will work more on improving the quality of the website if it is found to be an influencer of online purchasing. Warranty and privacy issues hinder online sales; therefore, marketers can also work on these niche yet effective findings from this research. Consumer perspective - This study will educate the consumers about online shopping mediums along with highlighting the benefits of online shopping (saving money, time & energy). Further, consumers will also know that there are alternate methods of shopping apart from traditional shopping malls and stores. Online shopping is not only convenient but also gives you unlimited options to choose from along with a price comparison. Instant feedback from other consumers is also available online which can assist the buying to take a wise purchase decision. General perspective - There have been only few research contributions to online shopping in Pakistan; this study will contribute to the industry and will be a reference for future researches.
