Comparing Consumer Purchase Behavior on the Internet and in Brick-and-Mortar Stores: An Overview of Recent Research

Abstract

A research area that has gained interest of marketing researchers in recent years is the comparison of consumer behavior on the Internet and traditional brick-and-mortar stores. We offer an overview of the recent developments in this research area and summarize the key findings along two dimensions: 1) factors that may cause behavioral differences in the two types of shopping environments; and 2) patterns of behavioral differences identified in the literature. We also outline our own recent work as an example to illustrate how this stream of research can help improve marketing strategies and tactics on the Internet. Directions for future research are discussed in the last section.