Discernment of Youth towards E-Retailing in Asian and Gulf Marketing Territories

Introduction

Internet has created an opportunities for businesses especially retailers to stay connected with customers in the era of globalization. The customers can make purchases in a faster and convenient manner with the use of internet. The Internet is becoming an increasingly important channel for conducting business and attracting clients. The Internet enables businesses to reach new markets and new consumers. However, merely ‘reaching’ new consumers is not enough; it is also necessary to retain them and earn their loyalty (Eduard & Frederic, 2007).

E-Retailing is becoming very prominent and is being accepted by every age group across the world over the last few decades. Customers are embracing the shift from physical store to virtual store for purchase of products. The exponential increases in online shopping and the unprecedented rate of growth in the number of retailers selling online have created an extremely competitive marketplace where most e-retailers have yet to turn a profit (David M. & Richard T 2000).

The trend of e-commerce has been increased rapidly in the recent years with the development of internet and due to the easy accessibility of internet usage. Easy access to internet has driven consumers to shop online in fact according to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) communication policy (2001), online shopping is third most popular activity on the internet after email using and web browsing.

E- Commerce has been grown very fast because of many advantages associated with buying on internet because of lower transaction and search cost as compared to other types of shopping. Through online shopping consumers can buy faster, more alternatives and can order product and services with comparative lowest price. (Cuneyt & Gautam 2004).

As e-commerce is growing rapidly, marketers and retailers are prudently analyzing the consumers’ attitude and behavior towards the online shopping and are spending millions of dollars to assist all the demographics of online shoppers. Internet shopping accounts for less than 1% of all purchases in South-East Asia—a region twice as populous as America, where the proportion is nearly 10%. But surging smartphone use and a broadening middle class mean the market is set to multiply; perhaps fivefold by 2018, reckons Frost & Sullivan, a consulting firm.

The growth of internet has brought a rapid changes in the buying behavior of consumers. E-retailing has become an emerging preference of all consumers. Retailing with youth is also becoming exciting and challenging for marketers in the 21^st Century. The younger generation of today have become more associated with technology. Their inclination towards technology have engaged them in online shopping. There are major changes in their buying behavior too. They are moving towards easy mode of buying through e retailing rather than physical retailing.

This research paper will focus on youth of different social, national cultural backgrounds and their perception and attitude towards e-retailing .This also attempts to find out the important factors that make them loyal towards a particular marketer, without personal interaction. This research study is focused on three countries i.e. India, Malaysia and Oman. The study adds value to the literature review of youth perception and attitude towards e-retailing and also e-satisfaction and e-trust.

The objectives of conducting this research are:

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  To study the e-factors influencing perception and attitude of youth towards e-retailing;

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  To understand the relationship between the e-factors and e-satisfaction of youth towards e-retailing;

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  To understand the relationship between the e-factors and e-trust of youth towards e-retailing;

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  To study the relationship between e-satisfaction, e-trust and e-loyalty of youth towards e-retailing.