Online Shopping Experience: A Conceptualization and Preliminary Results

Abstract

In this chapter, a model of online shopping experience is proposed to unify previous works of online consumer experience. Online shopping experience (OSE) is the interaction between shoppers and commercial web sites. It consists of physical, cognitive, and affective activities, and in-progress responses. Factors influencing shopping experience include individual characteristics of shoppers, characteristics of stores and commercial web sites, characteristics of products and shopping task, and other contextual factors. The outcomes of shopping experience have been studied in many ways. Based on this model, series of research questions can be asked to examine relationships between components of shopping experience and influencing factors, and between shopping experience and shopping outcomes. Preliminary results of a study are reported to illustrate the usefulness of the concept of online shopping experience.