Online Shopping Purchase Patterns with Special Reference to Demographic and Informational Influence

While many Indian feel good to see, touch and go round the retail outlets for shopping but however, Internet has transformed many aspects of life. For some services like booking ticket and travel plans this has definitely become the most preferred source of purchase due to convenience. This paper is an attempt to bring out different aspects of this trend of online buying behavior which has picked up since almost 15 years, it highlight the factors influencing the online buying decision along with the negative factors which deter the consumer to go online purchase. Further, the study focuses on how the demographic factors influence the online buying decision along with the informational sources that influence the choice of websites. From the study it was found that clothes, footwear and accessories are the most purchase online, while the factors that interests the online shopper was found to be discounts and the negative motivation was due to poor quality of product and fake product.


Introduction
E-commerce market in India is considered to be one of the fastest growing sectors with an unprecedented growth of 52 per cent over 2015.Technological progress in the sphere of information and communication is encouraging the use and development of new shopping methods, leading to a rapid growth in non-store shopping as the individual can buy products/services without having to travel to retail outlets (Sharma and Sheth 2004;Thompson 1997).India is the second-largest internet market globally in terms of users and is adding three internet users every second.This growth in non-store shopping and new trends in technologyhave facilitated the introduction of electronic marketing and promise to provide new ways of impacting and serving consumers in the future (Balasubramanian et al., 2002;Reynolds, 2000;Sivanad et al., 2004).According to Mr. D.S. Rawat Secretary General ASSOCHAM, in 2016 India's e-commerce market is expected to touch whopping $28 billion which was just @ 3.8 billion in 2009.The phenomenal increase is attributed to many reasons while the most important contributing factor is the increase in the use of smart phones.The customer is connected 24X7 through their smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices which are leading to a gradual evaluation of e-commerce into mobile commerce and there is an issue of convenience which also leads to impulsive buying.Practically all products/services can be purchased quickly, conveniently and without moving from home (Davison et al., 1982;Eroglu et al., 2003;Rosenberg and Hirschman, 1980).In one of its reports US bank analysed that the increase in internet penetration from 32% in 2015 to 59% in 2020,

Research Article
T.S. Rani and Nishchala Sripathi (2017) Int.J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 4, Full text of this paper can be downloaded online at www.ijssm.org/&http://nepjol.info/index.php/IJSSM/issue/archivewhich is almost to a near-double of the internet user base.Morgon Stanley Research report indicates that India's ecommerce market will increase from $102 billion in 2015 to $119 billion by 2020.The research further attributes this increase in e-commerce market growth to per capital income which is likely to double by 2015.et al. (2016) observed that the prevalence of online shopping has raised the interest of the retailers to focus on this area.In this study 662 students of University Malaysia Perlis were considered for the research work.The study found out the relationship between subjective norm, perceived usefulness and online shopping behavior while mediated by purchase intention.The study concluded that subjective norm and perceived usefulness significant positively influence online purchase intention but subjective norm insignificant influence shopping behavior in a negative way.Further, the study also derived that perceived usefulness also insignificantly influence online shopping behavior.Finding also revealed that purchase intention significant positively influence online shopping behavior.Khanh and Gim (2014) conducted a research work with the main objective to study the factors affecting on online shopping behavior of consumers that might be one of the most important issues of e-commerce and marketing field.Conceptual model for online shopping behavior was used as a basis to collect data from 238 participants using a survey questionnaire in Vietnam country.The study highlighted that Perceived of economic benefits (PEB), Perceived of merchandise (PM), Perceived Ease of use (PE), Perceived risk with product/service transaction (PRPT), Perceived payment benefits (PPB) and Perceived risk in the context of online transaction (PRCT) affects consumer behavior in online shopping.Vijay and Balaji (2009) examined that world over an increase number of consumers are shifting from the crowded stores to the on-line shopping.However, in India in-spite of convenience offered not many are interested in going for on-line shopping.150 internet users where examined to understand why few opt for on-line while other don't.The research revealed that security and privacy concerns make the consumers stay away from online shopping and the rest opt for on-line shopping for the convenience and to save time.Bigne-Alcaniz et al. (2008) has presented an approximation to the M-shopper profile along with Secondly, some predictive variables of M-commerce.It was found that M-shopper in Spain were men (53.7%) and women (46.3%), aged between 14 and 24 (61.9%),middle class (47.9%) and mainly resident in provincial towns (64.1%).It was further analyzed that individuals have high levels of exposure to the new technologies such as Internet (40.2% everyday), a medium which was used for shopping (25.3%).Intangible, low cost products such as logos and ringtones were found to be the most popular.It was also found that men as well as women were predisposed to Mcommerce adoption.Further, it was proved that Young people are more predisposed to M-commerce adoption than other Internet users.It was found that Internet users were just not from the middle classes but every class used it almost in the same way.Experience as an Internet shopper has a positive influence on the M-commerce adoption.

Lim
Zendehdel and Paim (2013) conducted a study; based on the diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory investigates factors that influence adoption and usage of e-shopping, especially, in Malaysia.375 participants were part of survey and different factors were empirically tested against data.It was observed that Students evaluated online shopping based on perceptions as whether the purchase through online will bring additional advantages, and, at the same time, be compatible with their current life style.It was furthermore found that customers shop online to save time and effort.The results show that complexity it's not significant contribution to the prediction of attitude towards online shopping.Furthermore, the study found that if information security is not guaranteed, respondents were not interested using online shopping.
Using a structural modeling approach, the study examined the relationship between the information load of virtual shopping environments and the desire to approach the environment.The study examined if information load is a unidimensional or multidimensional construct.It was found that the two dimensions are interwoven, and one must not focus exclusively on any single dimension.When information load attract consumers or turn them away and what determines the desire to shop in virtual environments?218 respondents either accessed the experimental shopping sites through their own computers in familiar environments, or using computers provided by us in a computer lab.Shih (2004) developed an extended model to predict consumer acceptance of electronic-shopping (e-shopping) based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the technology acceptance model (TAM).212 respondents were analyzed using multiple regressions.It was found that individual attitudes toward e-shopping are strongly and positively correlated with user acceptance.The empirical results confirmed that perceived ease of use of trading online (PEOUT) and perceived usefulness (PU) significantly determine individual attitudes toward eshopping, as well as confirming the significant effect of perceived ease of use of the Web on PEOUT, which in turn affects PU.However, PU was not found to affect user acceptance significantly.Additionally, user satisfaction T.S. Rani and Nishchala Sripathi (2017) Int.J. Soc.Sc.Manage.Vol. 4, Full text of this paper can be downloaded online at www.ijssm.org/&http://nepjol.info/index.php/IJSSM/issue/archivewith the Internet/WWW and perceptions of information, system and service were shown to affect user acceptance significantly.Forsythe and Shi (2003) 641examined the relationship between consumer demographics (gender, age, income, and online experience), types of risk perceived by Internet users (shoppers and browsers) and selected online patronage behaviors (total amount spent, frequency of searching with intent to buy, and frequency of purchasing online).3. To study the demographic factors those influence the purchase of products during online shopping.4. To study the informational factors those influence the preferences of websites while online shopping.

5.
To understand the factors influencing online purchases.

Hypothesis
 There is no influence of demographic factors on the purchase decision  There is no influence of informational factors on the choice of the websites

Methodology
The data was collected through interview schedule.These interview schedules were distributed to 120 respondents out of which 102 were in collected back, but few of them were not in a usable form.Hence, only 102 respondents' opinions were considered for analysis.Due care was taken to look into the way the questions are filled with serious but not for the routine.This is an empirical study based on both, primary and secondary data.The methodology includes sample design, analysis of data and the same are detailed below.

Sample Design
The present study is a sample study based on empirical data.The study is carried out by applying a survey method.Data for the study was collected from individuals who used internet and have a fair knowledge about online shopping.The primary data was collected from 120, out of these only 102 were considered for the purpose of analysis as these were complete and usable in all respects.

Analysis of Data
Tools such as percentages, averages, Chi-square test are used for analysis of the data.

Product Category
Clothes, footwear and accessories, sports and fitness equipment, home appliance, electrical and electronic goods, beauty and health care products are the products chosen to find the most frequently purchased products online.
From Table 1 it is understood that more than half i.e. 56.9 percent respondents prefer online shopping for clothes, footwear and accessories category of products.However, it is also evident that the second most (23.5 percent) purchased product category is electrical and electronic goods.Further, it is also found that 9.8 percent prefer online shopping for all product categories.

Negative Factors
Many times customers' trust issues overpower their desire to shop at eCommerce stores and they might be several reasons why any customer is shunting away from any online shopping.The below highlights the same to understand the online shopper could might some answers.
From the data analysis of Table 2 it is found that more than half 54.9 percent of the online shopper are really worried about fake products and poor quality products.It is also evident that shipping charges (22.5 percent) are also making the online shopper to avoid shopping.Surprising not many (8.8 percent) are really worried about misuse of personal information which is really a good sign of change in the mindset of the customers.

Gender and Online Purchase Preference
An attempt was made to find the influence of gender on the online purchases and this purpose.Clothes, footwear and accessories, sports and fitness equipment, home appliance, electrical and electronic goods, beauty and health care products were chosen.From the Table 3 it is analyzed that there is not much difference in the preference between male (49) and female (53).However chi-square is used to find if there is a significant relationship between the two variables or there is no relationship between gender and online buying decision.The same is presented in Table 4.
In the chi-square test, for a 95 percent confidence level, if the 'p' value is greater than or equal to .05, it signifies that there is association between the two variables and the if 'p' value is less than .05,then it signifies that there is no significant relationship between the two variables.From the table 3.2 the 'p' value indicates that there is no a significant relationship between gender and online buying decision as .017 is less than .05thus highlighting that in shopping online gender has no influence.

Age and Online Buying Decision
An attempt was made to find the influence of age on the online purchases and for this purpose .Clothes, footwear and accessories, sports and fitness equipment, home appliance, electrical and electronic goods, beauty and health care products were chosen.
From the Table 5 it is analyzed that there is much difference in the online buying decision between different age groups where the age group between 15-25 years are found to be major shopper rather than the rest of the age groups.Hence, chi-square test was used to find if there is a significant relationship between the two variables or there is no relationship between age and online buying decision.
The same is presented in Table 6.
Even though the data analyses of Table 6 indicates that there is a difference in the online buying decision the table 4.2 reveals that 'p' value is .000which is less than .05and hence highlighting that age has no influence on online buying decision.The analysis of the above data reveals that social media sites (68 customers or 66.7 percent) like facebook and twitter are the most popularly preferred as informational sources for visiting the online websites.In order to scientifically test whether there is influence of informational source on the choice of website chi-square is used and results of the same are presented Table 8.From the above table it is evident that 'p' value is .818which is more than .05,Hence, it is found that informational sources influence the choice of website and this is in support with the data analyzed in Table 7 where it is evident that 66.7 percent of the choice of websites are influenced by informational sources (Social Media Sites like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn).

Factors Influencing Online Purchase
Ages together consumers have been used to go around and shop and now from a decade or so a new shopping trend has been picking up and there should be some great reason why these retail shopper should shift to the new shopping trend and that is online shopping.As it is a known fact that man is rational there should be a strong reason for the consumer to movie from offline to online shopping.Table 9 presents the reasons for the reason of shift or reason for preference of online to offline.From the above table it is analyzed that great discounts (47.1 percent) are the major reason for online shopping.It was also found that convenience (18.6 percent) is one next big thing which is saving their time and energy while shopping online.

Conclusion
This paper presents the influence of few demographic variables (gender and age) and informational sources on the online buying decision and the choice of websites.While clothes, footwear and accessories are the most shopped online it was found that the negative factors that influence the online buying was poor quality products along with fake products.The quality of the product or the originality of the product can be very easily checked in offline sales.Further, the paper presents that gender and age has no influence on the online buying decision, whereas the research highlight that informational sources like social media websites influence the choice of websites.
There is no doubt that this new sales channel will be lurking the customers to a great extent by different and new techniques each time and right now the papers brings that great discounts and convenience of time and energy are the main reasons to buy online.

1.
To identify the products or services preferred online.2. To analyze the factors influencing negatively on online shopping.

Table 1 :
Product Category

Table 2 :
Negative Factors

Table 3 :
Gender and online Buying Decision

Table 4 :
Chi-square Gender and Online Buying Decision Chi-Square Tests

Table 5 :
Age and Online Buying Decision

Table 6 :
Age and Online Buying Decision

Table 7 :
Information and Choice of Websites

Table 8 :
Chi-square Test Information and Choice of Website

Table 9 :
Factors Influencing Online Buying Decision