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Online Shopping Motives - an Empirical Investigation of
Consumer Buying Behavior in Germany’s Main Online
Retail Segments
Silvia Zaharia1
1University of Applied Sciences Niederrhein, Krefeld, Germany
silvia.zaharia@hs-niederrhein.de
Abstract. In the perpetual battle for increased revenues, online retailers need to
understand what actions to take in order to turn non-buyers into buyers. This
study researches the online shopping motives of German online shoppers and
their online buying behavior in the main online retail segments: marketplaces,
generalists, fashion, consumer electronics, beauty and toys. 19 German online
retailers (representing approx. 70 percent of German online sales) were analyzed.
The research is based on extensive qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative
research. The shopping motives construct was conceptualized and operational-
ized as a multidimensional construct with nine motivational categories. The data
from the quantitative survey were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory
factor analysis, and nine shopping motives within 16 total dimensions were es-
tablished: recreational orientation (social & inspirational shopping), convenience
orientation (search & possession convenience), striving for independence, risk
aversion (privacy, product, delivery & retailer-related), price orientation (= smart
shopping), assortment orientation (variety seeking & specialization), advice ori-
entation (company owned & third party), sustainability orientation (= ecological)
and quality orientation (= visual appeal).
The differences between the online shopping motives of buyers and non-buy-
ers in each of the six online retailing segments were investigated as pair compar-
isons using the Mann-Whitney-U test. The result is that there are significant dif-
ferences in the online shopping motives in all researched industries. Most differ-
ences exist in the beauty industry where 14 of the 16 dimensions of shopping
motives differ significantly. The fewest differences are in the marketplaces seg-
ment. Only five of the 16 dimensions of shopping motives differ significantly
here.
Keywords: Online shopping motives, recreational orientation (social & inspira-
tional shopping), convenience orientation (search & possession convenience),
striving for independence, risk aversion (privacy, product, delivery & retailer
related), price orientation (smart shopping), assortment orientation (variety
seeking & specialization), advice orientation (company owned & third party),
sustainability orientation (ecologically), quality orientation (visual appeal).
334
1 General Overview and Purpose
In 2018, German online sales reached 65.10 billion euros representing 12.5 percent of
total retail sales (bevh 2019). In some verticals, such as consumer electronics (31 per-
cent) and fashion & lifestyle (16 percent), the online share of sales was significantly
higher than the average (Statista 2018). The 10 highest-revenue online shops in Ger-
many are the U.S. marketplaces Amazon and eBay, followed by generalists like Otto
and vertical players from the fashion sector and the consumer electronics sector (EHI
2018).
The objective of this paper is to analyze the consumer behavior in German online
retailing, with particular reference to shopping motives. The shopping motives con-
struct originates from brick-and-mortar retail and was transferred to online and multi-
channel retailing. The present research aims to conceptualize and operationalize the
construct of shopping motives in a pure online commerce context.
The key questions addressed are the following:
• What are the shopping motives of German consumers who shop online?
• How can the online shopping motives construct be conceptualized and operational-
ized?
• Are there differences in the online shopping motives between buyers and non-buyers
in the main online retail segments: marketplaces, generalists, fashion, consumer
electronics, beauty and toys? And if so, what are they?
In order to answer these questions, this study researched 19 German online retailers.
The present study is significant because to the author’s knowledge, no research has
been conducted to date on whether there are differences in the online shopping motives
between buyers and non-buyers in a defined retail segment. In the perpetual battle for
increased revenues, online retailers need to understand what actions to take in order to
turn non-buyers into buyers.
2 Conceptual Framework
2.1 Shopping Motives in the Literature
One of the main determinants of the buying choices of a consumer (decision to buy or
not to buy from a retailer, to buy online or offline, or to combine channels as part of a
buying process) are the motives that trigger consumer behavior, the so-called shopping
motives (Zaharia 2006; Schröder/Zaharia 2008). The online shopping motives con-
struct originates from brick-and-mortar retail and was transferred to online shopping
and multi-channel retailing. Shopping motives are defined as "fundamental, goal-ori-
ented internal forces that can be satisfied by purchasing activities." (Kroeber-Riel &
Gröppel-Klein 2013, p. 206). Therefore, the hypothesis of the study is: “Consumers
who buy products online in a retail segment differ from non-buyers with respect to their
shopping motives.”
335
The question is which shopping motives are important in online shopping. Table 1
gives an overview of recent studies that deal with the construct of motives in the online
and multi-channel context with the associated concept and research design. Many stud-
ies distinguish between utilitarian (functional shopping motives) and hedonic online
motivation. Hedonic shopping motives refer to aspects of shopping that go beyond the
mere supply of goods and emphasize the fun and joy they bring (Hirschman &
Holbrook 1982).
Table 1. Overview of recent studies on shopping motives
Author
Focus & Research Design
Motives
Martínez-
López et al.
2014 &
2016.
- Focus: online consumption
- qualitative study: focus
groups & personal interviews
- quantitative study: online sur-
vey at universities in Barce-
lona / Spain; n=669
Hedonic
• Visual appeal
• Sensation seeking/entertainment
• Escape
• Intrinsic enjoyment/relaxation
• Hang out
• Socialize
• Self-expression
• Role shopping
• Enduring involvement with a prod-
uct/service
Utilitarian
• Assortment
• Economy
• Convenience
• Availability of information
• Adaptability/customization
• Desire for control
• Payment services
• Anonymity
• Absence of social interaction
Ono et al.
2012
- Focus: online shopping (mo-
bile)
- quantitative study: online sur-
vey with students in Tokyo /
Japan; n= 1,406
Hedonic
• Adventure
• Social
• Gratification
• Idea
• Role
• Value
336
Author
Focus & Research Design
Motives
Ganesh et
al. 2010
- Focus: online shopping
- qualitative study: in-depth in-
terviews
- quantitative study: online sur-
vey (web panel) USA; n=3,059
• Role enactment
• Online bidding
• Web shopping convenience
• Avant-gardism
• Affiliation
• Stimulation
• Personalized services
Falode et
al. 2016
- Focus: online and offline shop-
ping (mobile)
- quantitative study: survey,
shoppers from Ibadan, Nige-
ria; n=400
Hedonic
• Shopping enjoyment
• Gratification shopping
• Idea shopping
• Shopping for aesthetic ambiance
• Role shopping
• Social shopping
Utilitarian
• Convenient shopping
• Economic shopping
• Achievement shopping
Zaharia
2006
- Focus: multi-channel shopping
- qualitative data: focus groups
& personal interviews
- quantitative study: tel. survey,
consumers of a multi-channel-
retailer; Germany; n=525
• Recreational orientation
• Convenience orientation
• Striving for independence
• Risk aversion (dimensions: pri-
vacy, product- & delivery- related)
• Price orientation
• Smart shopping
• Advice orientation
• Quality orientation
2.2 Online Shopping Motives
After extensive literature research, the question arose whether the conceptualization
and operationalization of the shopping motives construct from international studies
could be transferred to the German online retailing market. To check this, a qualitative
study was done as a first step. Based on the results of the focus groups and the theoret-
ical considerations, the construct online shopping motives was conceptualized and op-
erationalized as a multidimensional construct with 9 motivational categories. The group
discussions resulted in a new motive that did not appear in any of the previous studies:
sustainability, with the two characteristics ecological and corporate. This may be espe-
cially true for Germany, where environmental awareness is particularly pronounced.
337
1. The shopping motive recreational orientation represents the hedonistic aspect of
shopping (Schröder & Zaharia 2008). This includes emotional and social needs for an
interesting, inspiring and fun shopping experience as well as social interaction with
friends and acquaintances (Zaharia 2006, Ono et al., 2012). Based on the preliminary
studies, the following three-dimensional recreational orientation motive was adopted:
social shopping, gratification shopping and idea shopping.
2. One of the most important shopping motives in online retailing is the convenience
orientation. Convenience orientation can be characterized by a desire to minimize the
time, physical and psychological effort to search, compare and purchase a product
(Kaufman-Scarborough & Lindquist 2002, Jiang, Yang, Jun 2013). We subsume un-
der this shopping motive the search convenience, comparison convenience, transac-
tion convenience and possession convenience.
3. The shopping motive striving for independence expresses the need of customers to be
able to shop freely and independently, especially with regard to time and place
(Schröder & Zaharia 2008). One particular aspect of location independence is related
to the device used to access the retailer´s online shop or app. Depending on where the
customers are located, they want to have control over their purchasing process
through researching and purchasing from an online retailer regardless of the device
they use (smartphone, tablet or laptop). This desire corresponds to the aspects "desire
for control" and "autonomy" by Martínes-López.
4. The motive risk aversion refers to perceived risk. This refers to the customer’s uncer-
tainty about the negative consequences of an online purchase and the significance of
these consequences. In online retailing, perceived risk is seen as one of the most im-
portant barriers to buying. Privacy-related risk was mentioned by the participants of
the focus groups as a sensitive aspect of risk aversion. Product-related risks can be
felt by the customer because she/he has to rely on the graphical representation and
product information provided by the retailer. Delivery-related risks arise when the
customer has no influence on the delivery time, the correctness and the quality of the
delivery (Schröder & Zaharia 2008, Iconaru 2012). The reputation of a shop also plays
an important role in the perceived risk of consumers. Therefore, the following five
risk dimensions will be considered by the study: payment-related risk, privacy-re-
lated risk, product-related risk, delivery-related risk and retailer-related risk.
5. Price orientation refers to a pronounced price interest of the consumers. The motive
can be subdivided into the factors inexpensive buying and price optimization (=smart
shopping). Consumer with inexpensive buying behavior seek to spend as little money
as possible regardless of the product quality and the service (Zaharia 2006). In con-
trast, smart shopping is primarily about finding the best possible price-performance
ratio. Smart-shopping consumers tend to spend considerable time and effort to
achieve price savings (Atkins & Kim 2012). Above all, finding "bargains" triggers a
feeling of satisfaction. Therefore, we adopted in the study the following two-dimen-
sionality of the motive price orientation: in-expensive buying and smart shopping.
6. The shopping motive advice orientation refers to the consumers´ need to seek advice
before making a purchase (Zaharia 2006). In online retailing, consumers use different
types of advice in order to make safe purchase decisions, such as online merchant´s
338
services and third-party advice (e.g. reviews from other consumers, forums or com-
parison websites, Hönle 2017). As a result, we propose two dimensions for the oper-
ationalization: Company owned advice covers all consulting services offered by the
retailer. And by these we mean in particular the need for personal consulting services
when choosing the product with the possibility of interacting with a service agent.
The dimension third party advice includes the use of consulting services offered by
third parties. Above all, user-generated content directly on the website of the provider,
such as product reviews and experience reports are important in this dimension (Bah-
tar & Muda 2016).
7. Martínes-López et al. 2014 consider assortment orientation an important motivational
factor in online shopping. A large assortment gives customers access to a wider range
of information but also to more diversified products. The aspect of variety seeking
corresponds to consumers´ desire for change when purchasing, and it can refer to
products, brands or the choice of the online shop (Swaminathan and Rohm 2004,
Zaharia ; Hackstetter 2017). This contrasts with the behavior of some consumers who
buy special products that are available (almost) exclusively online or in specialized
online shops. For this reason, we assume a two-dimensional assortment orientation
motive, namely variety seeking and specialization.
8. Another dimension of the shopping motives identified by the focus groups is the as-
pect of sustainability. When consumers pay attention to sustainability, one of their
goals is to protect the natural environment and the living conditions of present and
future generations (Joshi & Rahman 2015). Based on the findings of the focus group,
a conceptualization with two dimensions is proposed: ecological and corporate. The
ecological dimension describes the need to deal with the ecological consequences of
the purchase. In the online context of the study, this mainly concerns the pollution
from delivery (including returns) as well as the problem of packaging waste. The
corporate dimension incorporates all concerns that have a direct relation to the com-
pany. This includes working conditions, the use of corporate profits, compliance with
laws and market power.
9. Quality orientation refers to the importance of a product’s quality or performance. In
addition to product quality, the quality of the online shop's presentation also plays an
important role for the focus group participants. What is meant here is that customers
draw conclusions about the product quality on the basis of the shop’s perceived ap-
pearance, including product photos or presentation of information. This is associated
with the hedonic aspect of an online shop’s visual appeal as outlined by Martínes-
López et al. 2014. Based on these findings, we propose a two-dimensional conceptu-
alization: product quality and visual appeal.
339
3 Research Design and Results
3.1 Research Design
As a preliminary investigation, 26 online shoppers took part in four focus groups (No-
vember 2017). The participants were between 19 and 72 years old and in equal propor-
tions female and male. The aim was to discover which shopping motives could be rel-
evant to the online shopping behavior in Germany. On the basis of the pertinent litera-
ture and the results of the preliminary investigation, the shopping motives were con-
ceptualized and operationalized.
The quantitative data of the main research was obtained from a representative sample
of 1,000 German online buyers, of which 993 could be used for evaluation. The online
survey took place in February 2018 using an online panel. The demographic character-
istics of the participants can be found in Appendix 1.
In order to investigate possible differences in the shopping motives between the dif-
ferent retail segments, 19 online shops were examined, which together represent ap-
proximative 70 percent of total German online sales in 2018 (see Table 2).
Table 2. Examined segments in online retailing with the corresponding online shops
Segments in Online
Retailing
Online Shops
Marketplace
amazon.de; ebay.de
Fashion
zalando.de; bonprix.de; hm.com; esprit.de
Generalists
otto.de; galeria-kaufhof.de; lidl.de; qvc.de; tchibo.de
Consumer Electronics
notebooksbilliger.de; mediamarkt.de; apple.com; saturn.de; me-
dion.de
Beauty
douglas.de
Toys
babymarkt.de; mytoys.de
3.2 Shopping Motives
In the quantitative phase, the study had three basic objectives:
1. To empirically evaluate a total of nine shopping motives and 23 proposed dimen-
sions gathered from the literature review and subsequently refined by the focus
groups.
2. To analyze the proposed multi-item scales considering the common scientific
quality criteria.
3. To assess the hypothesis by answering the central question: “Are there differences
in the online shopping motives between buyers and non-buyers in the six online
retailing segments: marketplaces, generalists, fashion, consumer electronics,
beauty and toys? And if so, what are they?”.
In order to address the first two objectives, we adhered to the following procedure
(Homburg & Dobratz 1991, p. 233):
340
─ First, we checked whether the limit values for the quality criteria item-to-total cor-
relation (ITC; ≥ 0.4) and Cronbach's alpha (α ≥ 0.7) were met.
─ Second, an exploratory factor analysis was carried out and we checked whether all
indicators loaded on one factor, with the factor loadings ≥ 0.7 and the indicator reli-
ability (IR) ≥ 0.5.
─ Third, we performed confirmatory factor analysis (AMOS) and checked whether the
factor loadings are significant and whether the following criteria exceeded the min-
imum values: factor reliability (FR) ≥ 0.6, average variance extracted (AVE) ≥ 0.5,
and whether the Fornell-Larcker criterion was met. Iterative attempts were made to
fulfill the quality criteria by eliminating individual indicators. If that was not possi-
ble, the respective dimension or motive was removed from the model.
─ Finally, the quality of the overall model was checked (AMOS).
The final result demonstrated that the nine shopping motives could be confirmed but
not the proposed dimensionality. Figure 1 gives an overview of the hypothetical and
empirical dimensionality of the shopping motives construct.
Fig. 1. Hypothetical and empirical dimensionality of the shopping motives construct
341
The two hypothesized dimensions of the recreational orientation, gratification and idea
shopping, were incorporated into a new dimension, which we called inspirational shop-
ping. Since only two dimensions of the convenience orientation exceeded the minimum
value of the quality criteria, namely search and possession convenience, we focused
only on these for further research. For the same reasons, we eliminated the dimension
payment-related risks from the model. Also, for shopping motives price, sustainability
and quality orientation, only one dimension for each was maintained. The dimensions
in-expensive buying, corporate sustainability and product quality were dropped. The
16 remaining dimensions fulfill all quality criteria (see table 3). The goodness-of-fit of
this overall model is acceptable to good: χ2/d.f.: 3.47; NFI: 0.859; CFI: 0.894; RMSEA:
0.05. (Note that AMOS does not report GFI, PGFI, AGFI and RMR when estimating
means and intercepts.)
Looking at the strength of the purchasing motives across all respondents, the follow-
ing ranking of the mean values results (5= maximum, 1= minimum):
1. search convenience (4.30),
2. variety seeking (4.08),
3. possession convenience (3.95),
4. smart shopping (3.62),
5. product-related risk (3.61),
6. third-party advice (3.46),
7. retailer-related risk (3.45),
8. data-related risk (3.4),
9. assortment specialization (3.25),
10. inspirational shopping (3.16),
11. visual appeal (3.05),
12. delivery-related risk (3.08)
13. independence (3.04),
14. sustainability - ecological (2.49),
15. social shopping (2.27)
16. company owned advice (2.11)
It is not surprising to see that shopping motives best met by online retail occupy the top
of the list. Similarly, the last three shopping motives – company owned advice, social
shopping and sustainability are those least able to be fulfilled by online shopping. Ra-
ther, these motives make up the strengths of brick-and-mortar retail.
Table 3. Factor structure of shopping motives (including quality criteria)
Shopping Motives
Shopping Motive Dimensions
Indica-
tor
Factor Loadings (≥ 0.7)
ITC
C. Alpha
FR
AVE
(IR ≥ 0.5)
(≥ 0.4)
(≥ 0.7)
(≥ 0.6)
(≥ 0.5)
Recreational Orientation
Social Shopping
SoS_1
0.914 (0.835)
0.670
0.802
0.803
0.671
SoS_2
0.914 (0.835)
0.670
Inspirational Shopping
GS_1
0.746 (0.557)
0.643
0.880
0.883
0.520
GS_2
0.708 (0.501)
0.599
IS_1
0.802 (0.644)
0.713
IS_2
0.786 (0.617)
0.690
IS_3
0.760 (0.577)
0.663
IS_4
0.762 (0.581)
0.665
IS_5
0.785 (0.617)
0.694
Convenience Orientation
Search Convenience
SC_1
0.718 (0.516)
0.570
0.842
0.847
0.527
SC_2
0.822 (0.676)
0.698
SC_4
0.771 (0.595)
0.627
SC_5
0.775 (0.600)
0.635
SC_6
0.840 (0.705)
0.720
Possession Convenience
PC_1
0.880 (0.775)
0.550
0.710
0.712
0.553
PC_2
0.880 (0.775)
0.550
Risk Aversion
Privacy-related
PvR_1
0.948 (0.899)
0.797
0.887
0.887
0.797
PvR_2
0.948 (0.899)
0.797
Product-related
PR_1
0.950 (0.903)
0.806
0.892
0.893
0.807
PR_2
0.950 (0.903)
0.806
Delivery-related
DR_1
0.847 (0.718)
0.638
0.779
0.778
0.545
DR_2
0.815 (0.665)
0.590
DR_3
0.835 (0.698)
0.619
Retailer-related
RR_1
0.872 (0.760)
0.520
0.684
0.693
0.533
RR_2
0.872 (0.760)
0.520
343
Shopping Motives
Shopping Motive Dimensions
Indica-
tor
Factor Loadings (≥ 0.7)
ITC
C. Alpha
FR
AVE
(IR ≥ 0.5)
(≥ 0.4)
(≥ 0.7)
(≥ 0.6)
(≥ 0.5)
Independence Orienta-
tion
Independence
I_1
0.921 (0.849)
0.853
0.919
0.919
0.741
I_2
0.897 (0.805)
0.813
I_4
0.886 (0.786)
0.797
Price Orientation
Smart-Shopping
SmS_1
0.784 (0.614)
0.598
0.804
0.804
0.508
SmS_2
0.826 (0.681)
0.663
SmS_3
0.811 (0.657)
0.642
SmS_4
0.759 (0.576)
0.579
Online Advice
Company Owned Advice
CO_A_2
0.809 (0.655)
0.568
0.771
0.787
0.564
CO_A_3
0.785 (0.616)
0.540
CO_A_4
0.894 (0.800)
0.718
Third Party Advice
TP_A_1
0.855 (0.731)
0.723
0.832
0.839
0.519
TP_A_2
0.667 (0.445)
0.521
TP_A_3
0.714 (0.509)
0.570
TP_A_4
0.867 (0.751)
0.745
TP_A_5
0.780 (0.609)
0.623
Assortment Orientation
Variety Seeking
A_3
0.913 (0.834)
0.669
0.801
0.824
0.707
A_4
0.913 (0.834)
0.669
Specialization
A_1
0.874 (0.764)
0.527
0.687
0.723
0.576
A_5
0.874 (0.764)
0.527
Sustainability Orienta-
tion
Ecological
S_E_3
0.880 (0.775)
0.550
0.709
0.720
0.567
S_E_4
0.880 (0.775)
0.550
Quality Orientation
Visual Appeal
Q_VA_1
0.774 (0.599)
0.532
0.763
0.779
0.547
Q_VA_2
0.881 (0.775)
0.682
Q_VA_3
0.826 (0.683)
0.587
Note: Factor loadings from explorative factor analysis. All indicators load only on one factor after the exploratory factor analysis.
All factor loadings (of the confirmative factor analysis) are significant at p < .01 level. All factors met the Fornell-Larcker criterion.
3.3 Comparison of the buying behavior in the researched online
retailing segments
To test the hypothesis, the buyers and non-buyers of a segment were compared using
the Mann-Whitney-U test. This test shows that there are significant differences in the
online shopping motives between buyers and non-buyers in the six online retailing seg-
ments: marketplaces (MP), generalists, fashion, consumer electronics (CE), beauty and
toys (see table 4). Therefore, the hypothesis H1 cannot be rejected.
Buyers and non-buyers of all six online retailing segments differ with respect to both
recreational motives (social shopping and inspirational shopping) and their price orien-
tation (smart shopping). Both motives are more pronounced with buyers. Only the shop-
ping motive privacy-related risk aversion does not differentiate between buyers and
non-buyers of any online retailing segment.
1. Recreational Orientation: Compared to non-buyers, buyers from all segments are
looking for more social and inspirational shopping. These shopping motives are the
strongest in the beauty and fashion industries.
2. Search convenience is the strongest online shopping motive. There are significant
differences with regard to this shopping motive in the generalists, consumer electronics
and beauty segments. With regard to possession convenience, there is a significant dif-
ference in all segments besides marketplaces. The possession convenience is most pro-
nounced in the beauty industry.
3. With the exception of the generalists, buyers and non-buyers of all industries dif-
fered on independence orientation.
4. Risk aversion: with regard to privacy-related risks, there are no significant differ-
ences between buyers and non-buyers in any industry. The issue of privacy seems to be
relatively important to all consumers (rank 8). Product-related risks only differ between
buyers and non-buyers in the case of generalists and in the beauty industry. Further-
more, for delivery-related risks there are only weakly significant differences for mar-
ketplaces and in the beauty industry. In terms of retailer-related risks, there are signif-
icant differences in all industries except marketplaces and toys. In general, risk aversion
is more pronounced among buyers than among non-buyers. This is probably also the
reason why customers bought from the large, well-known online retailers surveyed
here.
5. Buyers and non-buyers of all six online retailing segments demonstrate a highly
significant difference with respect to their price orientation (smart shopping).
6. Advice orientation: while third party advice ranks 6th among the shopping mo-
tives, the need for company owned advice is the least pronounced shopping motive
(ranked 16th). The need for company owned advice is most pronounced in the con-
sumer electronics and beauty industry, where it also distinguishes highly significantly
between buyers and non-buyers. With the exception of the fashion industry, the need
for third party advice is more pronounced among buyers than among non-buyers in all
segments.
Table 4. Comparison of buyer and not-buyer of online retailing segments with respect to their shopping motives (Mean) and the significance results of
the Mann-Whitney-U test
Shopping Moti-
ves
Shopping Motive
Dimensions
Mean
Market-
Places
Generalist
Fashion
Consumer
Electronics
Beauty
Toys
Recreational
Orientation
Social Sh.
2.27
***
***
***
***
***
**
Buyer (n)
2.30 (947)
2.43 (425)
2.42 (645)
2.48 (381)
2.90 (185)
2.55 (159)
Non-Buyer (n)
1.56 (39)
2.14 (561)
1.98 (341)
2.13 (605)
2.12 (801)
2.21 (827)
Inspirational Sh.
3.16
**
***
***
***
***
***
Buyer (n)
3.17 (928)
3.35 (417)
3.35 (627)
3.33 (375)
3.74 (182)
3.42 (153)
Non-Buyer (n)
2.70 (37)
3.01 (548)
2.80 (338)
3.05 (590)
3.02 (783)
3.11 (812)
Convenience
Orientation
Search Conv.
4.13
n.s.
**
n.s.
**
**
n.s.
Buyer (n)
4.30 (951)
4.36 (423)
4.31 (647)
4.36 (383)
4.39 (184)
4.30 (158)
Non-Buyer (n)
3.70 (38)
4.25 (566)
4.28 (342)
4.26 (606)
4.28 (805)
4.30 (831)
Possession Conv.
3.95
n.s.
***
**
***
***
*
Buyer (n)
3.96 (954)
4.05 (524)
3.99 (648)
4.08 (383)
4.18 (184)
4.09 (159)
Non-Buyer (n)
3.69 (39)
3.88 (568)
3.88 (345)
3.88 (610)
3.90 (809)
3.93 (834)
Independence
Orientation
Independence
3.04
**
n.s.
***
***
***
***
Buyer (n)
3.07 (933)
3.12 (415)
3.19 (635)
3.25(380)
3.51 (180)
3.44 (155)
Non-Buyer (n)
2.43 (37)
2.98 (555)
2.77 (335)
2.90 (590)
2.94 (790)
2.97 (815)
Price Orienta-
tion
Smart Shopping
3.62
***
***
**
***
***
***
Buyer (n)
3.65(942)
3.85 (422)
3.68 (643)
3.79 (378)
3.84 (184)
3.93 (158)
Non-Buyer (n)
2.99(37)
3.44 (557)
3.52 (336)
3.51 (601)
3.57 (795)
3.56 (821)
Assortment
Orientation
Variety Seeking
4.08
n.s.
**
**
*
***
n.s.
Buyer (n)
4.10 (946)
4.15 (421)
4.14 (643)
4.15 (382)
4.31 (183)
4.13 (159)
Non-Buyer (n)
3.64 (39)
4.03 (564)
3.96 (342)
4.04 (603)
4.03 (802)
4.07 (826)
Specialization
3.25
n.s.
***
***
***
***
*
Buyer (n)
3.26 (933)
3.45 (423)
3.37 (633)
3.41 (378)
3.68 (181)
3.41 (158)
Non-Buyer (n)
3.15 (38)
3.11 (548)
3.04 (338)
3.16 (593)
3.16 (790)
3.22 (813)
346
Shopping Moti-
ves
Shopping Motive
Dimensions
Mean
Market-
Places
Generalist
Fashion
Consumer
Electronics
Beauty
Toys
Risk Aversion
Privacy-related
3.41
n.s.
n.s.
n.s.
n.s.
n.s.
n.s.
Buyer (n)
3.40 (945)
3.43 (421)
3.39 (645)
3.43 (382)
3.47 (184)
3.38 (157)
Non-Buyer (n)
3.54 (40)
3.39 (564)
3.44 (340)
3.40 (603)
3.39 (801)
3.41 (828)
Product-related
3.61
n.s.
*
n.s.
n.s.
*
n.s.
Buyer (n)
3.60 (949)
3.68 (424)
3.63 (647)
3.58 (383)
3.73 (184)
3.60 (158)
Non-Buyer (n)
3.78 (40)
3.55 (565)
3.56 (342)
3.62 (606)
3.58 (805)
3.61 (831)
Delivery-related
3.08
*
n.s.
n.s.
n.s.
*
n.s.
Buyer (n)
3.09 (944)
3.11 (423)
3.07 (645)
3.12 (382)
3.24 (183)
3.13 (158)
Non-Buyer (n)
2.81 (40)
3.06 (561)
3.11 (339)
3.05 (602)
3.05 (801)
3.07 (826)
Retailer-related
3.45
n.s.
**
*
**
**
n.s.
Buyer (n)
3.44 (918)
3.53 (411)
3.50 (627)
3.55 (375)
3.64 (178)
3.46 (154)
Non-Buyer (n)
3.70 (37)
3.39 (544)
3.35 (328)
3.38 (580)
3.41 (777)
3.45 (801)
Advice
Orientation
Company Owned
2.11
n.s.
*
*
**
**
n.s.
Buyer (n)
2.12 (934)
2.21 (419)
2.16 (637)
2.24 (374)
2.38 (182)
2.27 (156)
Non-Buyer (n)
1.92 (39)
2.03 (554)
2.01 (336)
2.02 (599)
2.05 (791)
2.08 (817)
Third Party
3.46
***
**
n.s.
***
***
***
Buyer (n)
3.49 (937)
3.55 (420)
3.50 (636)
3.60 (376)
3.68 (180)
3.64 (156)
Non-Buyer (n)
2.81 (36)
3.39 (553)
3.38 (337)
3.37 (597)
3.41 (793)
3.43 (817)
Sustainability
Orientation
Ecological
2.49
n.s.
n.s.
*
n.s.
n.s.
n.s.
Buyer (n)
2.50 (916)
2.50 (415)
2.56 (623)
2.54 (373)
2.53 (183)
2.59 (158)
Non-Buyer (n)
2.26 (37)
2.50 (538)
2.37 (330)
2.46 (580)
2.48 (770)
2.48 (795)
Quality
Orientation
Visual Appeal
3.05
n.s.
**
***
***
***
n.s.
Buyer (n)
3.06 (932)
3.15 (420)
3.16 (634)
3.17 (379)
3.40 (181)
3.11 (159)
Non-Buyer (n)
2.93 (38)
2.99 (550)
2.85 (336)
2.98 (591)
2.98 (789)
3.04 (811)
*** significant at p < .01 level, ** significant at p < .05 level; significant at p < .10 level; n.s. not significant; n=993
7. As far as the shopping motive assortment orientation is concerned, buyers in the
beauty industry are those most concerned with variety seeking and the desire for spe-
cialization. The two assortment shopping motives differ significantly between buyers
and non-buyers in all sectors with the exception of marketplaces (specialization) and
marketplaces and toys (variety seeking).
8. Sustainability orientation - ecological does not seem to be particularly important
for online buyers (ranked 14). Only in the fashion industry does it rank significantly
higher among buyers than among non-buyers. One reason for this may be that this in-
dustry also has the highest return rates: on average, up to 50 percent (Wirtschaftswoche
2018).
9. Quality orientation - visual appeal: The need for visual appeal is significantly
more pronounced among buyers than among non-buyers in all sectors with the excep-
tion of marketplace as well as toys.
In summary, it can be said that the most pronounced differences between buyers and
non-buyers are in the beauty industry. In comparing the strength of motives across all
industries, then most appear strongest in the beauty industry. In the marketplace seg-
ment, there are the fewest differences between buyers and non-buyers.
4 Discussion and Limitations
The first conclusion of our research is that nine shopping motives with 16 dimensions
in total could be defined and confirmed:
• recreational orientation (dimensions: social & inspirational shopping),
• convenience orientation (dimensions: search & possession convenience),
• striving for independence,
• risk aversion (dimensions: privacy, product, delivery & retailer related),
• price orientation (smart shopping),
• advice orientation (dimensions: company owned & third party),
• assortment orientation (dimensions: variety seeking & specialization),
• sustainability orientation (ecological)
• quality orientation (visual appeal).
Search convenience, variety seeking and possession convenience are the top three shop-
ping motives among German online shoppers.
Secondly, the study has shown that there are differences in shopping motives be-
tween buyers vs. non-buyers in the researched segments. Most differences exist be-
tween online buyers and non-buyers in the beauty segment, where 14 of the 16 shopping
motive dimensions differ significantly. The fewest differences are in the marketplaces
segment, where only five of the 16 dimensions differ significantly.
Our examination also has limitations. In connection with the results of the group
comparisons, it should be noted that these are significantly influenced by the selection
of online shops we examined. In order to enable an objective analysis, we studied the
348
top-selling German online retailers for every segment. Nevertheless, variation in cus-
tomer shopping motives arising out of company differences between retailers within an
industry should also be considered. Further research should benchmark individual re-
tailers against peers in their segment with respect to shopping motives.
Another limitation has its origin in the representativeness of the investigation. In
Germany, over 90 percent of online buyers have already bought from Amazon (ifh
2018). As a result, there are overlaps between buyers at marketplaces and buyers in
other segments.
Notwithstanding these limitations, the present work provides an important contri-
bution to the empirical investigation of shopping motives in online commerce. Against
the backdrop of a growing e-commerce industry in Germany, as well as intensifying
competition among retailers, the subject matter studied here will only gain in im-
portance for science and practice in coming years.
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Appendix 1: Demographic characteristics of the survey participants
Gender
Male (48.2%); Female (51.8%)
Age
18-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70+
23.30%
21.70%
23.70%
23.60%
6.40%
1.30%
Monthly house-
hold income (net
in €)
<1.500€
1.500 -
2.000 -
2.500 -
3.000 -
3.500+
1.999
2.499
2.999
3.499
14.30%
12.30%
12.20%
13.80%
15.70%
29.30%
350
Appendix 2: Operationalization of the shopping motives construct
Shopping Mo-
tives
Shopping
Motive Di-
mensions
Indica-
tor
Items
Recreational
Orientation
Social Shop-
ping
SoS_1
While I´m shopping online, I interact with my
friends and/or acquaintances.
SoS_2
I like to shop online with my friends and/or fam-
ily members.
Gratification
Shopping
GS_1
Online shopping is a pastime for me.
GS_2
I like to browse through various online shops.
Idea Shop-
ping
IS_1
I find online shopping inspiring.
IS_2
While shopping online, I become aware of new
trends.
Inspirational
Shopping1
IS_3
I like to look at a compilation of preselected
products through the online shop.
IS_4
I like to receive suitable product suggestions on
products already selected by me.
IS_5
I like to receive personalized product suggestions
that match my buying behavior with the retailer.
Convenience
Orientation
Search Con-
venience
SC_1
It is important to me that an online store offers
several filtering options.
SC_2
In an online store, a good search function is im-
portant to me.
SC_4
It's important to me that I can quickly find the
product I'm looking for online.
SC_5
It's important to me that the online store has a
good structure.
SC_6
It's important to me to find my way around an
online store quickly.
SC_7
It's important to me that placing online orders
takes as little time as possible.
Possession
Convenience
PC_1
It is important to me that the online shop offers
the fastest possible delivery of the goods.
PC_2
It is important to me to know the exact delivery
date when sending the order.
PC_3
For me it is important that I can return products
ordered online as simply as possible.
351
Shopping Mo-
tives
Shopping
Motive Di-
mensions
Indica-
tor
Items
Striving for in-
dependence
Independence
For me it is important…
I_1
to have access to the online store from anywhere
(for example via mobile devices such as mobile
phones or tablets).
I_2
that the presentation of the online shop is also
suitable for mobile devices (mobile phone or tab-
let)
I_4
I like to find out about products via the mobile
device (e.g. mobile phone or tablet).
I_5
I find it convenient to make purchases via a mo-
bile device (such as a mobile phone or tablet).
Risk
Aversion
Privacy-re-
lated
When placing an order on the Internet, the risk is high, ...
PvR_1
that my personal information could be misused.
PvR_2
that my payment information is not secure.
Product-re-
lated
When placing an order on the Internet, the risk is high, ...
PR_1
that a product does not meet my expectations.
PR_2
that the product does not match the illustration
and/or item description
Delivery-re-
lated
When placing an order on the Internet, the risk is high, ...
DR_1
that the ordered product is not delivered.
DR_2
that the ordered product does not arrive at the
scheduled time.
DR_3
that it will be difficult to send ordered products
back.
Retailer-re-
lated
RR_1
Certificates and seals (for example from Trusted
Shops) are important to me.
RR_2
I'm afraid to order from unknown online stores
that do not showcase certificates or seals.
Price Orienta-
tion
Smart-Shop-
ping
SmS_1
I like to use price search engines and / or com-
parison sites to find the best price for an item.
SmS_2
I like to compare the price of an article in several
online shops.
SmS_3
Before I buy a product in an online store, I like
to search for discount codes and coupons.
SmS_4
I use promotions to get products at bargain
prices.
352
Shopping Mo-
tives
Shopping
Motive Di-
mensions
Indica-
tor
Items
Online Advice
Company
Owned Ad-
vice
CO_A_2
When buying online, I miss having the oppor-
tunity to ask a sales representative for advice.
CO_A_3
I like to use the chat function or other consulting
tools offered by an online shop.
CO_A_4
When buying online, personal product advice on
the phone is important to me.
Third Party
Advice
TP_A_1
For me it is important when buying online that I
can use product reviews by other customers to
inform my purchase.
TP_A_2
In order to better make my decision, I like to use
comparison pages.
TP_A_3
For the online purchase decision, I like to access
information from forums.
TP_A_4
Detailed reviews (for example, detailed comfort
description of a mattress) by other customers are
important to me.
TP_A_5
Customer reviews are more important to me than
talking to the sales staff.
Assortment
Orientation
Variety Seek-
ing
VS_1
I like to use online shops that have a large and
varied assortment (large selection of articles).
VS_2
I like to use online shops that offer a variety of
brands
Specialization
A_S_1
I like to use online shops that specialize in cer-
tain items.
A_S_2
I like to order from online shops for certain
brands.
Sustainability
Orientation
Ecological
S_E_3
I feel guilty about placing multiple orders that
contain only a single item.
S_E_4
I feel guilty when I return packages.
Quality Orien-
tation
Visual Appeal
Q_VA_1
I'm willing to pay more for online shops that are
beautifully designed.
Q_VA_2
When buying a product online, it is important to
me that the design of the online store fits the
products.
Q_VA_3
When shopping online, I attach great importance
to a visually appealing website.
Note: The scores for the shopping motives were given on a 5-point Likert Scale from 1 “Strongly
Agree” to 5 “Strongly Disagree”.
1 Gratification Shopping & Idea Shopping were merged into Inspirational Shopping after the em-
pirical check.
