Online Shopping And Shopping Channel Selection: Self Esteem Level Influence On Customer’s Decision

Introduction. The concept of self-esteem. Online shopping. In-store shopping. Marital Status influence on shopping behavior. Formulation of hypotheses. Research methodology.

Recent shopping has changed a lot and still not settles down as today‘s consumer is more demanding than ever. All retailers are turning their attention to provide most consumer-friendly shopping environment to attract picky consumers. Retailers were forced to implement multi-channel retailing systems with suggesting different channels of distribution (for example TV, online, catalog, brick-and-mortar) which helps to deliver products or services in more convenient ways for the consumer (Cho & Workman, 2011). The focus on Internet site as a single channel instead of a channel extension from traditional retail format was indicated in the past (Kim, J., Park, J., 2005).

Today we can still identify online shopping as one of the most popular shopping environment for big part of the consumers around the world and regarding retailer‘s websites factors, which are most influence consumers decision where to buy online or not are website design, product information provided, layout, service and also privacy (Khare A., Sadachar A., 2014). It is noted that consumer‘s lifestyle changes ended into result of shifting of their consuming habits. Consumers identified the scarcity of their resources (such as money, time, efforts) and due to this reason making new choices while selecting purchasing sources which can provide biggest value in saving these resources (Jayasankaraprasad, C., Kathyayani, G., 2014).

The change of consumers shopping behavior was explored in various articles such as: Kim, J., Park, J., 2005; Khare, A., Sadachar A., 2014; Jayasankaraprasad, C., Kathyayani, G., 2014;Wi-Suk Kwon, Nancy A. Rudd, 2007; Chiang, K., Dholakia, R.R., 2003; Kim K.P. Johson et al, 2006; Chatterjee, P., 2010; Boardman, R., McCormick, H., 2018; Schoenbachler & Gordon, 2002; Haridasan, A.C., Fernando, A.G., 2018, but researches missing detailed exclusion of such personal consumer attributes as self-esteem on selecting which shopping channel to choose. It is confirmed, that consumer’s self-esteem level has significant influence found as positive connection between consumer self-esteem level and addiction to the Internet as well as self-esteem level affect towards compulsive buying in-stores (Lee, S., Park, J., Lee, S.B., 2016, p. 1905), also, other consumer’s motives while choosing online or in- store shopping (Haridasan, A.C., Fernando, A.G., 2018; Schoenbachler & Gordon, 2002), but past research short of analysis if self-esteem as a factor has a direct influence on selecting shopping channel. Due to this, this paper suggests, that one of the significant factors of choosing to shop in-store or online can be consumer‘s self-worth understanding or self-esteem.

Self-confidence has been highlighted as one very significant construct in order to understand consumer behavior (Bearden, W.O., et al., 2001, p. 121.). Sociometer theory suggests that self-esteem is linked to social acceptance and it is more not about keeping self-esteem level but about avoiding social rejection (Leary, M.R., 1999, p.32). A list of scholars have self-esteem in mind as one of a variables while predicting consumer behavior, just actual concept may sounded differently as „actual self“, „real self“, extant self, etc., but basically it means perception of oneself (Sirgy, J., 1982, p.288). There are different categorization of self-esteem kinds, for example, explicit self-esteem and implicit self-esteem. Explicit self-esteem can be defined as self-worth, self-liking or acceptance feeling on oneself while implicit self-esteem in comparison means over learned, nonconscious, automatic self-evaluations (Zeigler-Hill, V., Terry, C., 2007, p.138). This paper will be based on a basic self-esteem level measurement which can be estimated by Rosenberg’s scale, as selected research method will be quantitative - online questionnaire.