Track: E-Business and E-Commerce

Abstract

For decades, the Philippines have been benefiting from brick-and-mortar shops but have altered dramatically after the COVID-19 pandemic. As the globe transitions to a new normal, this study aims to determine the factors that influence e-Shopping and online shopping. Specifically, it investigates the buyers’ characteristics in relation to their shopping preferences by utilizing the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. A total of 277 Filipinos answered the survey questionnaire, which contained 39 questions. The results of SEM indicated that buyers’ characteristics have a mediating effect on influence factors – environment, which identified that customers’ features include status shoppers, brand conscious, and recreational shoppers. Customers’ primary concern in online shopping is payment security and privacy, while others prefer to buy products online due to accessibility and convenience. Some brand conscious customers consider physical contact with products in shopping. On the other hand, the result also showed that influence factors – product and influence factors – environment have no significant direct effect on customer shopping preference. But customers find that orders are easy to place, 24 hours accessibility and several payment options are advantages in an online shopping interface. In contrast, the ability to touch the product, immediate availability of the product, and sales assistance are the advantages of in-store shopping.