Effects of free gifts with purchase on online purchase satisfaction

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 690-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Hong Zhu ◽  
Ya Ping Chang ◽  
An Chang

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand how free gifts with purchase influence the purchase satisfaction of online consumers, and compares the difference between the contexts, which the consumers are certain and uncertain with the free gifts before purchase. Design/methodology/approach – This study developed a theoretical model to examine how free gifts with purchase influence the purchase satisfaction of online consumers. The moderating effect of uncertainty was also examined. Using a survey questionnaire, empirical data were collected from 288 Taobao users. The partial least squares technique was used to test the proposed research model. Findings – Perceived usefulness, perceived quality, perceived cost, and perceived ingenuity are antecedents of happiness toward a free gift with purchase. Happiness has a positive effect on the purchase satisfaction of online consumers. Uncertainty is an important moderator. Research limitations/implications – The findings extend the current state of knowledge about the relationship between online purchase with free gifts and purchase satisfaction, as well as reveal the psychological mechanism of the effects of online purchase with free gifts on purchase satisfaction. Practical implications – The findings of this study provide e-retailers with a deep understanding of how free gifts with purchase affect the purchase satisfaction of online consumers in different presentation approaches of the gifts. Originality/value – Knowledge about the role of free gifts with purchase on the purchase satisfaction of online consumers is scarce. This study provides empirical evidence about the effect of free gifts with purchase on the purchase satisfaction of online consumer in different presentation approaches of the gifts.

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Zhang ◽  
William Yu Chung Wang ◽  
Ling Cao ◽  
Yan Wang

Purpose Online shopping has continued to grow in popularity, and the advance of internet technology has enhanced customers’ experiences. One technology online retailers have been using to increase sales is virtual try-on (VTO). The purpose of this paper is to investigate how such technology affects online consumers’ purchase decision process towards purchase intention, especially from an integration of utilitarian, hedonic and risk perspectives, by using advanced partial least square (PLS) approaches. Design/methodology/approach This study applied a web-based survey approach for data collection from online apparel retailing websites. The survey instrument was developed by adapting previously validated measurement items. The valid data collected were analysed using PLS with multi-group analyses. Advanced PLS techniques such as examination of discriminant validity using heterotrait-monotrait ratio, tests of out-of-sample prediction performance, and measurement invariance of composite models were applied. Findings The results of examining the proposed model reveal that customers’ attitude towards VTO technology can affect their intention to purchase a garment online, which is affected by perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment and perceived privacy risk. Perceived ease of use is found to affect perceived usefulness and perceived helpfulness. The results also show no significant differences among age groups and genders in terms of the role of VTO technology in the full decision process towards online purchase intention. Originality/value This study enhances the understanding of the roles that VTO technology plays in consumers’ online purchase intention by providing an integrative view of its utilitarian value, hedonic value and risk. This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying advanced PLS techniques to investigate online consumer behaviour, particularly in the field of VTO application in online retailing. Implications for online retailers and designers of VTO technology are also derived from the findings.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tengfei Guo ◽  
Shiquan Zhong ◽  
Xuelian Wang ◽  
Geng Li

PurposeIn this research, the authors aim to investigate the impact of product display quantity on consumers' online purchase intention through the diminished pain of payment, in light of signaling theory and mental accounting theory. Additionally, the authors test the role of price in this psychological mechanism.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a combination of online studies and field experiments to test our predictions. Four online studies are conducted to test the main effect of product display quantity on purchase intention (Studies 1A and 1B), the mediating effect of the diminished pain of payment (Study 2), and the moderating role of price (Study 3). Two field experiments are conducted to strengthen the robustness of our findings.FindingsThe findings suggest that product display quantity has a significantly positive impact on purchase intention, mediated by the diminished pain of payment, and this effect is moderated by price.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate the effect of product display quantity on online purchase intention. This research advances the discussion of product display quantity, which provides retailers and consumers with a convenient way to communicate with each other and leads to a more relaxed purchase experience.


2018 ◽  
Vol 119 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 87-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Creaser

Purpose Library impact and how to evaluate it has been debated for a number of years. While the activity – the busy-ness – of the library is now routinely measured and described, the difference the library makes is less tangible and harder to measure. Libraries in all sectors and worldwide are grappling with this issue, and the purpose of this paper is to summarise international standards available to support them. Design/methodology/approach The first international standard concerning library impact, ISO 16439 Information and documentation – methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries, was published in 2014 after several years in development. Findings The standard describes a range of methods for assessing library impact which have been used across the world in a variety of libraries in all sectors. Originality/value This paper summarises the key methods described in the standard, and gives references for further reading.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar ◽  
Anil Kumar Kashyap

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify distinct segments of apparel shoppers based on their fashion shopping orientation. The difference among the segments based on mall attractive dimension is also examined. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through mall intercept survey from the mall shoppers. Samples of 375 respondents are used for data analysis purpose. Exploratory factor analysis is used to extract the factors of fashion shopping orientation and mall attractive dimensions while K-means cluster analysis is applied to identify the segments. Findings This study resulted in three factors of fashion orientation of apparel shoppers, i.e. fashion involvement, variety seeking and economic value, and four factors of mall attractive dimensions: convenience, entertainment, atmosphere and architecture design. Based on these factors, this study came out with three distinct segments of fashion shoppers: pragmatic shoppers, variety seeking shoppers and highly fashioned shoppers. These three segments are attracted towards the mall dimension differently. Originality/value This paper presents the three distinct profiles of fashion shoppers based on their fashion shopping orientation and mall attractive dimensions. The findings of this study may help retailers and mall developers to target mall visitors appropriately.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 260-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Feng ◽  
Lingdi Zhao ◽  
Huanyu Jia ◽  
Shuangyu Shao

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) strategy and its role of industrial productivity in China. Design/methodology/approach To identify the causal effect of this strategy on industrial sustainable development, the authors first use the slacks-based measure model to calculate industries’ total-factor productivity (TFP) considered with CO2 emissions as undesirable output on the provincial level. Then, the authors use the PSM-DID method to identify the difference of TFPs between provinces and industries before and after the implementation of SREB strategy. Findings However, the authors find that there is no difference or even a relative decrease in TFPs of industries in target provinces after the implementation of the strategy, which reveals that the SREB strategy does not play a positive role of the industries’ sustainable development in years of 2014 and 2015. Originality/value The value of this result is to identify the short-term impact of SREB strategy and to seek for probable causes and appropriate solutions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 2261-2283
Author(s):  
Vera Gelashvili ◽  
Eva María Aguilar Pastor ◽  
María-Jesús Segovia-Vargas ◽  
Maria-del-Mar Camacho-Miñano

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether sheltered employment centers (CEEs) which have a higher rate of professionalization of their managers have better economic returns than those that have a lower one. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire has been drawn up for their managers. After collecting the answers, an index of professionalization classifies the CEEs with managers of high, medium and low levels of professionalism. This index is then correlated with the main financial ratios of companies. Findings The results show that companies with the highest level of managers’ professionalization, on average, have higher economic returns than companies with medium and low rates, although the difference is not very high. This study is an important contribution to academic literature, as it is the first to examine the professionalization of CEE managers. Research limitations/implications Finally, this paper is not short of limitations. The number of responses is small but there are similar studies with similar response rates. Additionally, the scarcity of responses may suggest that there is a lack of interest about the utility of professionalization by some CEEs managers because, perhaps, they do not have the necessary competences to understand its importance in management. Practical implications This study has some main implications for stakeholders: first, CEEs must pay more attention to the professionalization of their management team, because professionalization can lead to meeting its goals and guaranteeing the firm’s growth. Second, training programs in skills and attitudes should be designed to strengthen these competencies. Moreover, managers of social firms should know that the establishment of strategic plans will be useful to identify new opportunities in the market. Social implications Given the important role of these social firms for the employment of people with disabilities, training programs should be promoted by government in order to ensure the professionalization of these companies. Originality/value This research is an important contribution to the literature on this subject because there are no studies about the level of professionalization of CEEs, companies that represent an important value for the economy of a country.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 553-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Shahin Sharifi ◽  
Mohammad Rahim Esfidani

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how relationship marketing can reduce cognitive dissonance in post-purchase stage and, thereby, increase customer satisfaction and encourage loyalty under mediating roles of trust and cognitive dissonance. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a survey on consumers of cell phones, the authors tested the effects of relationship marketing on cognitive dissonance and then customer satisfaction, behavioural, and attitudinal loyalty, using structural equation modelling. Findings – The results indicate that, thanks to relationship marketing, consumers undertook less cognitive dissonance in post-purchase stage. Thus, as consumers faced less cognitive dissonance, they represented more satisfaction and thereby behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. Additionally, the study confirmed the mediating role of trust and cognitive dissonance. Practical implications – The results show that when brands and retailers make their ties with their customers stronger and encourage trust, they can discourage cognitive dissonance in post-purchase stage and thereby encourage customer satisfaction and behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. Originality/value – Literature on post-purchase behaviour and cognitive dissonance shows how cognitive dissonance can reduce post-purchase satisfaction. Our research adds to the literature of both relationship marketing and post-purchase behaviour.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xusen Cheng ◽  
Ying Bao ◽  
Alex Zarifis ◽  
Wankun Gong ◽  
Jian Mou

PurposeArtificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbots have brought unprecedented business potential. This study aims to explore consumers' trust and response to a text-based chatbot in e-commerce, involving the moderating effects of task complexity and chatbot identity disclosure.Design/methodology/approachA survey method with 299 useable responses was conducted in this research. This study adopted the ordinary least squares regression to test the hypotheses.FindingsFirst, the consumers' perception of both the empathy and friendliness of the chatbot positively impacts their trust in it. Second, task complexity negatively moderates the relationship between friendliness and consumers' trust. Third, disclosure of the text-based chatbot negatively moderates the relationship between empathy and consumers' trust, while it positively moderates the relationship between friendliness and consumers' trust. Fourth, consumers' trust in the chatbot increases their reliance on the chatbot and decreases their resistance to the chatbot in future interactions.Research limitations/implicationsAdopting the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework, this study provides important insights on consumers' perception and response to the text-based chatbot. The findings of this research also make suggestions that can increase consumers' positive responses to text-based chatbots.Originality/valueExtant studies have investigated the effects of automated bots' attributes on consumers' perceptions. However, the boundary conditions of these effects are largely ignored. This research is one of the first attempts to provide a deep understanding of consumers' responses to a chatbot.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reema Singh

Purpose Given the growing prominence of voice-activated artificial intelligent devices (VAIs) as the strategic market-facing technology for grocery purchases, this article aims to bring together theories on anthropomorphism, trust, emotional attachment, self-connection and self-disclosure in one conceptual framework establishing that consumer–VAI relationship has significant implications for grocery purchase satisfaction and intention to repurchase using VAIs. Design/methodology/approach The study tested seven hypotheses through a survey-based approach comprising of two studies. Findings The study empirically supports VAI anthropomorphism and trust in VAIs as predictors of consumer–VAI emotional attachment and establishes the moderating role of consumer self-disclosure. Consumer–VAI self-connection resulting from emotional attachment results in grocery purchase satisfaction and intention to repurchase using VAIs. Research limitations/implications The article offers a novel perspective on consumer–VAI relationships and the use of VAIs for grocery purchases. It establishes an agentic role of consumers when ordering groceries using VAIs, creating a deeper understanding of how consumer–VAI emotional attachment results in extensions of consumers’ self-identity, resulting in purchase satisfaction and repurchase intention using VAIs. Practical implications Establishing a consumer–VAI relationship, the article brings out the strategic importance of VAIs for marketers in grocery purchases and repurchases, which can be extended to other purchases. Originality/value The article offers a new perspective on establishing VAIs as strategically important market-facing devices by examining consumer relationships with VAIs and offering valuable insights on how consumer emotional attachment with VAIs results in satisfaction and intention to repurchase using VAIs.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Durst ◽  
Mariano Martin Genaro Palacios Acuache ◽  
Guido Bruns

Purpose Crises of any type have become an integral part of business activity and responses to them could make the difference between survival and failure. This applies in particular to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Taking the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as a starting point, this study aims to investigate how Peruvian SMEs have been coping with COVID-19 so far. Based on that a conceptual framework is proposed which highlights the practice of SMEs trying to deal with a new type of crisis. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on an exploratory qualitative research design involving 25 semi-structured interviews conducted in Peruvian SMEs. Findings The findings demonstrate how the Peruvian firms studied to adapt to the new situation and initiate responses to increasing the chance of survival. Furthermore, the role of the companies’ decision-makers, as well as the role of crisis management and other related approaches in the companies are shown. Research limitations/implications The paper expands the underdeveloped body of knowledge regarding crisis management in Latin America in general and crisis management in SMEs by providing insight into how Peruvian SMEs perceive and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical implications The findings presented in this paper have implications for both managers and managerial staff of SMEs but also for the people in charge of the curricula at universities and other teaching-focused institutes. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study of crisis management on the impacts of COVID-19 with a dedicated focus on SMEs from Latin America. It provides fresh insight into current reactions to the Pandemic.


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