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The touchy issue of produce: Need for touch in online grocery retailing

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  • Kühn, Frauke
  • Lichters, Marcel
  • Krey, Nina

Abstract

Online grocery retailing lags behind other product categories in e-commerce. This article focuses on consumers’ need for touch (NFT) as a psychological explanation for this issue. In two studies, consumers rate their perception of produce offered in an online shop. Specifically, consumers assess quality concerns, affective response, and willingness to pay (WTP) in offline versus online retail contexts. Results demonstrate that high-NFT consumers express higher quality concerns and lower affective response to online offered produce. This negative influence of NFT is stronger if consumers use indirect compared to direct touch interfaces. Further, NFT influences WTP difference between offline and online offered produce. Online retailers therefore need to carefully manage quality concerns and negative perceptions that high-NFT consumers express during online produce shopping. A third study proposes a solution through online videos as visual design features. Displaying haptic evaluations of high-touch diagnostic produce by other consumers successfully negates NFT’s adverse influences.

Suggested Citation

  • Kühn, Frauke & Lichters, Marcel & Krey, Nina, 2020. "The touchy issue of produce: Need for touch in online grocery retailing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 244-255.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:117:y:2020:i:c:p:244-255
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.017
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Silva, Susana C. & Rocha, Thelma Valeria & De Cicco, Roberta & Galhanone, Renata Fernandes & Manzini Ferreira Mattos, Luiza Tari, 2021. "Need for touch and haptic imagery: An investigation in online fashion shopping," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    2. Katherine Harris‐Lagoudakis, 2022. "Online shopping and the healthfulness of grocery purchases," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(3), pages 1050-1076, May.
    3. Ellen Van Droogenbroeck & Léon Van Hove, 2021. "Adoption and usage of E-grocery shopping: A context-specific UTAUT2 model," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/324918, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Kautish, Pradeep & Paul, Justin & Sharma, Rajesh, 2021. "The effect of assortment and fulfillment on shopping assistance and efficiency: An e-tail servicescape perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    5. Annchen Mielmann, 2021. "Being Innovative in Running an Online Food Research Project in Consumer Sciences during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-22, December.
    6. De Canio, Francesca & Fuentes-Blasco, Maria, 2021. "I need to touch it to buy it! How haptic information influences consumer shopping behavior across channels," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    7. Ellen Van Droogenbroeck & Leo Van Hove, 2021. "Adoption and Usage of E-Grocery Shopping: A Context-Specific UTAUT2 Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-27, April.
    8. Verstraeten, Julie & Heeremans, Eva & Geuens, Maggie & Vermeir, Iris, 2023. "How online grocery shopping drives private label food purchases," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).

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