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Online shopping environments and consumer’s Need for Touch

Author

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  • Rupa Rathee
  • Pallavi Rajain

Abstract

Purpose - Online shopping has become a commonplace thing nowadays as people can buy products from the comfort of their home. But such environments do not offer a complete sensory interaction as consumers are unable to touch products which is quite important for certain categories of products such as apparels. Therefore, in order to find whether every individual seeks touch equally, the purpose of this paper is to deal with the differences in an individual’s preferences for touch. The study also evaluates customer responses towards the introduction of touch-enabling technology which can, to some extent, compensate for the lack of touch. Lastly, the study includes customers’ views regarding showrooming and webrooming. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 203 responses were received through online and offline questionnaires. The data were analysed using ANOVA, correlation and regression analysis through SPSS version 23. Findings - The results revealed that gender influenced the Need for Touch (NFT) with women having higher NFT. The people who were high in NFT preferred to buy in-store, whereas their low NFT counterparts were comfortable with both online and in-store options. Lastly, it was found that there was a significant impact of NFT on online buying behaviour. The new technology when used by online retailers would break the barriers that exist between real touch and virtual touch. Originality/value - Although previous authors have given several options like mental representations, verbal details and brand image as alternatives to touch but the use of touch-enabling technology can revolutionise the way online products are perceived. The study adds value by relating NFT with online preferences, showrooming and webrooming.

Suggested Citation

  • Rupa Rathee & Pallavi Rajain, 2019. "Online shopping environments and consumer’s Need for Touch," Journal of Advances in Management Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(5), pages 814-826, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:jamrpp:jamr-12-2018-0116
    DOI: 10.1108/JAMR-12-2018-0116
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ana Marija Filipas & Nenad Vretenar & Ivan Prudky, 2023. "Decision trees do not lie: Curiosities in preferences of Croatian online consumers," Zbornik radova Ekonomskog fakulteta u Rijeci/Proceedings of Rijeka Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, vol. 41(1), pages 157-181.
    2. 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).
    3. 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).
    4. Francesca Serravalle & Milena Viassone & Giacomo Chiappa, 2022. "Sensory disclosure in an augmented environment: memory of touch and willingness to buy," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2022(4), pages 401-417, December.

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