Determinants of Adopting Electronic Grocery in the Context of Oman

Abstract

Ab str a c t Electronic grocery in Oman is a fascinating newly growing market which is facing multiple challenges. Although it creates new job opportunities, it is challenged by the changes of Omani consumers' perceptions and shopping habits. Whereas the adoption of the e-grocery requires less consumer effort and time, it needs to be user-friendly and trustworthy to utilize its full strength. Furthermore, it is challenged by the extent to which adopting a new behavior necessitates considerable time to be fully effective. In this paper, the authors use a sample of 255 responses to study the determinants of adopting electronic grocery in the context of Oman. The determinants represent consumers' perceptions prior to using an e-grocery shopping service, which consists of physical efforts, time pressure, shopping enjoyment, perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, and perceived complexity. The model of the study is adapted from the work of Verhoef and Langerake with some modifications to reflect the reality and limitations of this research. The results show a relatively high internal consistency among items of the six variables. The findings of this study show that 62% of the participants perceive physical effort at in-store shopping and that consumers complaining about time pressure while shopping (73%) are motivated to replace their shopping experience with e-grocery. Moreover, this research indicates that shopping enjoyment at physical stores is negatively related to the perceived relative advantage and perceived compatibility factors. In addition, correlation between perceived relative advantages, perceived relative compatibility, and perceived complexity and intention to adopt e-grocery, respectively, is strong.