Purchase Decision Processes in the Internet Age

Abstract

This work explores the online purchase decision-making behaviour of consumers. It investigates how purchase decision-making processes unfold and how they vary for different groups of individuals. Drawing from the decision analysis and consumer behaviour literatures, a typology of online consumers is introduced to define four distinctive groups based on two individual characteristics: decision making style and knowledge of product. Video recordings and interviews of 55 participants have been conducted in two online settings (retail banking and mobile networks) in order to capture the purchase decision-making process. The archetypal behaviour of each typology is identified. Our results show variations in the flow of the decision-making process and process outcome for different groups. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.