Attitudes Towards Online Purchases by Low-Income Consumers Who Have Access to the Internet

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to analyze the attitudes and purchase intentions of low-income consumers with internet access in relation to electronic commerce, by examining their beliefs, motives, and underlying objections and, as a result, their purchase intentions. This exploratory study is qualitative in nature. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with Brazilian low-income consumers. The study indicates that low-income shoppers have an overall negative attitude towards e-commerce and found three variables that are known to be affecting low-income shoppers' attitudes towards the internet, namely: distrust regarding stores policies; negative feelings about e-commerce; and the need for peer approval. This study contributes to the field by applying the traditional ABC Attitude model to analyze online consumption in Brazil. It also furthers our understanding of the variables present in each of the three components of the ABC Attitude model (Affect, Behavior and Cognition) and has detected new variables that emerged from the field research and presents justification and support for them found in the literature by examining what affects these attitudes towards the online market.