Consumers' intention to adopt virtual grocery shopping: do technological readiness and the optimisation of consumer learning matter?

Abstract

PurposeIt has generally been anticipated that the growth of Internet technology and e-commerce would result in virtual grocery shopping (VGS) becoming a normal way of life for consumers worldwide. However, the adoption of VGS, except in China and other Asian countries, has been quite slow and there is little understanding for this reason. Using Canada as a research context, the purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of consumers towards VGS with a focus on their technological readiness and the impact of the optimisation of consumer learning.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research methodology was undertaken using cluster analysis with descriptive statistics to segment the different groups of consumers from a sample of 1,034 adult respondents. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was then used to test a theoretical model for consumers’ intention to adopt VGS.FindingsThe study found that the attitudes of consumers towards virtual shopping, convenience motivation, perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived risk and consumer learning are all factors that impact consumers' intention to adopt virtual food shopping. The research also identified four segments of consumers in the Canadian market based on their attitudes and intention to adopt VGS. These results allow grocers to target the consumer groups favourable to VGS and provide insights on the factors that can be manipulated via marketing strategies to reach these consumers.Practical implicationsRetailers are provided with insights on consumers behaviour that will allow them to target specific segments with shopping modalities.Originality/valueThis research investigated VGS, focussing on consumer learning as a socio-cultural influence as well as the consumer's technological readiness as an intention to adopt to this modality of shopping for food. These constructs have not been investigated by previous studies on food grocery shopping.

Predictors of continuance intention of online food delivery services: gender as moderator

“…, 2022), with the majority of findings corroborating a positive impact of ease of use on continuance intention (Assimakopoulos et al. , 2017; Demoulin and Djelassi, 2016; Thomas-Francois and Somogyi, 2022). Secondly, attitude can be defined as the way in which an individual feels about and is predisposed towards a certain object, idea, product or service (Liaw, 2002).…”

“…Firstly, perceived ease of use can be defined as "the degree to which a person believes that using a technology will be effortless" (Castillo and Bigne, 2021, p. 879). By specifically focusing on the impact of ease of technology, and in particular mobile apps and services, on the customers' behaviours and intention, literature has widely investigated this connection in different sectors (Alt et al, 2021;Bhatt, 2022;Mew and Millan, 2021;Shim et al, 2021;Van Dolen et al, 2007;Wiese and Humbani, 2020;Zhu et al, 2022), with the majority of findings corroborating a positive impact of ease of use on continuance intention (Assimakopoulos et al, 2017;Demoulin and Djelassi, 2016;Thomas-Francois and Somogyi, 2022). Secondly, attitude can be defined as the way in which an individual feels about and is predisposed towards a certain object, idea, product or service (Liaw, 2002).…”

The cultural acceptance of digital food shopping: conceptualisation, scale development and validation

“…Virtual grocery shopping is the purchase of food or personal use items via a food retail company's internet-based portal or application, with delivery to the consumer's home or designated delivery area or preparation for in-store pickup (Thomas-Francois and Somogyi, 2021, 2022, p. 325). Smart grocery shopping is the purchase of food and personal use items at a brick-and-mortar store without purchase directions, assistance or interference from employees but through the use of computerised information points, including self-checkout technology or mobile app checkout (Thomas-Francois and Somogyi, 2021, 2022, p. 326). Here, we consider digital food retailing as consumer access to food purchasing using the Internet and/or other digital technologies.…”

“…(2020, p. 555) anticipate a “narrowing of the window of opportunity”, and we argue that a digital food shopping environment will continue to exist, but the motivating factors and influences affecting consumer behaviour needs to be understood. Pre-pandemic, a survey conducted with a sample population of 1,034 Canadian consumers indicated that only 12.8% of consumers shopped for groceries online, whilst 77% of them indicated their preference to purchase food was in-store (Thomas-Francois and Somogyi, 2021, 2022). This evidence indicates that consumers have a strong preference for shopping instore for groceries which motivates the need to further investigate the factors that influences alternative behaviour.…”

“…Society and sociocultural influences are known to affect consumer behaviour (Boerwinkel, 2016). Studies have alluded to the impact of social influence (Campbell, 2013; Driediger and Bhatiasevi, 2019; Giovanis et al ., 2019), and this paper attempts to extend the literature by testing a conceptual framework presented by Thomas-Francois and Somogyi (2021, 2022) in order to address this knowledge gap. It also sought to develop new latent constructs that allow for further insight into the sociocultural factors affecting food retail digitalisation.…”