Factors influencing E-commerce Adoption by Retailers in Saudi Arabia

TL;DR

This study investigates the key factors influencing Saudi retailers' decisions to adopt e-commerce, highlighting the relative importance of various influences through quantitative analysis.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative analysis of factors affecting e-commerce adoption among Saudi retailers, based on survey data and previous qualitative insights.

Findings

Identifies key factors influencing e-commerce adoption

Quantifies the strength of relationships between factors and adoption

Highlights areas for policy and strategic focus

Abstract

This paper presents some findings from a study researching the diffusion and adoption of online retailing in Saudi Arabia. Although the country has the largest and fastest growing ICT marketplace in the Arab region, e-commerce activities have not progressed at a similar speed. In general, Saudi retailers have not responded actively to the global growth of online retailing. Accordingly new research has been conducted to identify and explore key issues that positively and negatively influence Saudi retailers in deciding whether to adopt the online channel. While the overall research project uses mixed methods, the focus of this paper is on a quantitative analysis of responses obtained from a survey of retailers in Saudi Arabia, with the design of the questionnaire instrument being based on the findings of a qualitative analysis reported in a previous paper. The main findings of the current analysis include a list of key factors that affect retailers decision to adopt e-commerce, and quantitative indications of the relative strengths of the various relationships.