Characteristics of online shopping behaviour among Tunisians consumers

TL;DR

This study explores how Tunisian consumers behave when shopping online, especially during the pandemic, and identifies factors that may hinder their online purchasing.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the online shopping behavior of Tunisian consumers and highlights barriers to online purchasing.

Findings

Most purchases were for textiles and shoes, with special offers and reduced prices as main motivators.

Nearly half of participants visited physical shops less since shopping online.

Security concerns and fear of receiving faulty products were significant barriers to online shopping.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic confinement, the number of people shopping online has increased all over the word. To date, little is known about the online shopping behaviours of Tunisians consumers.

Evaluate the characteristics of internet shopping among Tunisian consumers.

A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study was conducted among subjects who had already made at least one online purchase. Data was collected using a self-questionnaire published by GOOGLE FORMS. We used a survey form collecting socio-demographic data, personal history and characteristics of online shopping behaviour.

A total of 137 participants aged 34.62 ± 9.82 years took part in this study.

All participants had made at least one online purchase, with 43.8% (N=60) purchasing “More than once a year”. The products purchased were most often textiles and shoes (50.4%; N=69). The main reasons consumers gave for buying online were special offers (37.2%, N=51), reduced prices (25.5%, N=35) and free delivery (14.6%, N=20). Almost half of the participants (N=63; 46%) said that they had visited physical shops less since they started shopping online. Regarding the average online shopping budget, 44.5% of consumers (N=61) spent less than 50 dinars/month and 18.2% (N=16) did not use all the products they bought online. Almost half of participants (N=68, 49.6%) feared that their credit card information would be at risk. The majority of respondents (88.9%) thought they might receive a faulty product following online shopping.

Our study has enabled us to identify certain factors that may act as a blocker for online purchasing. So that, stablishing strategic actions for the continuous improvement of online shopping services with the reduction of subjectivity in customer perception will be helpful.

None Declared