| The problems addressed were to (a) identify and describe the demographic profiles and levels and types of perceived risk for consumers who purchase and do not purchases goods from Internet shopping sites, and (b) assess the extent of functional relationships between the participants' demographic characteristics and their levels of access to and levels of purchasing goods from Internet shopping sites. Participants consisted of 2853 consumers in the United States, age 18 and older. A self-administered, Web-based questionnaire was used.; Profile data were analyzed to determine Internet shopping site use. Individuals were classified as non, infrequent, and frequent users of Internet shopping sites. Findings indicated that significant relationships existed between shopping site use and nonuse with respect to (a) educational level, occupational status, annual household income, marital status, and age; (b) perceived financial, performance, physical, psychological, social, time, and overall risk; and (c) levels of access to and purchasing goods from Internet shopping sites, and demographic profiles.; The following recommendations can be made to direct marketers utilizing Internet shopping sites: (a) work to maintain secure shopping sites offering convenience, quality assortments, enforced privacy policies, up-front shipping/handling costs, clear and concise return policies, real-time customer service, and ease of navigation and (b) continue to work toward educating the consumer regarding the positive performance of products and shopping sites.; Additional research is recommended in the following areas: Investigate marketing strategies to be utilized with Internet shoppers, expand the sample to include nonusers without Internet access to develop a profile of potential users if the opportunity for access was available, expand the sample to include a larger ethnic distribution, compare male and female Internet shopping site users in relation to the dollar amounts spent per visit and the frequency of visits to Internet shopping sites, investigate risk reduction methods employed by Internet shopping site users, and compare Internet shoppers' perceptions of perceived risk based on product type purchased. |
