The experiential dimensions of internet shopping: An ethnographic analysis of online store websites |
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| Authors: | Lim Sun Sun |
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| Institution: | Information and Communications Management Programme of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences , National University of Singapore |
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| Abstract: | While shopping is a practical act of purchasing products and services, it is also recognised as a recreational activity with experiential dimensions. Online shopping is no exception. This study focuses on the experiential dimensions of online shopping by conducting an ethnographic analysis of online store websites to identify website features which can provide online shoppers with sensory stimulation and social gains, and invoke affective responses. Websites of four product and service categories were studied: books, CDs, travel‐related services, and apparel. The findings suggest that some website features have the potential for developing parasocial relationships between online shoppers and online stores, and for heightening consumer affect and fostering store loyalty. |
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