This article holds the summary of the relevant academic study, on the aspect of gender differences which affect online shopping behaviour. The main take-outs from academic studies below are as following:
- Men were found to be more brand orientated, women novel-fashion decision makers. Solution: variation on presentation style of the product for men and women with novelty and brand features.
- Women were more to make purchase if friend gave a recommendation, while men where not positively effected by it. Solution: Bring friends closer to the shop – e.g. Trip Advisor bringing in Facbook friends to their site.
- Men’s probability of shopping online was only effected by amount of time they spent online, women had additional worries of loosing the money and lower computer usage confidence. Solution: Ensuring the monetary loss fear is reduced use of trusted secure signs throughout the site.
- Knowledge of product category reduced anxiety of making purchase online in both genders. Solution: educational material distribution and on site e.g. guide to products features.
- Women do see it as a shopping medium while men are more likely to see internet as pass-time. Solution: bring shopping to the mediums they use gaming and business niche collaboration on cross-selling and promotions
1. Yang and Wu (2007)
Yang and Wu (2007) findings suggested that men and women differ in their decision-making styles. Their main findings were that women are novel-fashion orientated while shopping online, and men are more brand orientated in this medium.
2. Garbarino and Strahilevitz (2004)
Garbarino and Strahilevitz (2004) research found that women are positively affected by friend recommendation, while for men it did not have an effect. The interesting finding was that although women were less likely to purchase online than men without recommendation, when recommendation was given they were more likely to make a purchase then men did.
3. Yang and Lester (2005)
Yang and Lester (2005) found that women are affected by more factors than men, in the decision to purchase online. They were affected by the attitude towered money, computer anxiety levels and amount of time spent online. While time spent online was the only variable affecting man, although it was not the predictor of their behavior towards using Internet for shopping. That made Yang and Lester draw a conclusion that factors affecting men in online shopping have not yet been identified.
4. Dholakia and Chiang (2003)
Dholakia and Chiang (2003) were looking on gender stereotypes in online shopping; their findings showed that expensive, new technical products are associated with men being products’ buyers, while less technical staff was still associated with female shopper. Other factors like: shop type or reason; did not play any role in gender stereotype.
5. Hui and Wan (2007)
Hui and Wan (2007) found that internet shopping is perceived mainly as a convenience medium by all sample. No differences have been found between genders regarding the Internet security concerns. They also identified that inability to have physical shopping experience had major affect on women, Internet was dissatisfying in this matter for them. This factor did not affect higher educated respondents; their guess is that those respondents had better understanding of product category and their needs, so they were confident with their purchase without prior product inspection.
6. Heimrath and Goulding (2001)
Heimrath and Goulding (2001) study showed the differences of association men and women have towards Internet. Women mention shopping, banking and information search as uses for Internet, while male are more technology orientated, mention gaming, computer software updates, professional awareness, and business.
7. Goldsmith and Flynn (2004)
Goldsmith and Flynn (2004) research of online shopping is based on clothing market. Their findings did not find any gender differences. According to their research better predictors of online purchase will be customers’ innovativeness and prior experience with in-home shopping, i.e. catalogues.