Exemplary Growth Through Online Shopping With Satisfied Consumers In Vellore District

Introduction

While the fast-growing world, technological development is growing hugely. This huge hike will help the business grow positively.  “Online shopping”, where we buy products and services online.  It is highly different from the traditional way of shopping. The customer gets their orders as products and services at their doorsteps. There is no need to Spend time going to shops direct and selecting products in online shopping.

Technology in E-Commerce

Technology is changing the way we purchase, either online or in place. Technology is playing a much more essential role in controlling the interface between customer and seller, from projected drone delivery of online orders to interactive "self-check-in" at airports 9 (Muthukumaran V et al., 2021).

Social interaction started changing the customer experiences as early as the 1990s when touch screens became more extensively used. And over a decade has passed, and touch screen technology had evolved to become far more sophisticated and reliable, as well as more marketable, and was thus included in the majority of new phones and laptops. These shifts swept across the mechanics of communication between customer and seller, forever altering the buying experience.

The programming languages used to construct the e-commerce platform are referred to as technology in e-commerce. Many programming technologies emerge seasonally on the website, and then you must choose the best technology for your eCommerce website.

Best Programming Technologies for Building Ecommerce Website are,

Concept of Online purchase

It would be more convenient, quicker, and sometimes affordable than traditional purchasing. Therefore, booking a train ticket, a bus ticket, or an airline ticket may all be done online. Consumers tend to go on to a website and book tickets rather than wait in a massive queue and waiting for even their turn. In some scenarios, customers may have to pay a premium for an online service(Karthick Raghunath, K. M et al., 2022).

Online purchasing in its initial point was a simple form of media for buying things with limited opportunities. Customers can immediately place an order and pay out of pocket after pickup. Nonetheless, in the latest years, this sector has been considerably revitalized, enthralling a large number of buyers. Today, online buying has become mainstream. The rationale for the acceptance of this strategy in India is due to the enticing online portals through reduced price, user-friendly design, large online retailers with fresh fashion, and simple payment methods. For Example, safe online payment using payment methods such as GPay, UPI, PayPal, net banking, swiping credit/debit card, or cash-on-delivery), In addition to quantity and quality, one may select things depending on size, colour, price, free home delivery, and so on. Purchase, yet it is still preferable due to the greater convenience element.

In online shopping, there is a lot of variety of products and services available in a single touch. Selecting products with good reviews is easier here. It runs with the theme of business to customer(B2C). In e-commerce platforms, there is no need for intermediaries. Customer can start their shopping and place through their desktop or mobile phones with the internet.  It created a platform that is easy to handle by consumers, with 24*7 availability. Placing orders and getting products is easy through online shopping.  So, customers can use this facility at any time and any place.

Literature Review 

The following reviews will determine the importance of online shopping and identify the factors that determine consumer satisfaction.

Vijay and Balaji (2009) found some factors in their study that influence customers’ purchasing methods, time-saving and convenient ways. Compared with traditional shopping, online shopping is given more comfort to its consumers. But in this new method of shopping, the consumer has some lurks like privacy and payment methods. The investigators advised the retailers, that the improvement of security and knowledge about websites will help to improve their business (Kumar, V.V et al., 2021).

Raghunath (2015), explained in his article, “Time and Money saving”, which is done through online shopping. A lot of offers offered by e-commerce retailers’ free accessibility of websites can help the consumer choose their desirable products.  Knowing accessing the internet is the only thing to use the websites.  Improving the customer policy, product name, and Popularity of the Product are the things that help the retailer to their destinated consumers.

Vyas and Bisa (2017), expressed in their articles, that the availability of a 24*7 facility is leading the customer to choose online shopping.  Their survey was done in Bikaner city with 60 respondents.  Most of their respondent were choose a favourable website like Amazon.

Rudresha et.al (2018) revealed in their article, “Customer perception through online shopping”, that the price and easy way of shopping is the main factors that determine consumer satisfaction.  With the help of 100 respondents’ responses, even though it is easier to access the websites for shopping, some of them prefer their traditional shopping.  The price discounts and offers only convert the traditional consumers to online shoppers temporarily.

Jahwari et.al (2018), in their research, “Factors influencing customer satisfaction of online shopping in Oman”, The product quality and guarantee will satisfy the consumer when their orders. From 180 respondents, Delivery at the proper time and service quality are also the main factors that satisfy and retain the consumers.

Jukariah (2018), revealed in her article that, Consumer Privacy and Secured payment methods are the two main and important factors that influence the customer to buy online.  She suggests that retail and online website owner to improving service quality after-sales it helps them to improve their business.

Key factors influencing consumer intention to shop online:

According to Sunil Patel (2015), the following important factors that influence consumer in online shopping, they are as follow:

• Increasing internet Access and 4G and 5G coverage have been key trends impacting Indian e-commerce.
• Increase in income
• Enhancing Life Quality
• Supply of a significantly broader product line
• Time constraints and a lack of time for offline shopping
• Smartphone usage is increasing.
• Increased use of online classified sites
• Technological developments
• Enhancing the delivery experience
• Improving payment alternatives and increasing security
• Increase in the number of services available after the sale
• Enhanced the whole purchasing experience.

Consumer awareness

Abubakar & Ahmed, et.al (2013), stated in their article, Consumer knowledge and information about the internet and shopping websites, their usage, importance, and price are called “consumer awareness.”, Aldous Ari and Alhazemi (2016) reported that the beginning stage of consumer behaviour is consumer awareness, which is associated with a thing that stimulates the consumer's purchase interest and is followed by other phases in the shopping process.

 Trust in products and websites

Trust has been described as a readiness to depend on or to become vulnerable to the other party when one cannot control the other party's actions (Meyer et al., 1995 quoted in Abdulgani & Suhaimi, 2014).

Negatively or positively online feedback from customers will further rise might reduce the sales of inferior goods; yet, this would have no effective impact on well-known brands Higher sales of a specific brand result in increased positive online consumer reviews, which aids a weak brand can be transformed into a stronger one. (K. Hemant K. Reddy et al., 2022).

Online Shopping Rage in Vellore

The internet penetration rate in the nation has been rising rapidly with the development and accessibility of smartphones and information technology in the country.  Vellore, in the northern region of Tamil Nādu, is the headquarters of this district. Vellore became a metropolitan city in 2000, with a population of 4,846,690 people, of which 87.09 per cent were literate, according to Vellore.nic.ac.in. Online shopping is quickly growing in Vellore as a digital way of shopping. As a result, evaluating the determinants of consumer satisfaction with online shopping is essential in the Vellore District. Around 43% of people from Vellore, use online platforms, such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra for their online shopping services.

Objectives of the study

1. To study the demographic profile of the consumers in online shopping.
2. To identify the factors influencing consumer satisfaction in online shopping during COVID-19.

Hypothesis: H0: there is no statistically significant association between gender and consumer buying behaviour on online shopping among consumers purchasing from online websites during Covid-19.

Research Methodology

Nature of study: Empirical research work.

Data Collection: Primary and secondary data were used in this study. Primary data were collected through a questionnaire by using a survey method and the secondary data were collected through articles like journals, and internet sources.

Sampling method: Random Sampling Method.

Sampling size:  154 samples were collected from the respondent.

Sampling areas: Vellore district

Sampling unit: Online shoppers in Vellore districts

Questionnaire design: Structured questionnaire with Likert’s scale by using five points scale with the targeted population.

Data analysis: Statistical techniques like percentage analysis, t-test

Limitations of the Study

The present study covers only the online consumers from the Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, that too only 154 samples were received. The opinion of the consumers may not similar if the same study was conducted in other Districts of Tamil Nadu, India.

Analysis and Inference- Percentage Analysis

The demographic profile of the respondents in the study area regarding gender, education, profession, income, and nativity was presented in table 1.

Table 1. Demographic Profile

Source: Primary Data

Interpretation

From the above table, it is inferred that under the gender category, 50.4% of the respondents belong to females and 49.6% of the respondents belong to a male. Under the location, 52.6% of the respondents belong to urban areas and 47.4% of the respondents belong to rural areas.  Under the educational qualification, 79.3% of the respondents have qualified for Postgraduate and above degree, 14.9% of the respondents have qualified graduate degree, and 5.8% of the respondents have completed their school level education. Under the category Profession, 47.4% of the respondents belong to the student category, 42.9% of the respondents belong to the Salaried person, 4.5% of the respondents belong to the business, and 5.2% of the respondents belong to the category of homemaker. Concerning the Monthly income of the respondents, 7.7% of the respondents have less than 5000 of income, 8.4% of the respondents have 10001-15000 of income, 46.29% of the respondents have 15001-20000 income, 38.4% of the respondents have 20000 and above as their monthly income.

Consumers’ Satisfaction with online shopping during COVID-19

Mean Score with Rank Correlation

The variables relating to consumer satisfaction towards online shopping during COVID -19 were presented in table 2.

Table 2. Consumer satisfaction towards online shopping during COVID-19

Source: Primary Data

Note: (SA) Strongly Agree (A) Agree (M) Maybe (DA) Disagree (SDA) Strongly Disagree

Interpretation

It is inferred from table 2, that during COVID-19 is online shopping websites are helpful to you with a mean score value of 3.65 ranked 1, consumers fully satisfied with your online shopping experience with a mean score value of 3.55 ranked 2, and Online shopping takes less time to choose and purchase with the mean score value of 3.53 ranked 3, and online shopping provide reliable information with a mean score value of 3.48 ranked 4.

Consumers’ Satisfaction with online shopping during COVID-19

Testing the Hypothesis

The variables regarding consumer satisfaction towards online shopping during COVID -19 were tested in table 3.

Table 3. Factors influencing Consumer satisfaction towards online shopping.

Source: Primary data

Interpretation

It is inferred from the above table, that for all the four variables, the mean score is more the female gender compared to the male gender. It is very interesting to denote that all the online consumers have strongly agreed that they all have fluency with online shopping. 

The output of the T-test results showed that the significant value from 0.452 to 0.001 for all four variables is more than the hypothetical value of 0.05 at a 5% level of significance. Hence, the null hypothesis is accepted for all four variables, therefore, there is no statistically significant association between gender and consumer buying behaviors on online shopping among consumers purchasing from online websites during Covid-19.

Findings                            

1. Majority (51.90%) of the respondents belong to female respondents.
2. Majority (57.40%) of the respondents belong to urban areas.
3. Majority (77.8%) of the respondents are having a postgraduate and above degree.
4. Majority (51.8%) of the respondents belong to the student category.
5. Majority (46.29%) of the respondents have an income of 15001-20000.

H0: there is not a huge difference between the male and female buyers in this survey. So, Statistically, it has been proven that there is no statistically significant association between gender and consumer buying behaviours on online shopping among consumers purchasing from online websites during Covid-19.

Discussion

During the pandemic period of Covid-19, the study proved that the online shopping websites were helpful to online consumers ranked 1 in the survey and the next, consumers fully satisfied with their online shopping Experience was ranked 2, Online shopping takes less time to choose and the purchase was ranked 3 and the online shopping websites provide reliable information was ranked 4. 

Conclusion

Based on this study, it was concluded that shopping through online websites is helpful during global pandemics like COVID-19. There was a lot of interaction and mutual trust between the online websites and the online shoppers. The COVID-19 pandemic created economic and social issues from a diverse perspective.

Due to this crisis, travelling from one place to another for shopping is completely disturbed and makes it possible to take a high risk. So, shopping through online websites has become popular among consumers. As per this study, it is suited for all kinds of consumers. Therefore, purchasing through online websites for all our needs during COVID-19 is successful now.

The results reveal that the factors quality, cost, product variety, uniqueness, and safety payments were highlighted as important indicators of performance and that the companies that do online businesses had to take care of their main goal as per the proposal.

Acknowledgement

There has been very little significant research undertaken in this domain that has proven consumer satisfaction with online buying. More research in this area can be performed shortly.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no potential conflict of interest regarding the publication of this work. In addition, the ethical issues including plagiarism, informed consent, misconduct, data fabrication and, or falsification, double publication and, or submission, and redundancy have been completely witnessed by the authors.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article