E-tailing Servicescape Features and E-shopping Satisfaction among Older Customers: A Multi-Country Comparison

Ageing is a global phenomenon, which presents challenges and opportunities for many nations, including Canada, China, and Germany, the foci of the study. In addition to the impact on pensions, health care, the labour market, consumer trends, and social services, the greying population also has far-reaching implications for businesses. As the population ages, changes in older customers’ retail behaviours have a direct impact on retail operations. While e-commerce in Canada, China, and Germany has experienced exponential growths, consumer research has focused on generations Y and Z (Ladhari et al., 2019) as they are digital natives and active participants of e-commerce activities. Scant research has focused on older shoppers and their e-shopping experiences and satisfaction, especially in a cross-cultural comparison context. However, the internet penetration among older consumers is increasing and thereby their impact on the e-commerce market (Lian and Yen, 2014). In contrast to the “digital natives” (Piotrowicz and Cuthbertson, 2014), older consumers sometimes are facing difficulties to handle technological issues properly while shopping online. Therefore, this research project aims at identifying the most relevant factors in e-tailing for older consumers and how they could increase e-shopping satisfaction.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hong Yu

Student:

Partner:

Universität Bayreuth

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Information and Communications Technology; New and Digital Media; Other

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program: