Consumer Perception of Membership Subscription Services on Online Shopping Platforms: Focused on Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA)

Purpose: This study examines consumer perceptions of membership subscription services offered by major online shopping platforms. It focuses on identifying improvement areas by analyzing the importance and performance of usage and non-usage factors derived from prior research.Research design, data, and methodology: A total of 377 paying users who had used membership subscription services at least once in the past three years were surveyed. Based on previous studies, usage variables (convenience, price consciousness, and social influence) and non-usage variables (environmental consciousness, information overload, and traditional barrier) were measured. Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) was applied to evaluate each factor's perceived importance and satisfaction.Results: Coupang's ‘Wow Membership’ categorized ‘convenience’ and ‘price consciousness’ under Keep up the Good Work (Quadrant 1), and ‘social influence’ under Concentrate Here (Quadrant 2). ‘Environmental consciousness’, ‘information overload’, and ‘traditional barrier’ were classified as Low Priority (Quadrant 3). Naver's ‘Naver Plus Membership’ classified ‘convenience’ and ‘price consciousness’ as Keep up the Good Work (Quadrant 1), while ‘social influence’, ‘environmental consciousness’, ‘information overload’, and ‘traditional barrier’ were categorized under Low Priority (Quadrant 3). Shinsegae's ‘SSG Universe Club’ categorized ‘convenience’ and ‘social influence’ as Keep up the Good Work (Quadrant 1), ‘environmental consciousness’, ‘information overload’, and ‘traditional barrier’ as Low Priority (Quadrant 3), and ‘price consciousness’ as Possible Overkill (Quadrant 4).Implications: The findings highlight that usage and non-usage variables significantly influence consumers’ attitudes and intentions to continue or cancel membership services. These variables provide actionable insights for companies to enhance service quality, increase user satisfaction, and reduce customer churn.