Perceptions of Retail Convenience for In-Store and Online Shoppers

Shoppers seek convenience in different shopping situations; however, marketers know very little about the types of convenience that retailers offer and the types of convenience that consumers value. In this study, perceptions of retail convenience are examined across two popular shopping formats—traditional, brick-and-mortar stores and online shopping. Items measuring the retail convenience dimensions of access, search, transaction, and possession were constructed. Data were collected using both a convenience sample and a national online panel. Results indicate that retail convenience is a higher-order construct consisting of four distinct dimensions—access, search, transaction, and possession. Testing of hypotheses detailing retail convenience perceptions among in-store and online shoppers reveal that online shoppers have more favorable perceptions of access convenience, search convenience, and transaction convenience than in-store shoppers. The results detail consumer perceptions of convenience regarding in-store and online shopping. In addition, this research reveals the importance of the different dimensions of retail convenience in constructing an overall convenience strategy.