Consumer adoption of the internet as an information search and product purchase channel: some research hypotheses

Abstract: This study provides an exploratory model to understand the factors that influence consumers to adopt the internet instead of traditional channels for information search and product purchase. The authors reviewed previous established theories on consumer decision making in offline environments and research findings regarding consumer behaviour in an online environment. The authors embraced the contingent consumer decision-making model provided by Bettman et al. and classified the factors that influence consumers to use online channels instead of traditional channels into three groups – person, problem, and context.