Customer purchase behaviour and shopping in B2C e-commerce

Abstract

Purpose – digitalization of business processes, cultural backgrounds and consequences on behavioral differences make a direct impact on customer purchase behavior across different countries. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the effect of the economic situation in the selected countries regarding the e-commerce business. Research methodology – first, the paper presents a theoretical model for customer purchase behavior and the development of the theory in the B2C e-commerce context. Second, it is analyzed the main aspects of shopping behavior in selected countries. Findings – a difference between traditional and e-commerce customer purchase behavior model was found. Next, the research shows the main characteristics of shopping in B2C and provides a better understanding of the impact of digitalization. Research limitations – research will focus on the shopping in B2C e-commerce market in the Czech Republic, Lithuania and in the European Union. The data is based on the Czech Statistical Office, which covers a period from 2010 to 2018 and the respondents of the survey purchased online in the 12 months prior to 2018. Practical implications – the paper confirmed the fact that the B2C e-commerce market in the Czech Republic is developed and has potential to grow nationally and internationally. It is necessary to further investigate the relationship between customer purchase behavior, e-commerce, and other economic indicators, possibly including other factors. Originality/Value – the paper investigates online shopping for the period between 2010–2018. Finally, the authors discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results.