SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

Online retail industry is considered to be one of the fastest growing industries in India; as
per the data published by IBEF, the number of online shoppers in India is estimated to touch
220 million by the year 2025. Since, this is the age of technology and Indian consumers are
adapting themselves according to this changing technology and same in the case of the retail
companies as they are making strategies keeping in mind the efficiency of the new
technology for marketing. As the perception of the consumers have changed due to change
in the domestic and international market, therefore, retail companies have also started to
change their perception to get more and more consumer base for their products. A level of
competition can be observed among the retail companies where most of the companies tend
to provide attractive offers to the online consumers. These offers provided to the consumers
so that the purchasing behavior of the consumer can be influenced and profit can be gained.
According to a report, an increase in the sales of the branded products is observed from last
few years which show the increasing tendency of the consumers to purchase the branded
products knowing the fact that the quality of these products is found to be ultimate.

The present study has been undertaken with a view to study the changing pattern of
buying behavior of young women in Jaipur and Kota cities of Rajasthan since the
practice of shopping online has changed the overall scenario in Indian retail industry.
Switching customers towards online shops has affected the business of millions of
retailers and forced them to redesign their marketing strategies. Today’s woman is no
longer confined to the role of a ‘homemaker’. She has accomplished financial freedom
by her sheer ability to compete in the male-dominated world. The woman today has a
greater sense of empowerment and economic freedom and this show in a way that her
consumption pattern has changed. Nowadays, retail is mainly dominated by females and
they play a significant role in shopping for themselves and their family. They shop for
both essential and discretionary items, to elevate their mood, and to socialize. They are
seen as the most potential consumers in the world because they are at the core of decision
making in the family. By and large, the main purpose of this research endeavour is to get
better understanding of online shopping and its impact on women buying behavior.
 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The topic of the study was identified and titled as-

“Impact and Effectiveness of Online Shopping on Young Women’s Buying Behavior”

OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH WORK

 To study the important factors that influence online shopping behavior of young
women.
 To identify the online shopping usage by young women.
 To identify the impact of demographic variables on women perception towards online
shopping factors.
 To identify the effect of online shopping factors on young women’s buying behavior.
(Time convenience, Place convenience, Ease of price comparison, Infinite choice in
products and services, Save time and Bulk discount offers)
 To identify problems encountered by online shoppers.
 To study satisfaction level of online young women shoppers so as to boost them up
for online shopping

STUDY METHOD
The researcher has adopted descriptive research design for the study. The researcher has tried
to study the existing perceptions of women online shoppers in Jaipur and Kota; without
manipulating in anyway the scenario as it stands presently.

Since the population of the study is very large, therefore, after considering the limitations of
efforts, money and time the researcher has used sampling method instead of census method
of enquiry and it was found fit for the study. 500 women belonged to Jaipur and Kota cities
were identified randomly and requested to fill the questionnaire through mail and social
networking sites. Duly filled in questionnaires of 392 women customers were found complete
and their responses were edited in accordance with the requirements of the objectives and
hypotheses.

Data Collection-
In order to fulfill the objectives of the study, data was collected using primary as well as
secondary sources. Being empirical study, it is largely based on primary data collected by the
researcher through well designed, structured and comprehensive questionnaire designed by
the researcher keeping in view the available literature and objectives of the study.

Secondary data have been collected from various sources such as Media Reports, Press
Releases, Press Information Bureau (PIB), internet sources, Official Publications such as
Economic Survey, Economic Review, Statistics for Planning, other published books, official
and reliable websites, various periodicals, newspapers etc.

Statistical Techniques-
Statistical techniques used to validate stated hypotheses include Percentage analysis,
Pearson’s Chi- square test, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis or H test.

STUDY RESULTS
Findings

 The findings support that online shopping factors significantly affect women’s buying
behavior. A majority of respondents were having positive perceptions about online
shopping factors. It implies that online shopping do affects women buying behavior.
 It was found that women’s perception about online shopping gets influenced by their
Qualification and Occupation. Working women and those who have higher
qualification (PG or Above) are more inclined towards online shopping. However,
their marital status does not have significant impact on their perceptions about online
shopping.
 The results revealed that perceptions of sample women about online buying of basic
consumer goods like electronics, clothing, home appliances which are more important
for daily usage are influenced by their buying behavior.

 It can be concluded that most of the respondents have agreed that they face the given
problems while they shop online. However, their opinion about these problems
depends on their shopping behavior. Thus, it can be concluded that opinions of young
women on problems faced during online shopping process vary with their buying
behavior.
Hypotheses Results
Hypothesis Result
H1 Null There is no significant association between online
shopping factors and women buying behavior. Reject
Alternate There is a significant association between online
shopping factors and women buying behavior. Accept
H2 Null There is no significant difference in the women
perception towards online shopping factors on the Reject
basis of demographic variables.
Alternate There is a significant difference in the women
perception towards online shopping factors on the Accept
basis of demographic variables.
H3 Null There is no significant difference in perceptions of
women belonging to different buying behavior class Accept
about online shopping of different categories in
consumer goods.
Alternate There is a significant difference in perceptions of
women belonging to different buying behavior class Reject
about online shopping of different categories in
consumer goods.
H4 Null There is no significant association between opinion of
young women on problems faced during online Reject
shopping process and their online shopping buying
behavior.
Alternate There is a significant association between opinion of
young women on problems faced during online Accept
shopping process and their online shopping buying
behavior.

CONCLUSION
Due to rising income and surge in internet users, online shopping has been increasing
in India but extent of online shopping is not as wide as compared to other developed
countries like USA and UK. Still a big fraction of Indian population is out of the reach
of online retailers. Therefore, there is a huge potential for business firms to focus on
this untapped market. The present study is an attempt to understand the online buying
behavior of Indian women so that marketing implications of the study can be used to
design suitable strategies to convert non-users into users. The present study has been
designed to study the impact of online shopping on consumer behavior of young
women aged 25-40. Though the scope of the study is restricted to two big cities
(Jaipur & Kota) of Rajasthan only, yet it gives useful insights to understand the
present status of online shopping among women and suggests measures for business
firms to improve their shopping experience and attract other segments too.

 As per the study, young women have shown positive attitudes towards online
shopping. Even women, who shop rarely, also perceived online shopping
positively. The following points can be concluded in this regard-
 A majority of women were agreed that online shopping saves time.
 Most of the sample women were strongly agreed with the fact that Online
Shopping helps in Ease of Finding Products.
 A majority of women were agreed that Inclination towards Trying Something
New.
 A majority of women were strongly agreed about Online shopping’s ability to
make Comparison among products.
 A majority of women agreed with the fact that Online shopping allows Ease in
Finding Products which are Unavailable in Stores.
 Most of the sample women were agreed that while shopping online there is No
Need to Deal with Sales Person.
 A majority of women were agreed that there is No need to Drag Children in online
shopping.
 A majority of women were agreed that online shopping provides Timely Home
Delivery Facility.
 Most of women were agreed with the fact that online shopping saves from Heavy
Traffic.
 A majority of them were strongly agreed that online shopping provides 24 X 7
Shop Facility.
 A majority of women were strongly agreed about availability of Easy Payment
Options in online shopping.
 Most of women were agreed that online shopping offers Easy Refund Policies.
 A majority of women were agreed that online shops are the Best Mode for Online
Products Advertising.
 A majority of women agreed that they get influenced by Advertising in
Newspaper & Magazine about online shopping.
 Most of women agreed that online shops have Frequent TV & Radio Advertising.
 A majority of women were agreed that online shopping has Attractive Window
Display.
 Most of women agreed that online shopping builds Brand Name & Image of
products.
 A majority of women were agreed that they get Recommendation about online
shops from Social Group.
 Most of women were neutral about getting influenced by Celebrity Endorsement.
 A majority of women were neutral that they get Impressed with Free Samples.
 A majority of women were strongly agreed with getting Special Offers / Discounts
on online shops.
 Most of them strongly agreed with the fact that online shops offer Lower Prices.
 A majority of them were agreed that online shops offer Latest Designs, Quality &
Technology.

Thus, it can be concluded that most of the online shopping factors significantly affect
buying behavior of young women.

 Demographic variables (qualification, occupation) do affect their perceptions

about online shopping. Working women and those who have higher
qualification (PG or above) are more inclined towards online shopping.
 However, their marital status does not have significant impact on their
perceptions about online shopping.

 As per the study it can be concluded that young women face some problems in
online shopping -

 A majority of women were strongly agreed about problem in online

shopping relating to No Possibility to Feel, Touch & See.
 A majority of women were agreed about problem in online shopping
relating to Risk of Misuse of Personal Details, Risk of Identity Theft,
Risk of Non Delivery, Rely on Online Vendors, Lengthy Return
Policies, Rely on Mentioned Brands, No Enjoyment of Outdoor
Shopping.
 A majority of women were neutral to problems relating to No
Knowledge of Online Shopping, Risk of Social Isolation, having
Backache and online shopping being More Expensive.

 Further studying the product categories, women perform online shopping for
almost every categories of product irrespective of its usage, price, brand etc.
However, their perceptions about online buying of basic consumer goods like
electronics, clothing, home appliances which are more important for daily
usage are influenced by their buying behavior.

Thus, through improving processes and adopting strategic marketing practices,

business firms can further increase online shopping experience of women and attract
more customers.

RECOMMENDATIONS

E-Commerce firms should focus on female consumers who have graduation or higher
qualification and those who are working. As per the present study, these women have
shown positive attitude towards most of the online factors. Though some sample
women have shown that they rarely shop online, still they reported to have positive
perceptions about online shopping. It is important for business firms who are selling
online to understand behavior and experience of internet usage of target group of
women. They should closely monitor these factors and develop effective marketing
strategies to retain this segment and design suitable strategies to attract other
segments.

Lack of knowledge of operating computer and internet may be a big hurdle in tapping
women aging above 40 years. They can be taught through advertisement displayed
during their favourite shows on television detailing the process of how to shop online
using mobile phones. Social media could also be a better source to attract people who
rarely or never shop online. It builds their confidence in online shopping and
influences them to experience it. One more issue is the security issue that might
discourages women to shop online. It is important issue for both user and non-user of
online shopping. To deal with this issue online retailers should provide safe payment
options by collaborating with different banks.

As per the study, celebrity endorsement does not affect their choices much. Instead,
business firms can show benefits of online shopping and positive reviews of existing
customers. Moreover, they can divert their funds in attractive discount offers, better
deals, improving the quality of their products and delivering products speedily.

Along with offering lower prices as compared to traditional retail stores online
business firms should offer additional discount on repeat purchases, this would attract
them to shop online again.

The design and layout of website should be attractive and user friendly. It should
display catalogue that contains detailed description about the products and important
instructions to use and maintain those products. The website should also have a
designated space for reviews of existing users and their recommendations. Moreover,
it should be updated on a regular basis.
In order to combat with the problem of ‘no touch, no feel’ in online shopping, some
portals are already using augmented reality applications and have opened offline
stores to remove this barrier, but still a lot needs to be done in this regard.

Identity theft and security issues negate the effectiveness of online shopping.
Technological interventions are needed to improve the overall shopping experience of
customers. Thus online business firms need to make online shopping more secured for
its customers.

The electronic and electric product companies should provide free installation and
free training for operating the product to increase the dependencies of women
customer along with their safety and security.

Free pick and return facility should also be provided for those products which require
regular servicing or similar activities.

A quick response complaint handling system can improve the confidence among
customers. Online sales agents can also be provided with to help customers to make
their purchase.

Further, online business firms must have mechanisms if the product delivered does
not match with the product ordered. They should guarantee the quality of their
products and create avenues of settling disputes while making exchanges of products.

FUTURE SCOPE OF THE STUDY

 More researches may be undertaken on different/heterogeneous segments so that

their needs are addressed too.
 Future study may undertake men, students, women living in rural areas or
professionals, etc. in its purview.
 It would also be possible to undertake a cross cultural study on the subject across
the nations so as to come out with a unification program with global supply
leading greater advantages in supply and pricing.
 Online business firms can also prioritize working women’s implicit and explicit
requirements in online shopping environment as working women are independent
and having buying power but not having enough time to roam in markets.
 The results of the study will be utilized by practitioners in relooking or revamping
their strategies for online shopping.