Factors influencing internet shopping behaviour: a survey of consumers in Thailand

Purpose – An exploration of factors influencing internet shopping is conducted using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as the theoretical base. The theory holds that a potential customer's attitude towards the behaviour and the customer's subjective norm and perceived behavioural controls can influence the intention and its eventual realisation. This paper aims to address the factors influencing internet shopping by Thai consumers in order to answer the question of how well TPB explains online shopping intentions in Thailand. Then, comparisons are made between theoretical predictions and the current situation of the use of online services by consumers in Thailand. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on a questionnaire survey asking participants what factors influence their use of the internet for shopping. Subjects are drawn from 400 graduates at four major universities in Thailand. To test the validity and reliability of the measurement models using the corrected item‐total correlations, Cronbach's α and correlations among constructs in the path model are used. Assessment is made of the importance of variables in the path model with the application of the conventional regression. All multiple items of the measures are assessed for their internal consistency by computing the corrected item total correlation and coefficient α for each composite measure. Findings – The empirical analysis suggests that the difficulty of shopping online is seen as the factor most influencing customers' intention to shop online. In this survey and that of the NECTEC, online technology is seen as the principal barrier to using the internet for online shopping. In contrast, it is found elsewhere that a potential customer's attitude is the factor having most influence on the intention to shop. Originality/value – The results of a survey of 400 consumers in Thailand showed that the factors of opinions of people around consumers and the environment of online shopping can affect their intention to shop online, and its realisation.