Internet Purchases of Specific Products in Spain

Figures of Internet purchases by product categories reveal that certain types of products fare better than others. This research investigates product differences in the context of the individual's decision to purchase online. A theoretical model of consumer e-commerce adoption is developed and tested. By using a large and representative sample of 8837 Internet users in Spain, we analyse the factors that influence the popularity of Internet purchasing in 12 groups of products. We measure popularity of each category by the proportion of individuals who buy from a particular product category. Our results show that consumers behave differently, according to the product under consideration. We find that, overall, men are more likely to purchase than women. However, we identify products and services that are more popular among women and others that are more popular among men. For most products the probability of purchase increases with age up to a certain point, at which it starts decreasing. Education generally has a positive and significant effect on the purchase of most categories of products, although it varies by categories. All the categories show a positive and significant relationship between the consumer's computer and Internet skills and the probability of purchasing online. The frequency of use and the level of trust of consumers in the Internet are found to have a large impact on the probability of purchasing online, although in varying degrees according to category. These results may be useful for retailers to devise marketing strategies and for policymakers to decide if and how to promote e-commerce