The developing direct relationship between a manufacturer and consumers : Four group cases

Purpose – To investigate consumers' characteristics during internet shopping for customized products in order to reduce the distance between a manufacturer and consumers. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative methods were conducted with longitudinal interviewing with 20 participants. For the shopping experiment, a web site was used by participants to order two pair of customized shoes based on each participant's needs. Findings – Four groups were identified during the shopping experiments. The result suggested that each group of participants had different priorities for a satisfying shopping experience in terms of customized products. Originality/value – This paper identified the relationship between a manufacturer and consumers by ordering customized products through online.