Understanding the Role of Trust in Online Shopping Intention for Consumer Electronics Products

Abstract

E-commerce is offering ample opportunities for the business to grow. To capitalize on these opportunities offered by e-commerce and to develop the strategies to deal with challenges that are prevailing in the industry online retailers have to understand and consider the factors that influence online shopping intention. One of the key factors that influence online shopping intention is trust. In this context, the present study investigated the influence of trust on online shopping intention for consumer electronics by applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in Surat city of Gujarat, India. The data were collected from college students (n=474) through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using statistical software SPSS and AMOS 21 version. The research model was constructed and validated. It was found that trust has a significant and positive influence on the online shopping intention for consumer electronics directly and indirectly. Further, it was also found that perceived ease of use has a positive influence on perceived usefulness. Perceived usefulness has a positive and significant influence on online shopping intention. The online retailer should focus on developing the environment that develops customers' trustworthiness towards online shopping and can make their website convenient and easy to use for online shoppers. The implications with future research scope of the study were also discussed.