Loja física versus e-commerce: estudo comparativo sobre o consumo de semi joias

Abstract

The article presents a quantitative comparative analysis of the consumer preferences for semijewelry in the physical and virtual environments. To that end, 196 clients at different ages, income brackets and level of education respond to an online questionnaire in order to ensure a greater understanding of their shopping habits. The participants were then classified into two different groups based on their buying methods: those who buy only in virtual environments and those who, in addition to the virtual environment, also buy in physical stores. The theoretical basis of the article is centered in topics as the study of the market and consumption habits of the fashion industry and accessories and a comparative analysis between traditional commerce and electronic commerce. Methodologically speaking, the article presents a quantitative approach, having a survey as a method of data collection and a multivariate statistical analysis as the basis for the analysis of its results. From this analysis, it was possible to present a socioeconomic profile of the consumer studied; being this public almost entirely female, predominantly single, with full higher education, with monthly family income above R$ 8,800.00 (Brazilian Real) and with a certain concentration in the range between 20 and 30 years. More specifically, from the implementation of the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), the article not only determines the statistically significant differences in the purchasing preferences of the two groups of consumers, but also identifies the criteria that are effectively contributing to such differences. Based on the results found in the article, it was possible to show that these differences are related to the customer satisfaction in having anavailable seller at the buying moment, to be able to buy the products and be able to take it at the same time and the possibility to try the products before the purchase. In this way, it is emphasized that the results found corroborate and reinforce a view previously established by Cobra (1997) on the factors that influence the fashion movement; more specifically, the growth of leisure time with the intention of fighting routine, greater receptivity to new information, greater economic and social independence of women, the impact of sales promotion and the active and innovative impact of designers. With this, it is believed that the results found from the research not only contribute to the theory of marketing consumption in fashion context but also direct management actions of companies into this field.