Geoffrey Bick
Professor, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Khalid Maal
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.Adoption of Online Grocery Shopping in
South Africa
Grocery shopping has traditionally been conducted in a physical
‘marketplace’, but with the advent and adoption of the Internet,
opportunity exists for shopping in a virtual ‘marketspace’. However,
limited research has been conducted in this area in developing
economies. The purpose of this research was: firstly, to identify the
demographic and behavioural profile of a typical South African using
an Online Grocery Shopping Service (OGSS); and secondly, to identify
the factors that could affect the adoption of such a service in the South
African market.
Data was collected using a convenience sample, via online and
email questionnaires sent to potential respondents, as well as through
mall intercepts. A total of 132 fully completed responses (of the 175
collected) were utilised for the analysis. The demographic and
behavioural profiles were analysed using descriptive statistics, and
confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify the factors pertinent
to OGSS adoption.
The findings revealed that the profile of a South African online
grocery shopper is a person between the ages of 30 to 49, with a tertiary
qualification, earning a monthly income of at least R10000 (about
US$1450), with internet access, and spending a significant amount of
time conducting shopping. The factor analysis identified five factors
affecting adoption: perceived benefits, perceived ease of use, perceived
risk, visibility and social influence. Perceived benefits included time
saving, convenience and assisting the elderly; perceived risk related to
credit card fraud, potential robbery, and incorrect products being
delivered. Visibility and social influence are particularly important
during the growth phase of OGSS.
The findings are consistent with research conducted in other online
shopping markets, with some local adaptations, indicating the relative
globalization of the online shopper.