European Journal of Marketing

An empirical investigation into e-shopping excitement: antecedents and effects

Chanaka Jayawardhena Len Tiu Wright
Article information:
To cite this document:
Chanaka Jayawardhena Len Tiu Wright, (2009),"An empirical investigation into e-shopping excitement:
antecedents and effects", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 43 Iss 9/10 pp. 1171 - 1187
Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090560910976429
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Downloaded on: 30 January 2016, At: 06:32 (PT)

References: this document contains references to 89 other documents.
To copy this document: [email protected]
The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 4096 times since 2009*
Users who downloaded this article also downloaded:
Charles Dennis, Bill Merrilees, Chanaka Jayawardhena, Len Tiu Wright, (2009),"E-
consumer behaviour", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 43 Iss 9/10 pp. 1121-1139 http://
dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090560910976393
Mark Brown, Nigel Pope, Kevin Voges, (2003),"Buying or browsing?: An exploration of shopping
orientations and online purchase intention", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 37 Iss 11/12 pp.
1666-1684 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090560310495401
Chris Hand, Francesca Dall'Olmo Riley, Patricia Harris, Jaywant Singh, Ruth Rettie, (2009),"Online
grocery shopping: the influence of situational factors", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 43 Iss 9/10 pp.
1205-1219 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090560910976447

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emerald-srm:397875 []
For Authors
If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for
Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines
are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information.
About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com
Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company
manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as
providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.
Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee
on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive
preservation.

*Related content and download information correct at time of download.

 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0309-0566.htm

E-shopping
An empirical investigation into excitement
e-shopping excitement:
antecedents and effects
1171
Chanaka Jayawardhena
Loughborough University Business School, Loughborough University, Received April 2007
Loughborough, UK, and Revised January 2008
Accepted August 2008
Len Tiu Wright
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Graduate Business School, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

Abstract
Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the antecedents of online shopper excitement, its
consequences for behavioural intentions as expressed by intent to return, and positive word-of-mouth
communication.
Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual model is developed based on the literature.
Instrument item scales to measure all constructs in the model were as informed by the literature and
adapted from prior studies. An online structured questionnaire survey was sent by e-mail to a UK
consumer panel (n ¼ 626). The results were analysed using LISREL 8.7.
Findings – Convenience, involvement, attributes of the web site and merchandising all collectively
influence shopper excitement. The attributes of the web site and merchandising directly influence
intent to return. E-shopper excitement leads to positive word-of-mouth (WOM) and increases the intent
to return.
Research limitations/implications – The study may be limited in that no differentiation is made
between the types of goods that e-consumers purchased. A future extension of this work could be to
investigate how the study can be applied to various products, including experience goods such as
entertainment.
Practical implications – It is shown that shopping excitement can increase intent to return and
positive WOM. Understanding online shopper excitement can explain some of the reasons why
consumers shop online, which in turn can help e-tailers improve their offerings to their consumers.
Originality/value – The study presents a comprehensive model of online shopper excitement. This
is the first study to validate such a model empirically, and therefore the study adds to the
understanding of the antecedents and consequences of consumer excitement in the online shopping
environment.
Keywords Internet shopping, Consumer behaviour
Paper type Research paper

Introduction
Today’s e-commerce landscape is characterised by very high competition (Belanger
et al., 2002) and a marketplace is changing at a very dynamic pace (Keen et al., 2004;
Jayawardhena, 2004a). Practitioners and academics alike have argued that an essential
strategy for success and in today’s marketplace is the creation and maintenance of
satisfied and loyal customers (Arnold et al., 2005). Increasingly, e-shoppers are European Journal of Marketing
Vol. 43 No. 9/10, 2009
becoming more sophisticated and more experienced at shopping online. Online pp. 1171-1187
shoppers are looking for enjoyment (Koufaris et al., 2001/2002) and excitement q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0309-0566
(Jayawardhena, 2004b) in their shopping experience. Successful e-tailers have gone to DOI 10.1108/03090560910976429
 EJM great lengths to enhance shopper experience (Keen et al., 2004) and emphasis appears
43,9/10 to be increasingly placed on the virtual environment in e-tailing and its effects on
consumer evaluation of e-shopping web sites and shopping behaviour. There is a
growing stream of research that examines the factors that influence e-shopper attitudes
(Eroglu et al., 2001, 2003) and mood (Park et al., 2005), online service quality (e.g.
Parasuraman et al., 2005), online satisfaction (Evanschitzky et al., 2004), intention to
1172 purchase (Loiacono et al., 2002), and intention to revisit sites (Rice, 2002).
Nevertheless, this growing body of research still does not appear to address a
question that e-tailers in this extremely competitive environment now face: how do
e-tailers provide an enjoyable and exciting shopping experience for e-shoppers? What are
the behavioural outcomes of excited e-shoppers? Despite the proliferation of research
concerning online shopping, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no single study has
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

attempted to examine both the antecedents and consequences of online shopper

excitement. The aim of this study is to fill this research gap by conducting an empirical
study of e-shopper excitement. More specifically, the objectives of the study are twofold:
(1) to examine four antecedent factors as determinants of excitement, namely
convenience, attributes of the web site, merchandising and involvement; and
(2) to assess the consequences of excitement on behavioural intentions, namely
intent to return and word of mouth communications.

The paper is organised as follows. First, the existing literature is discussed in order to
develop the theoretical background and the conceptual framework to the study. In this
section, factors having an influence on shopper excitement and its consequences are
proposed. Thereafter, we describe the methodology used in the study, including the
sample, measures and scales generated. We also present the subsequent analysis and
results in this section. Next, we discuss the findings of the research in terms of both its
theoretical and practical implications. Last but not least, we present directions for
future researchers to consider along with limitations of this study.

Theoretical context
After a considerable period in which consumers were assumed to make largely
“rational” decisions in purchase behaviour, marketing scholars are increasingly
examining the influence of emotions evoked by marketing stimuli (Laros and
Steenkamp, 2004). Emotions are responses to causal-specific stimuli that are generally
intense and more enduring, especially if emotional traces are stored and retrieved
(Cohen and Areni, 1991) and excitement is a specific positive emotional descriptor as
illustrated by Richins (1997). Similarly, Russell (1980) describes excitement as a
positive emotional state that consists of high levels of pleasure and arousal. The
distinction between feelings and emotions is important since feelings are also
responses to causal-specific stimuli, yet less intense and more fleeting as compared to
emotions (Agarwal and Malhotra, 2005). Moods on the other hand are affective states
(in the context of this paper we use the term “affective states” to reflect the emotional
state induced rather than in the “attitude towards the ad” model). However, moods are
non-object specific and may be quite transient and easily influenced by little things
(Agarwal and Malhotra, 2005).
The pervasive influence of emotional response has long been recognised by
marketing researchers in various contexts, such as advertising, product consumption,
 and shopping (Machleit and Eroglu, 2000; Wakefield and Baker, 1998; Westbrook, E-shopping
1987; Batra and Holbrook, 1990; Cohen, 1990). Specifically, past retailing research has excitement
shown that store atmospherics can evoke emotional responses in shoppers (Wakefield
and Baker, 1998; Donovan and Rossiter, 1982; Darden and Babin, 1994). In retail
settings, design elements are construed to provide consumers with a satisfying
shopping experience and to project a favourable retailer image. By manipulating all the
available ambient factors, retailers strive to induce certain desirable emotions in their 1173
patrons (Wakefield and Baker, 1998). Similarly, it can be argued that upon entering
(browsing) an e-tailer’s web site environment, an individual may experience emotions.
An understanding of positive emotions (as represented by excitement) in the e-tailer’s
environment can lead to a greater comprehension of the role that excitement play in
influencing shopping behaviours and outcomes.
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

The model shown in Figure 1 postulates that four variables (i.e. attributes of web
site, merchandising, convenience and involvement) directly influence excitement,
which in turn leads to two behavioural intentions:
(1) intent to return; and
(2) positive word-of-mouth communications.

The conceptual foundations in the model are offered next. For some links specific
conceptual evidence is not clear enough to warrant a formal hypothesis. Therefore, we
defer from offering formal hypotheses and provide preliminary conceptual evidence.

Consequences of e-shopper excitement

Intent to return. Research indicates that consumers in all shopping mediums shop for
both hedonic and utilitarian outcomes (Childers et al., 2001). Hedonic shopping value
reflects an evaluation that interacting with an environment is rewarding for the sake of
the experience itself (Babin et al., 1994). Emotional experience plays a primary role in
creating this gratification. Excitement, a combination of pleasure and arousal (Russell,
1980), can create approach tendencies, unplanned purchases, and hedonic shopping
value (Dawson et al., 1990). Approach tendencies or approach behaviours are seen as
positive responses to an environment, such as a desire to stay in a particular facility and
explore it, or intent to return to that facility. The association between approach

Figure 1.
Conceptual model
 EJM behaviours and pleasurable affective states have been reported by a number of
43,9/10 researchers (Grewal et al., 2004; Raijas, 2002). Work by Donovan and Rossiter (1982)
found that enjoyment of a retail experience results in more time being spent shopping and
return patronage. Therefore, to the extent that a consumer associates excitement with an
e-tailer, intent to return should increase. Intent to return fulfils two important goals:
(1) increased intentions allow for greater shopping task fulfilment through the
1174 acquisition of goods, services and information, and through this fulfilment,
utilitarian shopping value is increased; and
(2) intent to return is associated with hedonic values through an increased desire to
browse and continue gratification.

Positive word-of-mouth (WOM). Positive WOM communication is defined as “oral,

Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

person-to-person communication between a receiver and a communicator whom the

receiver perceives as non-commercial, regarding a brand, a product or a service” (Arndt,
1967; p. 5). Bringing the definition up to date might require reference to e-mail, online
forums and virtual communities, but the non-commercial focus would remain (Gelb and
Johnson, 1995). Kozinets (2002) defines types of virtual communities from their primary
group focus and social structure, where loyalty and heavier usage of products and
services could be developed and hence, reinforced in consumption. For example,
members of a non-verbal virtual community site at www.travelwise.com share
information about reviews and ratings of holidays, travel, accommodation and their
consumer experiences. Emotions about these experiences trigger positive or negative
WOM (Westbrook, 1987). Such reactions may range from joy to anger and increase
WOM directly (Westbrook, 1987). Additionally, existing literature suggests that aspects
of WOM communication may include favourableness (Arndt, 1967, 1968; Herr et al.,
1991), enthusiasm (how often the individual engages in WOM and with how many
people) (Anderson, 1998; File et al., 1994), and detail (how much is said) (Bone, 1992). In
sum, the above statements and the existing literature uphold a general theme. That is,
consumers’ excitement may have important implications for positive WOM.

Antecedents of excitement
Attributes of a web site. We define attributes of a web site as elements of a web site that
that are visible to a customer and aid the shopping process. These elements include
web site aesthetics, navigation, responsiveness, and secure purchase measures. Alba
et al. (1997), in their seminal piece on interactive shopping, suggest that the effective
design of these elements may lead to a competitive advantage for e-tailers. Many
studies suggest that web attributes are akin to the physical environment of a store in a
high street or a shopping mall (Childers et al., 2001). Research in traditional retailing
suggests that the shopping environment is a significant determinant of consumers’
emotions (Machleit and Eroglu, 2000) and more specifically that visual excitement
positively correlates with shopping frequency (Stoltman et al., 1991). Therefore, based
on the above review we expect that positive perceptions of the attributes of a web site
will lead to excitement.
Involvement. Involvement is referred to as an individual’s perceived relevance of an
object based on inherent needs, values and interests (Zaichkowsky, 1985). Involvement
is said to be either situational (temporal) or enduring (lasting) (Richins and Bloch,
1986). Individuals with an enduring involvement with shopping may receive hedonic
 pleasure directly from the time spent exploring the shopping environment, while others E-shopping
will embark on a purchase(s) with a shopping plan including an exit (Machleit and excitement
Eroglu, 2000; Wakefield and Baker, 1998). Researchers have also shown that higher
involvement leads to heightened emotional arousal with the consumption experience
(Wakefield and Blodgett, 1994). In summary, individuals tend to get more excited
about things that they enjoy doing. Those who do not enjoy shopping are less excited
about the experience and the environment within which they carry out the task. 1175
Merchandising. Merchandising is defined as factors associated with online offerings
separate from the attributes of the web site and shopping convenience. This definition
is in keeping with the definition adopted by Szymanski and Hise (2000). This includes
both product offerings and product information available online (Szymanski and Hise,
2000; Evanschitzky et al., 2004). An e-tail offer composed of a superior assortment of
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

products increases the probability that consumer needs will be met (Raijas, 2002).
Similarly, a wider assortment of products that can include items of superior quality
accessible at all hours online would appear attractive to e-shoppers (Dennis et al., 2004).
Lower search costs of e-shopping are likely to result in consumers buying better
quality items (Bakos, 1997). Buying better quality items can improve overall shopping
outcomes by eliminating costs of failed products, an important motivational benefit.
Similarly, an improved repository of information (both in terms of quality and
quantity) available online leads to better buying decisions and higher levels of
satisfaction (Grewal et al., 2004). Based on the reviewed literature, we can postulate
that merchandising can enhance consumer shopping outcomes, and by extension such
consumers are more likely to be excited.
Convenience. One of the most significant attractions of e-shopping is perceptions of
convenience (Szymanski and Hise, 2000; Evanschitzky et al., 2004). Bakos (1991) asserts
that e-shopping can lower the costs of acquiring pre-purchase product information while
at the same time increase search benefits by providing a broader array of product
alternatives at a small incremental cost. These benefits in the reduction of search costs
accrue particularly when the consumer is under time pressure (Beatty and Smith, 1987)
making the accessibility advantage of interactive shopping especially advantageous to
consumers. Convenience in e-shopping therefore increases search efficiency, by
eliminating travel costs and associated frustrations (psychological costs). While
e-shopping in general is more convenient to traditional shopping, e-tailers have gone to
significant lengths to differentiate among themselves by emphasising convenience
(Jayawardhena, 2004b). Therefore, it could be argued that perceptions of convenience of
shopping with a specific e-tailer facilitates the accomplishment of the task and makes
e-tailing more attractive. Furthermore, the reduction of psychological costs could make
the e-shopping experience more enjoyable and therefore exciting.

Research method
Sampling and data collection
A sample of 1,500 individuals was randomly selected from a consumer panel of online
shoppers. Respondents were asked to respond to a questionnaire based on their last
online shopping episode. In total, 644 completed questionnaires were received in total,
of which 626 were usable. This is a response rate of 42.93 per cent, which is favourable
by comparison with previous surveys examining similar topics (Shim and Eastlick,
1998; Shim et al., 2001). Characteristics of the respondents can be found in Table I.
 EJM
Sample demographics Percentage
43,9/10
Age
, 21 33.6
21-30 29.6
31-40 19.5
1176 41-50 12.0
. 50 5.3
Gender
Table I. Male 43.9
Sample demographics Female 56.1
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Measures
An online questionnaire was developed to test the conceptual model. Instrument
construct item scales were adapted from previous studies on traditional retailing and
environmental variables, and emerging online retailing literature (see Table II for item
measures). Items that measure attributes of the web site were adopted from Baker
et al.(1992), Wakefield and Baker (1998) and Szymanski and Hise (2000). Item
measurements for merchandising and convenience were adopted from Szymanski and
Hise (2000). The involvement scale items were adopted from Zaichkowsky (1985), with
the selected items reflecting the subscales of the “value” and “interest” of shopping
(Mano and Oliver, 1993; Wakefield and Baker, 1998). Items that measure excitement
were selected from work carried out by Russell (1980), Mano and Oliver (1993), and
Wakefield and Baker (1998). Similarly, items measuring intent to return (Oliver and
Swan, 1989) and positive WOM were adopted from McKee et al. (2006).

Results
We initially carried out an exploratory principal axis factoring of all constructs of
interest. This resulted in the first deletions of poorly performing items from the scales
based on weak or cross-loadings (see Table II for deleted items). Confirmatory factor
analysis (CFA) was then run using LISREL 8.7. The final CFA fit indices were all found
to be above recommended thresholds (x 2 ¼ 211:36; df ¼ 123; RMSEA ¼ 0:054;
GFI ¼ 0:936; NNFI ¼ 0:934; CFI ¼ 0:991). These fit indices were chosen because a
combination of such indices has been shown to achieve a good balance between Type I
and Type II error rates when assessing model fit (Hu and Bentler, 1999).
We assessed the discriminant validity of our measures using two approaches. First,
we examined a series of x 2 difference tests by comparing the fit for pairs of constructs
that were freely estimated with those that were constrained to unity (Anderson and
Gerbing, 1988). The results reveal that in each comparison, the unconstrained models
fit the data better than the constrained models. Second, we compared the average
variance extracted (AVE) for each of our constructs with the squared correlation
between construct pairs (Fornell and Larcker, 1981). The results show that the AVEs
(smallest AVE ¼ 0:61; see Table III for construct correlations) exceed the squared
correlations for all measures. In combination, these two tests provide evidence of the
discriminant validity of our multi-item measures. Fornell and Larcker (1981) also
consider a construct to display convergent validity if AVE is at least 0.50, and hence
the measures also display convergent validity.
 E-shopping
Average
Standardised Composite variance excitement
factor loading reliability extracted

Attributes of the web site (1) 0.79 0.64

ABC web site offers . . .
. . . fast downloads 0.79 1177
. . . easy-to-follow search paths 0.78
. . . attractive graphics *
. . . uncluttered screens 0.72
. . . a secure purchase
Merchandising (1) 0.75 0.61
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

ABC offers a high . . .

. . . number of offerings 0.73
. . . amount of product information 0.74
. . . variety of offerings 0.71
Involvement (2) 0.85 0.68
In general, online shopping is . . .
. . . unimportant-important 0.76
. . . unexciting-exciting *
. . . unappealing-appealing 0.72
. . . means nothing to me-means a lot to me 0.74
. . . doesn’t matter to me-matters to me 0.71
. . . boring-interesting *
Convenience (1) 0.78 0.68
Shopping at ABC compared with other e-tailers . . .
. . . in total shopping time 0.85
. . . in ease of payment 0.84
. . . in ease of gathering required info 0.83
Excitement (2) 0.90 0.70
Shopping at ABC is . . .
. . . exciting-unexciting 0.76
. . . dull-interesting 0.77
. . . boring-stimulating 0.73
. . . unappealing-appealing 0.77
. . . monotonous-sensational *

Intent to return (2) 0.75 0.61

In future, shopping at ABC will be . . .
. . . not at all-very frequent 0.74
. . . unlikely-likely 0.71
. . . not probable-very probable 0.70
. . . impossible-very possible *

WOM (1) 0.69 0.62

In future . . .
. . . likelihood of you spreading positive WOM about
ABC is 0.62 Table II.
. . . I would recommend ABC to my friends 0.71 Item measures, composite
. . . if my friends were shopping I would tell them to reliabilities and average
try ABC 0.78 variance extracted
 EJM In testing the conceptual model, a structural model was run. The fit indices were as
43,9/10 follows: x 2 ¼ 226:99; df ¼ 131; RMSEA ¼ 0:059; GFI ¼ 0:918; NNFI ¼ 0:967; CFI ¼
0:979 (model 1 in Table IV). While all the conceptualised paths were significant, an
examination of the predicted model’s modification indices showed there was room for
improvement. As a result, three additional links were added, namely between
attributes of the web site and intent to return, merchandising and intent to return, and
1178 between intent to return and positive WOM. It is, of course, never recommended to be
data-driven in any model construction; however, it is common practice to add or delete
structural paths to models based on empirical results (Kelloway, 1998). Furthermore,
theoretical reasons for the addition of this link are discussed in our concluding
remarks. The fit indices of the second structural model were: x 2 ¼ 219:68; df ¼ 131;
RMSEA ¼ 0:054; GFI ¼ 0:922; NNFI ¼ 0:981; CFI ¼ 0:987 (model 2 in Table IV).
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Model 2 provides a slightly better fit to the data than Model 1, as evidenced by the
reduction in the RMSEA and the slight increases in the GFI, NNFI and CFI.
The results of Model 2 are presented in Table V. Table V reveals that involvement,
merchandising, convenience and attributes of the web site all positively influence
excitement (in that respective order of influence), whilst excitement in turn positively
influences intent to return and positive WOM. Furthermore, it shows that both
merchandising and attributes of web site positively influence intent to return, which in
turn is positively related to positive WOM.

Discussion and conclusions

This study postulated that convenience, attributes of the web site, merchandising and
involvement directly influence consumer excitement, and this in turn influences intent
to return and positive WOM. The results support this general supposition of the study.
It finds that involvement has the most significant influence on excitement (0.64) closely
followed by merchandising (0.513). Convenience and attributes of the web site have a

1 2 3 4 5 6

1. Attributes of the web site

2. Merchandising 0.569
3. Involvement 0.643 0.711
4. Convenience 0.628 0.665 0.586
5. Excitement 0.672 0.619 0.566 0.612
Table III. 6. Intent to return 0.563 0.652 0.695 0.669 0.634
Construct correlations 7. Positive WOM 0.585 0.617 0.634 0.661 0.686 0.656

Model x 2 (df) Dx 2 (df) RMSEA GFI NNFI CFI

Model 1 226.99 (131) 35.6 (4) * * 0.059 0.918 0.967 0.979

Model 2 219.68 (130) 28.3 (3) * * 0.054 0.922 0.981 0.987
Notes: Model 1: as per the conceptual model; Model 2: as above plus links between attributes of web
site and intent to return, merchandising and intent to return, and between intent to return and positive
Table IV. WOM. RMSEA, root mean square error of approximation; GFI, goodness-of-fit index; NNFI, non-
Model fit measures normed fit index; CFI, comparative fit index. *Not significant; * *significant at 0.05
 E-shopping
Path Coefficient t value
excitement
Convenience ! excitement 0.314 6.64
Involvement ! excitement 0.540 10.75
Attributes of web site ! excitement 0.308 4.53
Merchandising ! excitement 0.413 4.99
Attributes of web site ! intent to return 0.349 6.66 1179
Merchandising ! intent to return 0.363 9.98
Excitement ! intent to return 0.449 4.99
Excitement ! positive WOM 0.412 3.35
Intent to return ! positive WOM 0.310 4.11
Table V.
Notes: Excitement R 2 ¼ 0:679; positive WOM R 2 ¼ 0:601; intent to return R 2 ¼ 0:569 Structural model
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

somewhat less significant influence on excitement (0.414 and 0.408, respectively). The
study also finds that, of these variables, attributes of the web site and merchandising
directly influence the intent to return, which in turn influences positive WOM. In
addition, the study shows that excited shoppers’ behaviours can be expressed in terms
of intent to return and positive WOM. We will now examine both theoretical and
practical implications of our findings in the following subsections.

Involvement
Marketers cannot control the extent to which consumers have an enduring involvement
with shopping. However, marketers can cater to individuals with differing levels of
involvement by presenting an e-tailing experience that consumers perceive are relevant
to their needs, values and interests. More specifically e-tailers can adopt strategies that
cater for customers’ involvement, and such strategies may help consumers to achieve an
enduring level of involvement with shopping. For example, some e-tailers allow the
opportunity for customers who purchase a particular product to write a review of the
product. E-tailers can take this concept further to link the reviews to discussion forums,
thereby enabling customers who bought the product and potential customers who may
be thinking of buying the product to interact. Such forums may be particularly appealing
to customers with high involvement, and therefore is perhaps an avenue that e-tailers
should further develop. In this context, e-tailers can leverage the capabilities of Web 2.0
– i.e. the second generation of web-based communities and hosted services – and can use
such forums as places to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing between users
with high levels of involvement. Therefore, such strategies allow e-tailers to retain both
existing customer and also to attract potential customers.
Web 2.0 enables people to collaborate by giving out their information and
voluntarily exchanging details with others in online environments such as in blogs,
podcasts, virtual worlds (e.g. Second Life) and social network sites such as Facebook.
Some owners of sites such as Facebook have seen the potential of members as
customers by adding commercial advertising on their sites. Typically, the growth of
personal information gleaned through web sites and internet chatrooms or e-mail
messages are encouraging the spread of viral marketing. Film clips, videos, games and
jokes can also be forwarded electronically from recipient to recipient in an infectious
form of discussion or chat, which can be termed viral marketing. E-tailers can use viral
marketing in their strategies when customers are encouraged to create a buzz, thereby
 EJM motivating them into passing on marketing messages to yet more people. Like viruses
such strategies can induce multiplication in message exposure or explosion from one to
43,9/10 many, for example to hundreds or thousands or millions of people. The e-potential for
exponential growth in terms of social media research and marketing is therefore large.

Merchandising
1180 We find that perceptions about superior merchandising have a positive impact on
excitement (0.513) and intent to return (0.363). As such, our findings confirm the
popular discussion in e-shopping: the perceived merchandising benefits (Grewal et al.,
2004). These benefits are discussed often in the context of motivating people to shop
online (Smith and Sivakumar, 2004). In practical terms this may indicate that it is very
beneficial for e-tailers to broaden product and brand choice, the amount of product
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

information, etc. This is perhaps one of the possible explanations of successful e-tailers
(for example, Amazon.com) commencing operations as only as a single product (books)
e-tailer but gradually expanding the product range with the passage of time.
E-shoppers appear to prefer to shop with e-tailers that have a very large selection of
goods (both in terms of breath and depth). Additionally, e-shoppers value the
information provision element of merchandising, and in this context e-tailers can
leverage the enhanced capabilities offered by Web 2.0 to present more customised
information content that is both relevant and richer in its content.

Convenience
Shoppers who value convenience can often obtain the benefits of products and services
with less time, effort and money expended and these benefits have a positive
relationship with shopper excitement. For example the large supermarket UK retailer
Tesco plc has taken advantage of the internet to provide the added convenience of
home purchases and deliveries as well as its bundle of broadband services. Where such
stimuli from “mouse to house” generate a convenient and pleasant atmosphere, a
company can improve its competitive position in providing satisfaction and
inducements to excite and prompt purchases (Wright et al., 2006). It is beneficial for
e-tailers to employ strategies that can enhance the convenience of shopping online:
speeding up payment systems, enhancing the information use within the e-tailing web
site so that consumers may complete their shopping tasks more quickly. Additionally,
convenience can be employed as a positioning strategy.

Attributes of the web site

Our study provides empirical evidence that the attributes of the web site contribute to
e-tail shoppers’ self-reported affective states. This finding is in line with previous studies
that suggest that using the internet may provoke enjoyable experiences through the flow
state, which may in turn positively influence and affect psychological wellbeing (Chen
et al., 2000) and a determinant of consumers’ emotions (Machleit and Eroglu, 2000). The
implication for e-tailers, indicated by attributes of web site item measures, is that it is
important to incorporate these aspects into their web sites, since they contribute to the
positive e-shopping experience and by extension to consumer excitement.

Excitement, intention to return and WOM

That shopper excitement is directly related to repatronage intentions is in keeping with
previous empirical research on retailing (Wakefield and Baker, 1998). Similarly, both
 merchandising and attributes of the web site have significant influence on intent to E-shopping
return, which supports previous empirical and conceptual arguments (e.g. Bloch et al., excitement
1994). Therefore to summarise in part, as described earlier, elements within the control
of e-tailers (i.e. attributes of the web site, convenience and merchandising) and
individual factors (as measured by involvement) have a direct influence on shopping
excitement, which in turn has positive influences on intent to return and say good
things about the e-tailer. 1181
The retailing literature suggests that consumers are apt to invest considerable
search effort in comparison shopping at some point before settling into a shopping
routine (Urbany et al., 1996). Therefore, as consumers expand their online shopping
episodes and expand their online shopping volumes, they are likely to initially visit
alternative e-tailers, frequent online discussion forums, etc. This research, then, may
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

suggest that an e-shopping episode that leads to excitement is more likely to lead to
intentions to return and thus become part of the consumer’s online shopping routine.
Conversely, low excitement levels may lead to lower intentions to return and less
likelihood that consumers will make the e-tailer part of their online shopping routine. A
major managerial outcome is the understanding that customers who are excited by
their shopping experience intend to return to the shopping area in future. This raises a
number of issues relating to repatronage intentions. Our results indicate that
customers derive enjoyment shopping experiences from their assessment of online
e-tailing environment. This result is similar to that provided by Wakefield and Baker
(1998) who found that excitement has a positive influence upon repatronage intentions
in traditional retailing.
Our findings indicate that excitement positively influences positive WOM.
Additionally, intent to return also has a positive impact on WOM. Previous work (see
Banerjee, 1992, 1993; Bikhchandani et al., 1992; Maxham, 2001) indicates that WOM is
persuasive despite the fact that there might be some noise in the transmission process
due to preference heterogeneity, or as in Banerjee (1993), uncertainty whether previous
consumers acted on new information or were “herded”. Gelb and Johnson (1995) go on
to conclude that positive WOM is more effective than advertising and although it
persuades potential customers, it also leads to action. Therefore, creating conditions
that lead to positive WOM is in the interest of the e-tailer. For example, it can be argued
that by creating the necessary conditions for consumer excitement such e-tailers may
also be in a position to make savings on advertising expenditure.
WOM is ingrained in social behaviour and increases the strength of relationships
ties when a consumer interacts with other consumers and with e-tailers. For example,
virtual communities – or specifically, types of brand communities formed around cult
brands such as the iPod, Harley-Davidson and Star Trek – work on a combination of
content with communication that allows information exchange between consumers to
meet their social and community needs, thereby enhancing relationship ties and
increasing excitement. Brown and Reingen (1987) have described WOM as the
intensity of the social relationship between consumers. Cova and Pace (2006) discuss
further how consumers can become impassioned and empowered consumer collectives
to assert more channel power, even to the extent of seeing brands as shared cultural
property belonging to them rather than solely to the companies that own them. WOM
can therefore be more effective than general advertising when it acts as a catalyst in
harnessing emotions and generating excitement.
 EJM Limitations and future research
43,9/10 The results of this study provide a foundation to the understanding of the antecedents
and consequences of positive emotion in general and, more specifically, online
shopping excitement in particular. However, in considering any research, it is
important to evaluate the limitations of the work. First, the study maybe limited in that
no differentiation is made between the types of goods that e-consumers purchased.
1182 Future research should explore the types of media attributes and consumer
characteristics that lead to shopping excitement for experience goods. Shim et al. (2001)
state that a fundamental question facing e-tailers is whether the antecedents that
predict the internet purchase of goods are different from those that predict the
purchase of experience goods. A possible future extension of this work could be to
investigate whether the results from this study can be applied to experience goods
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

(such as entertainment). Second, this study is cross-sectional, measuring respondents’

excitement of the shopping experience based on their last shopping episode. As such,
conclusions regarding the causal order amongst the variables of interest cannot be
made, and care should be exercised when interpreting the findings. Third, although
this study has confirmed a number of variables relating to online shopping excitement,
it may be likely that certain of these variables will be more influential than others in
affecting levels of excitement and its consequences. Further research could examine
specific factors that customers use to judge their enjoyment of a shopping experience.
Further research would also be valuable in identifying other consumer segments than
the ones identified by gender in this study, and to segment, for example, according to
respondents’ personal values. Fourth, it should be noted that there are differences
between intentions to return and actual repatronage behaviours on the part of
shoppers. Future work in the area could seek to examine whether intentions to return
to an e-tailer translate into actual repatronage behaviours.
Finally, we measured a limited number of variables in our work. There may be
additional factors that could contribute towards shopping excitement. One such
antecedent could be “flow”, since research indicates flow to influence hedonic and
utilitarian shopping values (Sénécal et al., 2002), and therefore shopper excitement.
Additionally, there may be other consequences of excitement that we did not include in
our study. For instance it may be that shopping excitement may influence the
discretionary amount that shoppers are prepared to spend. The retailing literature has
established that increased time spent in the retail environment results in higher
spending (Donovan et al., 1994; Wakefield and Baker, 1998). Thus, shopping
excitement may increase the duration of time spent on the shopping visit and spending
potential. Willingness to spend more money is another potential outcome variable. A
further possible consequence of excitement, and a possible influence on word of mouth,
is “tenure”. For instance, East et al. (2001) found that new customers tend to engage in
WOM more than loyal customers. It seems logical to postulate that an online shopper
excited about the discovery of a new online shopping site would tell more people than
someone who has been shopping with the same site for a long time.
This study does, however, offer several directions for future research into
e-consumer behaviour. The role of excitement in the proposed model in this study
suggests that future research on e-consumer behaviour could usefully extend research
into the antecedents and effects of positive emotion. Future research could explore
other variables for their effects, if any, since this theoretical model may not have
 incorporated all relevant variables, especially other salient internet attributes and E-shopping
consumer attitudes. Such study is of both theoretical and practical relevance. As excitement
highlighted by other authors examining traditional shopping media the results of this
study underline the importance of including emotion as an important component when
modelling consumer retail response. Future research is therefore recommended in
order to make more precise measurements of these variables.
1183
References
Agarwal, J. and Malhotra, N.K. (2005), “An integrated model of attitude and affect: theoretical
foundation and an empirical investigation”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 58 No. 4,
pp. 483-98.
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Alba, J., Lynch, J., Weitz, B. and Janiszewski, C. (1997), “Interactive home shopping: consumer,
retailer, and manufacturer incentives to participate in electronic marketplaces”, Journal of
Marketing, Vol. 61 No. 3, pp. 38-53.
Anderson, E.W. (1998), “Customer satisfaction and word-of mouth”, Journal of Service Research,
Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 5-17.
Anderson, J.C. and Gerbing, D.W. (1988), “Structural equation modelling in practice: a review and
recommended two-step approach”, Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 103, pp. 411-23.
Arndt, J.A. (1967), “Role of product-related conversations in the diffusion of a new product”,
Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 4 No. 3, pp. 291-5.
Arndt, J.A. (1968), “Selective processes in word-of-mouth”, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 8,
pp. 19-22.
Arnold, M.J., Reynolds, K.E., Ponder, N. and Lueg, J.E. (2005), “Customer delight in a retail
context: investigating delightful and terrible shopping experiences”, Journal of Business
Research, Vol. 58 No. 6, pp. 1132-56.
Babin, B.J., Darden, W.R. and Griffin, M. (1994), “Work and/or fun: measuring hedonic and
utilitarian shopping value”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 20 No. 4, pp. 644-56.
Baker, J., Grewal, D. and Levy, M. (1992), “An experimental approach to making retail store
environmental decisions”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 68, Winter, pp. 445-60.
Bakos, J.Y. (1991), “A strategic analysis of electronic marketplaces”, MIS Quarterly, Vol. 15,
September, pp. 295-310.
Bakos, J.Y. (1997), “Reducing buyer search costs: implications for electronic marketplaces”,
Management Science, Vol. 43, December, pp. 1676-92.
Banerjee, A. (1992), “A simple model of herd behaviour”, Quarterly Journal of Economics,
Vol. 110, pp. 797-817.
Banerjee, A. (1993), “The economics of rumours”, Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 60, pp. 309-27.
Batra, R. and Holbrook, M.B. (1990), “Developing a typology of affective responses to advertising: a
test of validity and reliability”, Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 7, Spring, pp. 11-25.
Beatty, S.A. and Smith, S.M. (1987), “External search effort: an investigation across several
product categories”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 14, June, pp. 83-95.
Belanger, F., Hiller, J.S. and Smith, W.J. (2002), “Trustworthiness in electronic commerce: the role
of privacy, security, and site attributes”, The Journal of Strategic Information Systems,
Vol. 11 No. 3/4, pp. 245-70.
Bikhchandani, S.D., Hirshleifer, D. and Welch, I. (1992), “A theory of fads, fashions, custom and
cultural change as information cascades”, Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 100,
pp. 992-1026.
 EJM Bloch, P.H., Ridgway, N.M. and Dawson, S.A. (1994), “The shopping mall as consumer habitat”,
Journal of Retailing, Vol. 70 No. 1, pp. 23-42.
43,9/10
Bone, P.F. (1992), “Determinants of word-of-mouth communications during consumption”,
in Sherry, J. and Stemthal, B. (Eds), Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 19, Association
for Consumer Research, Provo, UT, pp. 579-83.
Brown, J.J. and Reingen, P.H. (1987), “Social ties and word-of-mouth referral behaviour”, Journal
1184 of Consumer Research, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 50-62.
Chen, H., Wigand, R.T. and Nilan, M. (2000), “Exploring web users’ optimal flow experiences”,
Information Technology & People, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 267-79.
Childers, T.L., Carr, C.L., Peck, J. and Carson, S. (2001), “Hedonic and utilitarian motivations for
online retail shopping behaviour”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 77 No. 4, pp. 511-39.
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Cohen, J.B. (1990), “Attitude, affect and consumer behaviour”, in Moore, B.S. and Isen, A.M. (Eds),
Affect and Social Behavior, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, pp. 152-206.
Cohen, J.B. and Areni, C.S. (1991), “Affect and consumer behavior”, in Robertson, T.S. and
Kassarjian, H.H. (Eds), Handbook of Consumer Behavior, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs,
NJ, pp. 188-240.
Cova, B. and Pace, S. (2006), “Brand community of convenience products: new forms of customer
empowerment – the case of ‘My Nutella The Community’”, European Journal of Marketing,
Vol. 40 No. 9/10, pp. 1087-105.
Darden, W.R. and Babin, B.J. (1994), “Exploring the concept of affective quality: expanding the
concept of retail personality”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 29, pp. 101-9.
Dawson, S., Bloch, P.H. and Ridgeway, N.M. (1990), “Shopping motives, emotional states, and
retail outcomes”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 66, Winter, pp. 408-27.
Dennis, E., Fenech, T. and Merrilees, B. (2004), e-Retailing, Routledge, New York, NY.
Donovan, R.J. and Rossiter, J.R. (1982), “Store atmosphere: an environmental psychology
approach”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 58, Spring, pp. 34-57.
Donovan, R.J., Rossiter, J.R., Marcoolyn, G. and Nesdale, A. (1994), “Store atmosphere and
purchasing behaviour”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 70 No. 3, pp. 283-94.
East, R., Lomax, W. and Narain, R. (2001), “Customer tenure, recommendation and switching”,
Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behaviour, Vol. 14
No. 1, pp. 46-54.
Eroglu, S.A., Machleit, K.A. and Davis, L.M. (2001), “Atmospheric qualities of online retailing:
a conceptual model and implications”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 54, pp. 177-84.
Eroglu, S.A., Machleit, K.A. and Davis, L.A. (2003), “Empirical testing of a model of online store
atmospherics and shopper responses”, Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 139-50.
Evanschitzky, H., Iyer, G.R., Hesse, J. and Ahlert, D. (2004), “E-satisfaction: a re-examination”,
Journal of Retailing, Vol. 80 No. 3, pp. 239-47.
File, K.M., Cermak, D.S.P. and Prince, R.A. (1994), “Word-of-mouth effects in professional
services buyer behaviour”, The Service Industries Journal, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 301-14.
Fornell, C. and Larcker, D.F. (1981), “Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable
variables and measurement error”, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 18 No. 1, pp. 39-51.
Gelb, B. and Johnson, M. (1995), “Word-of-mouth communication: causes and consequences”,
Journal of Health Care Marketing, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 54-8.
Grewal, D., Iyer, G.R. and Levy, M. (2004), “Internet retailing: enablers, limiters and market
consequences”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 57 No. 7, p. 703.
 Herr, P.M., Kardes, F.R. and Kim, J. (1991), “Effects of word-of-mouth and product attribute E-shopping
information on persuasion: an accessibility-diagnosticity perspective”, Journal of
Consumer Research, Vol. 17, March, pp. 454-62. excitement
Hu, L.-T. and Bentler, P.M. (1999), “Cut-off criteria for fit indices in covariance structure
analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives”, Structural Equation Modelling:
A Multidisciplinary Journal, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 1-55.
Jayawardhena, C. (2004a), “Measurement of service quality in internet delivered services: 1185
the development and validation of an instrument”, Journal of Marketing Management,
Vol. 20 Nos 1/2, pp. 185-209.
Jayawardhena, C. (2004b), “The hierarchical influence of personal values on e-shopping attitude
and behaviour”, Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, Vol. 14
No. 2, pp. 127-42.
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Keen, C., Wetzelsb, M., de Ruyter, K. and Feinberg, R. (2004), “E-tailers versus retailers: which
factors determine consumer preferences?”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 57 No. 7,
pp. 685-704.
Kelloway, E.K. (1998), Using LISREL for Structural Equation Modeling: A Researcher’s Guide,
Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Koufaris, M., Kambil, A. and LaBarbera, P.A. (2001/2002), “Consumer behaviour in web-based
commerce: an empirical study”, International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Vol. 6 No. 2,
pp. 131-54.
Kozinets, R.V. (2002), “The field behind the screen: using netnography for marketing research in
online communities”, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 61-71.
Laros, F. and Steenkamp, J.-B. (2004), “Importance of fear in the case of genetically modified
food”, Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 21 No. 11, pp. 889-908.
Loiacono, E.T., Watson, R.T. and Goodhue, D.L. (2002), “WEBQUAL: a measure of web site
quality”, in Evans, K. and Scheer, L. (Eds), 2002 Marketing Educators’ Conference:
Marketing Theory and Applications, Vol. 13, pp. 432-7.
McKee, D., Simmers, C.S. and Licata, J. (2006), “Customer self-efficacy and response to service”,
Journal of Service Research, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 207-21.
Machleit, K.A. and Eroglu, S.A. (2000), “Describing and measuring emotional response to
shopping experience”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 49, pp. 101-11.
Mano, H. and Oliver, R.L. (1993), “Assessing the dimensionality and structure of the consumption
experience: evaluation, feeling and satisfaction”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 20,
December, pp. 451-66.
Maxham, J.G. III (2001), “Service recovery’s influence on consumer satisfaction, positive
word-of-mouth, and purchase intentions”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 54 No. 1,
pp. 11-23.
Oliver, R.L. and Swan, J.E. (1989), “Consumer perceptions of interpersonal equity and satisfaction
in transactions: a field survey approach”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 53, April, pp. 21-35.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Malhotra, A. (2005), “E-S-QUAL: a multiple item scale for
assessing electronic service quality”, Journal of Service Research, Vol. 7 No. 3, pp. 213-33.
Park, J., Lennon, S.J. and Stoel, L. (2005), “On-line product presentation: effects on mood,
perceived risk, and purchase intention”, Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 22 No. 9,
pp. 695-719.
Raijas, A. (2002), “The consumer benefits and problems in the electronic grocery store”, Journal
of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 107-13.
Rice, M. (2002), “What makes users revisit a web site?”, Marketing News, Vol. 31 No. 6, p. 12.
 EJM Richins, M.L. (1997), “Measuring emotions in the consumption experience”, Journal of Consumer
Research, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 127-46.
43,9/10
Richins, M.L. and Bloch, P.H. (1986), “After the new wears off: the temporal context of product
involvement”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 43, September, pp. 280-5.
Russell, J.A. (1980), “A complex model of affect”, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
Vol. 39, December, pp. 1161-78.
1186 Sénécal, S., Gharbi, J.-E. and Nantel, J. (2002), “The influence of flow on hedonic and utilitarian
shopping value”, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 29, pp. 483-4.
Shim, S. and Eastlick, M.A. (1998), “The hierarchical influence of personal values on mall
shopping attitude and behaviour”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 74 No. 1, pp. 139-52.
Shim, S., Eastlick, M.A., Lotz, S.L. and Warrington, P. (2001), “An online prepurchase intentions
model: the role of intention to search”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 77, pp. 397-416.
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Smith, D.N. and Sivakumar, K. (2004), “Flow and internet shopping behaviour: a conceptual
model and research propositions”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 57 No. 10,
pp. 1199-215.
Stoltman, J.J., Gentry, J.W. and Anglin, K.A. (1991), “Shopping choices: the case of mall choice”,
in Holman, R. and Solomon, M. (Eds), Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 18,
Association for Consumer Research, Provo, UT, pp. 434-40.
Szymanski, D.M. and Hise, R.T. (2000), “E-satisfaction: an initial examination”, Journal of
Retailing, Vol. 76 No. 3, pp. 309-22.
Urbany, J.E., Dickson, P. and Kalapurakal, R. (1996), “Price search in retail grocery markets”,
Journal of Marketing, Vol. 60 No. 2, pp. 90-104.
Wakefield, K.L. and Baker, J. (1998), “Excitement at the mall: determinants and effects on
shopping response”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 74 No. 4, pp. 515-31.
Wakefield, K.L. and Blodgett, J.G. (1994), “The importance of servicescapes in leisure service
settings”, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 66-76.
Westbrook, R.A. (1987), “Product/consumption-based affective response and postpurchase
processes”, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 24, August, pp. 258-70.
Wright, L.T., Newman, A. and Dennis, C. (2006), “Enhancing consumer empowerment”,
European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 40 No. 9/10, pp. 925-35.
Zaichkowsky, J.L. (1985), “Measuring the involvement construct”, Journal of Consumer Research,
Vol. 12, pp. 341-52.

Further reading
Babin, B.J. and Darden, W.R. (1996), “Good and bad shopping vibes: spending and patronage
satisfaction”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 35, pp. 201-6.
Bakewell, C. and Mitchell, V.-W. (2004), “Male consumer decision-making styles”, International
Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 223-40.
Bone, P.F. (1995), “Word-of-mouth effects on short-term and long-term product judgments”,
Journal of Business Research, Vol. 32, pp. 213-23.
Burzynski, M.H. and Bayer, D.J. (1977), “The effect of positive and negative prior information on
motion picture appreciation”, Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 101, pp. 215-18.
Dabholkar, P.A., Thorpe, D.I. and Rentz, J.O. (1996), “A measure of service quality for retail
stores: scale development and validation”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,
Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 3-16.
 Holbrook, M.B., Chestnut, R.W., Oliva, T.A. and Greenleaf, E.A. (1984), “Play as a consumption E-shopping
experience: the role of emotions, performance and personality in enjoyment of games”,
Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 11, September, pp. 728-39. excitement
Ranchhod, A. and Zhou, F. (2001), “Comparing respondents of e-mail and mail surveys:
understanding the implications of technology”, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 19
No. 4, pp. 254-62.
Ranganathan, C. and Ganapathy, S. (2002), “Key dimensions of business-to-consumer web sites”, 1187
Information & Management, Vol. 39 No. 6, pp. 457-65.
Reingen, P.H. and Kernan, J.B. (1986), “Analysis of referral networks in marketing: methods and
illustration”, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 23, November, pp. 370-8.
Russell, J.A. and Pratt, G. (1980), “A description of the affective quality of environments”, Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 38, pp. 311-26.
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Sivadas, E. and Baker-Prewitt, J.L. (2000), “An examination of the relationship between service
quality, customer satisfaction and store loyalty”, International Journal of Retail &
Distribution Management, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 73-82.
Steenkamp, J.B.E.M. and Baumgartner, H. (1998), “Assessing measurement invariance in
cross-national consumer research”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 78-91.
Stern, B.B. (1999), “Gender and multicultural issues in advertising: stages on the research
highway”, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 1-9.
Swan, J.E. and Oliver, R.L. (1989), “Postpurchase communications by consumers”, Journal of
Retailing, Vol. 65, Winter, pp. 516-33.
Tse, A.C.B. (1998), “Comparing the response rate, response speed and response quality of two
methods of sending questionnaires: e-mail vs mail”, Journal of the Market Research
Society, Vol. 40 No. 4, pp. 353-61.
Vandenberg, R.J. and Lance, C.E. (2000), “A review and synthesis of the measurement invariance
literature: suggestions, practices, and recommendations for organizational research”,
Organizational Research Methods, Vol. 2, pp. 4-69.
Wolfinbarger, M. and Gilly, M.C. (2003), “eTailQ: dimensionalising, measuring and predicting
etail quality”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 79, pp. 183-98.

About the authors

Chanaka Jayawardhena is Lecturer in Marketing at Loughborough University Business School,
UK. He has won numerous research awards including two Best Paper Awards at the Academy of
Marketing Conference in 2003 and 2004. Previous publications have appeared (or are
forthcoming) in Industrial Marketing Management, European Journal of Marketing, Journal of
Marketing Management, Journal of General Management, Journal of Internet Research and
European Business Review, among others. Chanaka Jayawardhena is the corresponding author
and can be contacted at: [email protected]
Len Tiu Wright is Professor of Marketing and Research Professor at De Montfort University,
Leicester. She has held full time appointments and visiting appointments in the UK and overseas.
Her writings have appeared in books, in American and European academic journals, and at
conferences where some have gained best paper awards for overall best conference papers and
best-in-track papers. She is on the editorial boards of a number of leading marketing journals and
is Editor of Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, an Emerald publication.

To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: [email protected]

Or visit our web site for further details: www.emeraldinsight.com/reprints
 This article has been cited by:

1. Adrienne Hall-Phillips, Joohyung Park, Te-Lin Chung, Nwamaka A. Anaza, Sandra R. Rathod. 2016.
I (heart) social ventures: Identification and social media engagement. Journal of Business Research 69,
484-491. [CrossRef]
2. Laura Lucia-Palacios, Raúl Pérez-López, Yolanda Polo-Redondo. 2016. Cognitive, affective and
behavioural responses in mall experience. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management 44:1,
4-21. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
3. Young Wook Ha, Jimin Kim, Christian Fernando Libaque-Saenz, Younghoon Chang, Myeong-Cheol
Park. 2015. Use and gratifications of mobile SNSs: Facebook and KakaoTalk in Korea. Telematics and
Informatics 32, 425-438. [CrossRef]
4. Weng Marc Lim. 2015. Antecedents and consequences of e-shopping: an integrated model. Internet
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Research 25:2, 184-217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

5. Young Wook Ha, Myeong-Cheol Park, Euehun Lee. 2014. A framework for mobile SNS advertising
effectiveness: user perceptions and behaviour perspective. Behaviour & Information Technology 33,
1333-1346. [CrossRef]
6. Alexandra Brunner-Sperdin, Ursula S. Scholl-Grissemann, Nicola E. Stokburger-Sauer. 2014. The
relevance of holistic website perception. How sense-making and exploration cues guide consumers'
emotions and behaviors. Journal of Business Research 67, 2515-2522. [CrossRef]
7. Weng Marc Lim. 2014. Understanding the Influence of Online Flow Elements on Hedonic and Utilitarian
Online Shopping Experiences: A Case of Online Group Buying. Journal of Information Systems 28,
287-306. [CrossRef]
8. Kholoud Al-Qeisi, Charles Dennis, Eleftherios Alamanos, Chanaka Jayawardhena. 2014. Website design
quality and usage behavior: Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Journal of Business
Research 67, 2282-2290. [CrossRef]
9. Khurram Sharif. 2014. A Value Centric Study of Intention to use Internet as a Shopping Channel in an
Introductory Online Market. International Journal of Online Marketing 2:10.4018/IJOM.20120701, 1-20.
[CrossRef]
10. Niall Piercy. 2014. Online service quality: Content and process of analysis. Journal of Marketing
Management 30, 747-785. [CrossRef]
11. Selim Aren, Mevlüdiye Güzel, Ebru Kabadayı, Lütfihak Alpkan. 2013. Factors Affecting Repurchase
Intention to Shop at the Same Website. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 99, 536-544. [CrossRef]
12. Ting Li, Zornitsa Meshkova. 2013. Examining the impact of rich media on consumer willingness to pay
in online stores. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications 12, 449-461. [CrossRef]
13. José Luís Abrantes, Cláudia Seabra, Cristiana Raquel Lages, Chanaka Jayawardhena. 2013. Drivers of
in‐group and out‐of‐group electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM). European Journal of Marketing 47:7,
1067-1088. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
14. Victoria Magrath, Helen McCormick. 2013. Marketing design elements of mobile fashion retail apps.
Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal 17:1, 115-134. [Abstract] [Full
Text] [PDF]
15. Shaked Gilboa, Iris Vilnai‐Yavetz. 2013. Shop until you drop? An exploratory analysis of mall experiences.
European Journal of Marketing 47:1/2, 239-259. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
 16. Sung-Bum Kim, Kyung-A Sun, Dae-Young Kim. 2013. The Influence of Consumer Value-Based Factors
on Attitude-Behavioral Intention in Social Commerce: The Differences between High- and Low-
Technology Experience Groups. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing 30, 108-125. [CrossRef]
17. Helen McCormick, Charlotte Livett. 2012. Analysing the influence of the presentation of fashion
garments on young consumers’ online behaviour. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An
International Journal 16:1, 21-41. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
18. Frank Goethals, Aurélie Leclercq-Vandelannoitte, Yazgi Tütüncü. 2012. French consumers' perceptions
of the unattended delivery model for e-grocery retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 19,
133-139. [CrossRef]
19. Rainer Olbrich, Christian Holsing. 2011. Modeling Consumer Purchasing Behavior in Social Shopping
Communities with Clickstream Data. International Journal of Electronic Commerce 16, 15-40. [CrossRef]
20. Ling Jiang, Nan Jiang, Shixiong Liu. 2011. Consumer Perceptions of E-Service Convenience: An
Downloaded by National University of Singapore At 06:32 30 January 2016 (PT)

Exploratory Study. Procedia Environmental Sciences 11, 406-410. [CrossRef]

21. Kelly Page, DK, Mark Mapstone. 2010. How does the web make youth feel? Exploring the positive digital
native rhetoric. Journal of Marketing Management 26, 1345-1366. [CrossRef]
22. Charles Dennis, Bill Merrilees, Chanaka Jayawardhena, Len Tiu Wright. 2009. E‐consumer behaviour.
European Journal of Marketing 43:9/10, 1121-1139. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]