Abstract

This research is about the influence of online information search on high street stores. It is observed that with the introduction of internet, the traditional way of doing shopping is changed now. The propensity to shop online has increased and high street shops are in danger of abolishing. This research aims to examine the impact of online shopping especially the information search on the offline high street stores. This research is based on the positivism epistemological approach where quantitative research methods will be used. This research will rely on the survey research methods and questionnaire will be used for data collection. The sample of this research will be 200 individuals who have done shopping from online stores and high street shops. They will be selected on the basis of systematic sampling and SPSS will be used for data analysis.

1.Literature review

In this technological advanced world, internet has become indispensable for everyone’s lives. Due to the increased use of internet, the future of high street shopping is bleak and it is expected that this industry will end in coming years. It is reported by many research studies that internet advent is going to kill off high street shops and that time is not far away when there will be popularity of online shopping only (Ashworth et al., 2006; Passaro, Salomone and Petruzzellis, 2016). Graham and Peleg (2017) has said that breakthrough in technology and its acceptance by majority of customers is reshaping the high street shopping experience. Herhausen et al., (2015) has asserted that in coming five years, four out of ten high street shops will close. Only those high street shops will remain in the market which will adapt themselves as per the recent trend and will also start offering the online shopping facility to consumers.  Alwi and Da Silva (2007) observed that high street stores are expanding and also making strategies for developing themselves by targeting those customers as well who are more comfortable with online shopping experience. By having both online and offline stores, high street shops become able to enjoy the best of both.  The online stores provide the opportunity to search the relevant information with a click of button. Instead of searching at physical stores which is quite tiresome and time consuming process, internet allows to enhance the shopping experience through the convenience which is being offered to customers.  They do not have to leave their home for doing extensive search on the high street stores (Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2001).

As also said by Siddiqui et al., (2003), the most relevant theory for this research will be the buyer decision process. There are five stages of the buyer decision process. The first stage is the problem/need recognition where the problem or need is identified for the particular product or service. The second stage is the information search where consumer researches the product about which they intend to purchase for satisfying their need. As said by Blázquez (2014), the third stage is about the evaluation of alternatives where the selected alternatives are evaluated. This stage is dependent on the information search stage and the information obtained through all sources is used for evaluating the alternatives. Once all alternatives are analysed and evaluated, the most appropriate option is selected and decision to purchase is made. After this, post purchase stage starts where the experience of purchasing is evaluated. As a response to this purchase experience, customers either get satisfied or dissatisfied (Rafiq and Fulford, 2005). In the present research, main focus is on the second stage which is about the information search. Using the internal and external sources, consumers get the relevant information which is about their buying decision. Though all of the stages are influenced with the advent of internet, but this stage is most significantly influenced with this change. Now, it has become easier and convenient for customers to search the relevant information. Internet has provided the data base about everything. From the product descriptions provided by the official brands and third party blogs to the reviews by the customers who have used the same product, customers can get access to every kind of information with a click of button (Hubbard, 2016). Instead of visiting various high street shops, they can open windows of various brands on their laptop, personal computer or mobile phone and they can easily compare the products’ features, quality and pricing. The comparison feature has made it more easier for customers to evaluate the available alternatives (Alwi and Da Silva, 2007). As told by Dixon and Marston (2002), information search process is quite faster when it is based on the internet. On the basis of these features of information search stage provided through internet, customers become more likely to prefer this mode of obtaining the information which even also motivates them to purchase the product from the online store instead of the offline high street shop. As said by Miller (2013), the information search stage which has become revolutionised through internet but it is still not known whether this information search process is having any influence on the purchase decision of customers for high street shopping or not. This research intends to explore this aspect.

However, this could not be forgotten that there are always a group of customers who like and actually enjoy to do shopping and for them high street shopping experience is something which is very significant. For such consumers, online stores can never replace the high street shopping stores. These group of consumers have certain specific demographic characteristics and their preference for high street shopping is due to the factors like involvement of risk of privacy and insecurity at online stores. This tells that despite the popularity of the online stores, there exists certain consumers who still prefer the offline shopping. Correia and Kozak (2016) conducted a study on the high street shopping and it was found that majority of the customers are saying that this is a chore which should be avoided at all costs now and this trend was common for the respondents who were under the age of 34 years. This is demonstrating the changing orientation of younger generation for online shopping. 

Therefore, this research will further explore that how online shopping experience is different than offline shopping experience and what are those factors which still motivate the consumers to opt for the offline physical high street shops. This research will work on investigating how online and offline stores are associated with each other. This aspect is not explored previously (Chakraborty et al., 2016). The research studies of Chiou et al., (2017) and Turner and Gardner (2014) has also highlighted that how online shopping has impact on offline shopping needs to be explored in a detailed manner. Considering this identified research gap, this research works on exploration of how online shopping is influencing the high street stores.  In this way, it will be a source of addition in existing body of knowledge. 

The aim of this research will be to examine how online searching is influencing the high street stores of U.K. and how both online and offline shopping are interlinked with each other. The focus of this research will be on examination of the internet and its effect on traditional shopping at the high street stores which is changing due to the rise of online shopping experience.

2.Research objectives and Justification

The review of relevant studies has revealed that advent of internet has changed the way the shopping was being done previously. Now, there is higher tendency to do online shopping and this is proving dangerous for the future of high street brands. Now the preference for offline shopping is reducing due to the attached fatigue, therefore, the high street shopping is influenced. The literature review has also told that there exist gap about the impact of online shopping on high street stores. On the basis of this, following research objectives are developed.

• To review the previous studies about the role of online shopping on the high street offline stores.
• To examine how the information search stage is influenced with the internet and how it influences the high street stores.
• To examine how the online shopping experience is influencing the offline high street stores.

2.1.Main research question

The research question around which it will revolve is given below:

• How the online shopping experience influences the offline high street shopping?

2.2.Hypotheses

The following hypotheses are developed for this research.

• Online shopping introduction has significant influence over the high street shopping.
• Online information search has significant influence on high street shopping.

 

3.Methodology and structure of the project

3.1.Epistemological approach

According to Bell (2010), there are two choices for epistemological approaches which are named positivism and interpretivism. In this research, positivism approach is selected for exploring how online information search and online shopping experience influences the high street stores. There are five principles on which this epistemology is based on. It is assumed that there exists no difference in the logic on inquiry across sciences. The purpose of research is to predict and explain the relationship which exists variable which are under investigation. The research issue can be observable in an empirical way though human senses. For developing hypotheses, inductive reasoning is used. It is believed that science and common sense are same and there should not be any role of common sense in the research findings as it can bring bias. It is further believed that science is value free so logic should be used for judging (Blaxter, Hughes and Tight, 2010).

The rationale for using the positivism epistemological approach is that as told by Bryman (2015), it relies on the quantitative data which will allow this research to be based on more reliable results. This quantitative data is considered more scientific as compared to the alternative approach which is qualitative data. Due to this, the results obtained through this approach are considered more trustworthy as they provide objective information. As told by Bryman and Bell (2007), another reason for selecting this approach is that it will provide a well-defined structure to this research. It is believed that when set laws and regulations will be followed, this will provide such results where there will be no room for error. Following the well-defined structure will provide the opportunity to have little room for drastic variable changes. This will provide more accurate results as if replicated following same rules, similar findings will be found. 

3.2.Research method

According to Cooper and Schindler (2007), there are two methods which could be selected for any research and these are qualitative and quantitative. As per the nature of present study and selected epistemology, quantitative research methods are selected where researcher will rely on the numeric. The rationale for relying on this approach is that this research method will enable to get the generalised results. More accuracy and objectivity of the results could be obtained through this method. Using the pre-defined methods and procedures will also allow to have the most valid and reliable results about the impact of online information search on the high street stores. As it relies on a pre-defined structure, so the study could be replicated easily which provides enhanced generalisation (Creswell, 2009). Creswell (2013) told that there is no room for biasness in the quantitative research methods, so results are relatively less questionable. Considering all this, quantitative research methods are considered more appropriate.

In this research, survey method is selected where questionnaire will be used for collecting the data from population or sample. The rationale for selecting the survey methods is that this will enable the researcher to complete the research in an effective manner where research questions and objectives will be handled well. Goodwin (2002) said that surveys are relatively inexpensive and the cost per respondent is quite less as compared to other. Due to the cost limitation for this research project, the survey methods will be preferred. Fowler Jr (2013) told that surveys are useful for studying a large set of sample or population. The broad capability of this survey method makes it more preferred research methods. In the limited time period, a large data could be collected with this method as response rate is higher.  The flexibility is also provided through this method as there are many modes which could be used for conducting the survey. The available options are email, online, paper, mobile, and face to face and telephone surveys. So the combination of most suitable ones could be used hence extensive data could be obtained in an easier manner. The respondents who could not be physically accessed could be accessed through online modes; which will allow to collect a large data. Creswell (2012) said that data collected through survey method is standardised, which can be analysed effectively. Therefore, survey method is selected to collect that data which could be analysed through appropriate manners. Collins (2010) said that dependability of survey methods is higher as respondents know that their anonymity will not be harmed, so they are more likely to provide valid and candid results.

As per suggestion of Bryman and Bell (2015), the questionnaire which will be used for data collection will be designed by the researcher on the basis of themes which will emerge from the literature review. Using these themes, questions about independent and dependent variables will be designed. The questionnaire will be based on the likert scale which will have five points. All of the questions will be closed ended. There will also be few questions about the demographics of the respondents.

3.3.Data collection method  

According to Gray (2013), a research can either rely on primary data or secondary data. This research will mainly rely on primary data collection method. The secondary data will only be used for reviewing the literature for this research. For testing the hypotheses and answering the research question and research objectives, primary data collection methods are selected. The rationale for selecting the primary method is that it will provide recent and fresh data which will make this study more valuable. The rationale for selecting primary data methods is that Collis and Hussey (2013) stated that primary data collection provides more relevant data which is not available through secondary data collection, so to collect the relevant data about impact of online information search on high street shopping, this method is given preference over other method.

As primary data also involves certain ethical concerns so it will be ensured that the research is completed in an ethical manner. The questionnaire will also have a cover sheet which will be attached to inform the participants about the research aim and objectives of this research. This cover sheet will also inform them that their participation is voluntary and they are not forced in any manner to participate in this research. There will be no coercion and information which will be collected from them will be kept confidential (Kumar, 1999; 2005).

3.4.Analysis method

This research is based on the questionnaire and data is collected in numeric. The collected data will be analysed through quantitative techniques. It is planned that Statistical Package for Social Sciences IBM version will be used for data analysis. This software will help in performing those statistical tests which will allow to test the hypotheses which are developed for this research. Once data is collected, it will be transferred to SPSS where coding of data will be done on the data sheet. For data testing, normality analysis will be performed using values of Kurtosis and Skewness. The prescribed range for both statistics is -3 and +3, if data will lie within this range, it will be declared normal. After this reliability of data will also be checked through Cronbach’s Alpha value and which must be greater than 0.6.  If value of statistic will be greater than 0.6, collected data will be considered reliable. The proof of reliability and normality will lead towards other statistical tests which are correlation and regression. The correlation analysis will help in examining the strength of data while regression analysis will help to analyse whether or not independent variable has a significant influence on the dependent variable. The regression analysis results will lead towards concluding whether the constructed hypotheses are accepted or rejected.

3.5.Sampling method, sample size, target population

The research is about online and offline shopping at high street shops. Therefore, those individuals who have experience of both online and offline shopping experience at high street shops will be the population of this research. As it is not possible to study all customers, therefore, few customers of high street shops like Zara, Primark and Riverisland will be used as the sample of this research. The sample size of 200 customers will be selected and the sampling method which will be used is the systematic sampling method where every 10^th customer entering these high street stores will be asked to fill the questionnaire  (Matthews and Ross, 2014).

 

 

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