Journal of Distribution Research (한국유통학회지:유통연구)

Korean DIstribution Association (한국유통학회)
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The Usefulness of Product Display of Online Store by the Product Type of Usage Situation - Focusing on the moderate effect of the product portability -

사용상황별 제품유형에 따른 온라인 점포 제품디스플레이의 유용성 - 제품 휴대성의 조절효과를 중심으로 -

  • 이동일 (세종대학교 경영학과) ;
  • 최승훈 (세종대학교 일반대학원 경영학과)
  • Received : 2010.07.21
  • Accepted : 2010.11.02
  • Published : 2011.04.30
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Abstract

1. Introduction: Contrast to the offline purchasing environment, online store cannot offer the sense of touch or direct visual information of its product to the consumers. So the builder of the online shopping mall should provide more concrete and detailed product information(Kim 2008), and Alba (1997) also predicted that the quality of the offered information is determined by the post-purchase consumer satisfaction. In practice, many fashion and apparel online shopping malls offer the picture information with the product on the real person model to enhance the usefulness of product information. On the other virtual product experience has been suggested to the ways of overcoming the online consumers' limited perceptual capability (Jiang & Benbasat 2005). However, the adoption and the facilitation of the virtual reality tools requires high investment and technical specialty compared to the text/picture product information offerings (Shaffer 2006). This could make the entry barrier to the online shopping to the small retailers and sometimes it could be demanding high level of consumers' perceptual efforts. So the expensive technological solution could affects negatively to the consumer decision making processes. Nevertheless, most of the previous research on the online product information provision suggests the VR be the more effective tools. 2. Research Model and Hypothesis: Presented in

, research model suggests VR effect could be moderated by the product types by the usage situations. Product types could be defined as the portable product and installed product, and the information offering type as still picture of the product, picture of the product with the real-person model and VR. 3. Methods and Results: 3.1. Experimental design and measured variables We designed the 2(product types) X 3(product information types) experimental setting and measured dependent variables such as information usefulness, attitude toward the shopping mall, overall product quality, purchase intention and the revisiting intention. In the case of information usefulness and attitude toward the shopping mall were measured by multi-item scale. As a result of reliability test, Cronbach's Alpha value of each variable shows more than 0.6. Thus, we ensured that the internal consistency of items. 3.2. Manipulation check The main concern of this study is to verify the moderate effect by the product type of usage situation. indicates that our experimental manipulation of the moderate effect of the product type was successful. 3.3. Results As
indicates, there was a significant main effect on the only one dependent variable(attitude toward the shopping mall) by the information types. As predicted, VR has highest mean value compared to other information types. Thus, H1 was partially supported. However, main effect by the product types was not found. To evaluate H2 and H3, a two-way ANOVA was conducted. As
indicates, there exist the interaction effects on the three dependent variables(information usefulness, overall product quality and purchase intention) by the information types and the product types. As predicted, picture of the product with the real-person model has highest mean among the information types in the case of portable product. On the other hand, VR has highest mean among the information types in the case of installed product. Thus, H2 and H3 was supported. 4. Implications: The present study found the moderate effect by the product type of usage situation. Based on the findings the following managerial implications are asserted. First, it was found that information types are affect only the attitude toward the shopping mall. The meaning of this finding is that VR effects are not enough to understand the product itself. Therefore, we must consider when and how to use this VR tools. Second, it was found that there exist the interaction effects on the information usefulness, overall product quality and purchase intention. This finding suggests that consideration of usage situation helps consumer's understanding of product and promotes their purchase intention. In conclusion, not only product attributes but also product usage situations must be fully considered by the online retailers when they want to meet the needs of consumers.

오프라인 구매환경과는 달리 온라인 환경에서는 제품을 직접 눈으로 확인하고 만져 볼 수 없다. 때문에 온라인 쇼핑몰을 구축하고 운영하는 입장에서는 보다 구체적인 제품정보를 제공해야 하며(김광석 2008), Alba (1997)는 제공된 정보의 질은 소비자들이 구매 후 만족을 얼마나 예상할 수 있는 가로 결정된다고 정의한 바 있다. 이에 패션 의류 온라인 쇼핑몰을 중심으로 실제 모델이 제품을 착용한 사진정보(실착사진)를 제공함으로써 실제 제품사용에 따른 결과를 제시하여 제품정보의 유용성을 높이고 있다. 한편 온라인 환경에서 소비자들의 제품에 대한 제한된 지각을 극복하는 또 다른 수단으로써, 가상제품경험은 가장 효과적인 것으로 논의되어 왔다(Jiang & Benbasat 2005). 그러나 가상현실도구의 도입과 지속적 활용에는 일반적인 텍스트/사진 정보와 비교해 높은 비용과 기술적 전문성을 요구한다(Shaffer 2006). 이는 특히 영세 소매상 입장에서 시장에 대한 진입장벽으로 작용하는 한편, 소비자의 정보처리과정에서는 오히려 단순한 형태의 정보에 비하여 더 높은 수준의 인지적 노력을 요구할 수 있다. 따라서 이러한 도구들의 활용하는 것이 소비자들의 정보과부하를 초래해 제품에 대한 핵심정보 취득을 방해하고, 소비자의 지각된 정보유용성에 부정적 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 제품유형을 소비자들의 제품 사용상황에 따라 휴대제품과 설치제품으로 구분하고, 이때 정지사진, 실착사진, VR로 대별되는 제품정보의 형태에 따른 소비자들의 지각된 정보의 유용성, 쇼핑몰에 대한 태도와 품질평가, 구매의도, 재방문 의도를 측정하기 위한 실험을 진행했다. 그 결과 소비자 구매의도에 영향을 미치는 종속변수군에 대해 제품유형과 제품정보형태가 상호작용효과를 일으키는 것을 확인할 수 있었다.

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