SERVICE ELEMENTS IN CONSUMER'S ONLINE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE : Some General Insights Generated from Focus Group Interviews

Abstract

The aim of this study was to answer to the research question: which elements are pronounced in a compelling online shopping experience from the consumer’s point of view. The research question was further divided into two narrower sub objectives which guided the theoretical approach. The Sub objectives were: • What elements contribute to an optimal customer online shopping experience? • How does the company-controlled elements support the consumer’s shopping experience in online shopping platform? The theoretical framework is approached by first defining Customer Experience and then con-tinuing to create what constitutes for a compelling experience. This study adapts the construct of Flow to describe optimal experience. The optimal experience elements are reflected against the service elements to create understanding on the underlying connections and how these service elements support the consumers value creation processes. To support the exploratory ambitions of this study a qualitative research approach was deployed. Data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews in focus groups. The focus was to give space for the interviewees’ expression and their interpretation on their experiences and meanings in online shopping. This was done to discover of new insights and draw richer and deep-er knowledge on the elements that influence the user’s online shopping experience. This study offers two key theoretical contributions. First, the perceived control is a dominant element of a compelling online shopping experience and affects flow at every stage. Second, the shopping orientation, goal-oriented or experiential, was observed to distinctive characteristics and to ha influence on online shopping behavior. Furthermore, different service elements were pronounced in the consumer’s value creating processes.