An investigation of Chinese consumers' outshopping motives from a culture perspective

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate Chinese consumers' international outshopping motives from a culture perspective based on Hofstede's four cultural dimensions.Design/methodology/approachFour international outshopping motives that may affect Chinese consumer's propensity of shopping abroad were empirically investigated based on a sample of 174 Chinese consumers who participated in a mall intercept survey.FindingsThe results suggest that Chinese consumers' perceived expressiveness of using foreign products, perceived reliability of foreign retail service, and perceived enjoyment of shopping abroad have positive and significant impacts on their propensity of shopping abroad. In addition, their perceived morality to support domestic industries does not significantly affect their outshopping behavior, although consumer ethnocentrism was regarded as an issue in China.Practical implicationsOutshoppers from China are increasingly found in the stores and malls in Western countries. The findings offer an insightful call for retailers and distributors in the West to understand how to make effective marketing strategies to target Chinese outshoppers and how to predict their behaviors when the global market gradually opens to Chinese consumers.Originality/valueThe identified motives represent a deeper understanding of Chinese consumers and their cultural environment.

Understanding Consumers’ Loyalty to an Online Outshopping Platform: The Role of Social Capital and Perceived Value

“…Therefore, it is reasonable to directly correlate customers' perceived shopping value and continuance shopping. Empirical studies have confirmed this correlation [4,10,21].…”

“…In the context of IOO, consumers' shopping involves seeking the benefits of convenience, broad product offering, and monetary savings, and so on, which are the most common reinforcers of online shopping with utilitarian value [6,40,45]. Fashion consciousness and perceived expressiveness towards foreign products also influence consumers' international outshopping behaviors [9,10]. Finding, assessing, and appreciating new trends, brands, product launches, and pre-launching information through online stores as idea shopping value also influence consumers' online shopping behaviors [4].…”

“…Loyalty to an IOO platform differs from loyalty to a domestic B2C or C2C platform because cross-border shoppers are brand-oriented, fashion-conscious, and expressive about foreign products and outshopping [9,10]. Boeuf and Sénécal [2] have indicated that IOO consumer behavior is likely driven by additional or distinct determinants.…”

The Impacts of Consumer Ethnocentrism on Foreign Product Judgment and Local Helping Purchase: A Case of Malaysian Cross-Border Shoppers in Hatyai, Thailand

“…Guo & Wang (2009) identified outshopping as shopping outside one's local community for various reasons such as to obtain better quality merchandise at relatively competitive price points and pleasant shopping environment. A broad definition of outshopping would include those of some authors, such as Tansuhaj et al (1989), Piron (2002), Wang et al (2010), as they defined international outshopping as consumers purchasing away from their home country and that they identified shopping as a motivation for going aboard. Cross-border shopping occurs when consumers travel outside their local area and cross a national boundary outside their local area into an adjacent country primarily to shop (Dmitrovic & Vida, 2007;Lau et al, 2005;Mogab et al, 2005).…”

Changing institutions and consumer-driven development of forest products and services

“…(FAO 2014) consumption trends in this category (Cardoso and Pinto 2010; Penz and Hogg 2011; Pookulangara and Koesler 2011; Barnes and Pressey 2012; Jun 2012; Chen and Scott 2014;Hong and Pavlou 2014). Online markets and the vast amount of available products and information have increased the need for building trust and credibility in the overall value chain, which has placed impetus in adopting the usage of third-party verification and certification systems(Kantsperger and Kunz 2010;Wang et al 2010;Shainesh 2012;Chiu et al 2013;Lu et al 2013;Watson et al 2013;Brun et al 2014). Trust and credibility are fundamentally also hedonic product values.…”