Is age still valid for segmenting e-shoppers?

Abstract

This study examines the differences in the acceptance and use of electronic commerce by end consumers, segmented in three groups according to their age. The UTAUT2 provides the theoretical framework, with the addition of three constructs from e-commerce literature: perceived risk, product risk, and perceived trust. Responses to an online survey by 817 Spanish Internet shoppers validate the research model. An omnibus test of group differences precedes the assessment of four multigroup analysis methods. Results show that gaps caused by age differences in e-shoppers are narrowing. This paper also identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the different multigroup approaches.