Retail Online Assurances: Typology Development and Empirical Analysis

Employing both signaling theory and the search, experience, and credence elements of information economics, research is presented that explores the effects of retailer assurance upon consumer trust in an online shopping environment. Through qualitative analysis, a typology of assurances and the information each is meant to signal is derived from actual assurances offered by online retailers. Assurance types are then examined to determine which elements of assurance are important in creating or sustaining consumer trust across both pre- and postpurchase contexts. Findings show that the timing of assurances is an important, albeit underutilized, aspect of the personalization of the online retail experience.