A STUDY OF ONLINE SHOPPING ORIENTATIONS AND BEHAVIORS IN VIETNAM

Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies not just in the Asian region but in the world. Although online shopping in Vietnam is on the verge of rapid growth, relatively little is known about most aspects of Vietnamese consumer behavior. This study begins to build a foundation of knowledge of Vietnamese online shopping. Surveys from 276 consumer panel members were collected. Seven online shopping orientations were identified by factor analysis which were then regressed on demographic and purchase behavior variables. A bipolar profile of Vietnamese online shoppers emerged - those that are extremely concerned about online security and protection of personal information who use the internet for low-risk transactions such as paying utility bills, and those that view online shopping as a pleasurable and recreational activity which leads to purchases of high quality and reputed brands. Besides revealing these orientations of Vietnamese consumers, our study suggests that consumer conceptualizations of online shopping have not yet undergone full elaboration. Thus, this cross-sectional study could be extended with longitudinal research to reveal how Vietnamese consumers' perceptions of the marketplace change with increasing omnichannel retailing and growing consumer sophistication.