Individualist and collectivist factors affecting online repurchase intentions

Purpose – This study aims to explore whether collectivistic and individualistic users exhibit different e-commerce loyalty and purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach – The paper operationalises Triandis' individuality and collectivism typology. Empirical data were gathered using face-to-face questionnaire instruments with 140 respondents, comprising undergraduate students and government employees. Findings – Online shoppers are more individualistic than those who have not shopped online, while individualism and collectivism do not influence online loyalty. Research limitations/implications – As firms compete for online custom, it would be useful to gain some understanding of the possible effects of individual and collective behaviour on purchasing behaviour. Practical implications – Instead of competing for existing online users, online stores could expand their market by appealing to offline shoppers using collective techniques. Originality/value – Online loyalty has been an important focus of prior work and, while there has been significant focus on communities, Internet use remains a very personal activity. The paper provides new evidence that offline shoppers are more collectivistic than online shoppers.