Online Shopping in Rural Areas : A Consumer Perception Study

Online shopping is nowadays a common mode of shopping among people regardless of geographical location and income class because it offers several conveniences and choices compared with traditional shopping. Rural areas accommodate a major proportion of the population and consequently, a significant part of customer base of the companies belongs there. The availability of internet in the rural areas and the increase in the usage of Smartphones among rural people have made them the users of online shopping. So usage and perception of online shopping among rural people is an important area to be focused. The present study aims to understand the perception of rural consumers towards online shopping. Malappuram district in the Kerala state was selected as the geographical area for the present study. A survey was conducted among 300 respondents selected from this geographical area using purposive sampling. It was found that Flipkart is the most popular e-commerce site among rural people. They prefer cash on delivery method as the mode of making payment. Wide selection and low prices are the factors that attract them to online shopping. Clothing and apparel and Home and kitchen equipment are products they mostly prefer to buy in online shopping.