A STUDY ON RISK PERCEPTIONS IN e-SHOPPING

Abstract The present study mainly focuses on internet shopping or online shopping. At present more and more people becoming internet users in today’s world, there has been great increase in online shopping websites all over the world. The number of people shopping online is also considerably increasing. Few years back, if people require anything, they would simply rush to a mall. Now the scenario is changing. Some people would simply start shopping by sitting on a couch inside their own house. They would simply compare product reviews of several products, reject some and click a deal offering huge discounts through coupons. Through online purchase, people can easily compare goods from multiple brands; this is where online shopping makes a difference. This comparison of product of different retailers at same time for price and quality is good idea and provides great benefit, which just isn’t possible while purchasing with the nearby shops. What we are seeing today is only the beginning. Soon it will be hard even to define e-commerce. Internet shopping can be secure if one purchases things from trusted websites. Just be careful while making online transactions. It is necessary that one reads the terms and conditions before doing online shopping. However, the popularity of online shopping has been seen by many as a threat to the existence of traditional shopping. But can we really say that traditional shopping is dying? Therefore there is a need to study whether customers really trust internet shopping or not, what is the buying behavior of internet shoppers and what are their perceptions about risks in internet shopping. This will help to understand the online shopping trends and help traditional outlets as well as e-tailors to come out with appropriate strategies for their success.