The research’s aim was to contrast the retailers’ market approach and consumer perception of online food shopping in the markets Germany and UK.
The first part of the research project was the review of existing literature to build up knowledge about the history and definition of the Internet and to give a market overview of Germany and the UK. The next areas investigated within the literature review were consumers’ online shopping behaviour and the food retail market. The last part was concerned with specific companies from both countries and their market approach.
Research questions developed in the literature review were concerned with the food shopping behaviour and the perception of online food shopping. Additional questions were if payment security has an influence on online shopping and what other market sectors are of interest.
The first part of the survey collecting quantitative data was carried out within a sample of 100 food shoppers from the UK and 100 from Germany. Questionnaires were distributed using the snowball sampling method – a method where each respondent passes the questionnaire to a number of further contacts. Interviews built the second survey part where two participants from each country were questioned in-depth about their food shopping behaviour and perceptions. The interviews backed findings from the questionnaire survey and gave further information.
Quantitative data was gained and analysed by using the program SPSS. SPSS is a tool that provides the possibility to run statistical correlations between variables and provides graphical outputs to illustrate the findings.
The findings show great differences in consumer perception and retailers’ market approach between Germany and the UK.
While in the UK online food shopping is popular with consumers and some retailers found a way of establishing themselves in this market, German companies do not offer the service nationwide and consumers seem to have limited interest. Main reasons identified in the research lie in the differences within the economical markets and culture of the countries.
The outlook in the future shows an ongoing increase in online food shopping in the UK but less activities in Germany.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Topic choice and justification
1.3 Research aim and objectives
1.4 Limitations of the research
1.5 Report outline
2 Literature Review
2.1 General definition and historic overview of the Internet
2.2 General definition of electronic commerce
2.3 Market overview Germany and UK
2.4 Consumer’s online shopping behaviour
2.4.1 Online shopping population
2.4.2 Increasing online shopping
2.4.3 Reasons for online shopping
2.4.4 Security concerns of online payments
2.5 Overview food retail market
2.5.1 Market approaches, business models
2.5.2 Food online shopping
2.6 UK and German Companies
2.6.1 UK Companies
2.6.2 German Companies
2.7 Summary of the Literature Review and Research Questions
3 Methodology
3.1 Research Perspective
3.2 Research Approach
3.2.1 Reliability
3.2.2 Validity
3.2 3 Generalisability
3.3 Research Design
3.3.1 Snowball sampling
3.3.2 Purposive Sampling
3.4 Research Strategy
3.4.1 Survey
3.4.2 Interviews
3.5 Data collection
3.5.1 Survey
3.5.2 Interviews
3.6 Method of Data Analysis
4 Data Analysis
4.1 What population is interested in online food shopping?
4.2 How is the food shopping behaviour in general?
4.3 Perception of online food shopping?
4.4 Do payment concerns effect online shopping?
4.5 Do supermarkets do good advertising?
4.6 What are the implications for the future?
4.7 What other sectors are of interest?
4.8 Summary Data Analysis
5 Conclusions and Recommendations
5.1 General definition and a historic overview of the Internet
5.2 General knowledge about the German and UK market
5.3 Different market approaches in the countries
5.4 Consumer food shopping and online shopping behaviour
5.4.1 How is the food shopping behaviour in general?
5.4.2 What population is interested in online food shopping?
5.4.3 Perception of online food shopping?
5.4.4 Do payment concerns effect online shopping?
5.4.5 What are the implications for the future?
5.4.6 What other sectors are of interest?
5.5 Outlook in the future
5.6 Recommendations for further research
Research Objectives and Focus
The research aims to investigate the differences in retail market approaches between the UK and Germany and evaluate whether these approaches align with consumer perceptions in both markets. The study seeks to understand shopping behaviors, identify barriers to online grocery adoption, and assess future market potential.
- Comparative analysis of German and UK food retail market strategies.
- Evaluation of consumer behavior and perceptions regarding online grocery shopping.
- Assessment of the influence of economic and cultural factors on market development.
- Investigation into the impact of payment security concerns on online retail adoption.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Background
With the entrance into the new millennium we finally arrived in the information age. Both in the home and workplace, we are surrounded by an ever changing environment, full of new technologies. These technology based systems and devices are marketed at helping to improve our efficiency and enabling us to do traditional tasks in new and innovative ways. This further development in technology is now supporting companies and individuals to cope with day to day business, and for that matter to improve life style.
One of the biggest steps in this technology innovation and movement towards the information age was the development of the Internet. Since the 1990’s the importance of the Internet for the broader public is continuing to grow. The development of the Internet started in 1968 with the aim to create a communication tool for military purposes (Leiner et al, no date). Some 25 years later the Internet was developed further and open standards were published. Companies discovered the advantages of the Net as a commercial tool. Nowadays it is common for businesses to place advertising on the Internet, contact consumers via email and have an online sales and ordering systems. Firms which do not adopt their strategies to this new market approaches are in danger to be overtaken by more innovative competitors.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides background on the information age, the emergence of the internet as a commercial tool, and outlines the research aim to compare food retail in the UK and Germany.
2 Literature Review: Explores the history of the internet, e-commerce definitions, and details the divergent food retail market landscapes and company strategies in Germany and the UK.
3 Methodology: Details the research perspective, justification for the multi-method approach, and the execution of surveys and interviews as the primary data collection strategies.
4 Data Analysis: Presents the statistical findings from surveys and qualitative data from interviews, focusing on consumer demographics, shopping behavior, and technology adoption.
5 Conclusions and Recommendations: Synthesizes research findings to compare national market differences and offers suggestions for retailers and directions for future academic research.
Keywords
Online Food Shopping, Consumer Perception, Retail Market Approach, UK Market, German Market, Electronic Commerce, Internet Adoption, Food Retail, Consumer Behavior, Market Strategy, Primary Research, SPSS Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The dissertation investigates and contrasts the retail market approaches of food companies in the UK and Germany, while simultaneously examining how consumers in these two countries perceive online food shopping.
What are the central thematic areas covered in the work?
The study covers the history and development of the internet, current e-commerce business models, differences in national economic conditions, and consumer behaviors regarding time-saving, convenience, and security concerns.
What is the specific research goal?
The aim is to determine if the strategies implemented by food retailers in the UK and Germany align with the actual perceptions and requirements of their respective consumer bases.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The researcher utilized a multi-method approach, combining quantitative data collection through 200 distributed questionnaires (100 per country) with qualitative data from in-depth telephone interviews.
What does the main body address?
The main body investigates the historical development of the internet, details specific retailer approaches like Tesco and Ocado versus German retailers, and provides a comprehensive data analysis of consumer responses via SPSS software.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include Online Food Shopping, Consumer Perception, Market Strategy, E-commerce, UK/German Markets, and Consumer Behavior.
Why is the German online grocery market less developed than the UK's?
The research indicates that factors such as lower profit margins in Germany, higher supermarket density, and cultural differences in shopping habits contribute to a more limited interest and availability of online grocery services compared to the UK.
Does the research conclude that online grocery shopping is essential for the future?
While the study finds strong consensus among UK respondents regarding the essential nature of online services, German respondents generally view it as less critical, often due to existing market structures and shopping preferences.
- Citar trabajo
- Marie von Breitenbuch (Autor), 2004, Online Food Shopping: Consumer perception and retailers market approach, contrasting the markets UK and Germany, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/32502
