Despite widespread popularity in Europe, particularly in the UK and the Netherlands, demand for Online Grocery Retail in Germany, which is economically just as strongly developed, appears to be rather low. This study therefore aims to find out which factors encourage or discourage consumers in Germany to order groceries online.
Businesses need to make the online grocery business model transparent and useful from a marketing perspective. The clear advantages of this way of shopping groceries must be communicated. Furthermore, psychological aspects of consumers must be understood and taken into account in the retailers' strategy. Last but not least, importance must be attached to data protection and environmental protection; this message must be conveyed.
By providing current insights into consumers' preferences and wishes on their personal grocery shopping behavior, the findings can be used by Businesses and especially Grocery Retailer to shape the grocery shopping of the future.
Based on the hypothesis that that there is some degree of resistance to the utilisation of technology which is potentially inhibiting German consumers utilising actively embracing online grocery retail, the Technology Acceptance Model and its extension was chosen as a conceptual framework in order to test this assumption. To test the findings of the Literature Review, 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted in the empirical part of this study. The target group of the interviewees were students aged between 18 - 30, 13 of them female and 12 male.
The main findings are that the reasons for the low demand for online grocery retailing in Germany are cultural. German consumers are more likely to trust new trends if they have been on the market and established for a longer period of time. The high density of grocery stores favours the fact that German consumers do not see any real added value in this service and thus no real usefulness. In addition to ease of use and usefulness, demographic aspects must also be taken into account in order to make the online grocery trade successful in Germany.
The study focused on a specific age and target group. For practical reasons, the number was limited to 25 interviews. For further research it is recommended to analyze further age and target groups in order to gain further differences in the individual aspects.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Research Context and Rationale
1.2 Research Aim and Objectives
1.3 Research Questions
1.4 Research Design
1.5 Dissertation Structure
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Theoretical Framework
2.3 Structural Factors Affecting Online Retail Use
2.4 Demographic Factors Affecting Online Retail Use
2.5 Barriers to Grocery Food Retail – A Gap in the State of Knowledge
2.6 Conceptual Framework
2.7 Chapter Conclusion
3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Methodology
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Data Collection
3.3.1 Semi-Structured Interviews
3.3.2 Population and Sample
3.3.3 Research Ethics
3.3.4 Pilot Studies
3.3.5 Credibility and Dependability
3.4 Data Analysis
3.4.1 Thematic Analysis
3.4.2 Limitations and Delimitations
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Results
4.2.1 Grocery Purchasing Behaviour
4.2.2 Motivating Drivers when buying Groceries
4.2.3 Demotivating Drivers when buying Groceries
4.2.4 Overall Impression of Online Grocery Retailing
4.2.5 Motivating and Demotivating Factors of Online Grocery Retailing
4.2.6 Explanation of the low demand situation in Germany
4.2.7 Assessment of Practical Aspects of the Online Grocery Trade
4.2.8 Decisive Factor for using the Online Grocery Channel
4.3 Discussion
4.3.1 Findings in Support of Literature
4.3.2 Findings which Vary from Literature
4.3.3 Addressing RQs Aim and Objectives
4.4 Chapter Summary
5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusions
5.2 Recommendations
5.2.1 Practical Recommendations
5.2.2 Limitations and Further Research
Research Aim and Topics
The primary aim of this research is to identify the core factors that motivate or demotivate German consumers from utilizing online food retail channels through a qualitative empirical assessment, in order to explain the notably slow adoption of this service in the German market compared to other developed economies.
- Analysis of German consumer attitudes toward technology in the context of grocery shopping.
- Evaluation of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a framework for understanding consumer resistance.
- Identification of cultural and sociodemographic barriers to online grocery adoption.
- Investigation of the impact of structural factors, such as grocery store density, on online demand.
- Development of practical recommendations for retailers to address the specific needs of German consumers.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2.1 Grocery Purchasing Behaviour
Of the 25 respondents, 10 persons stated that they buy their groceries exclusively at the supermarket. Seven persons buy their groceries exclusively from discounters and six indicated that they buy their groceries from supermarkets and discounters. The remaining two persons stated that they perceive mixed forms, such as discounters, supermarkets and weekly markets OR weekly markets and discounters.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Describes the context, rationale, aim, and research questions of the study, while providing a justification for the chosen research methodology.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW: Critically evaluates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and existing empirical findings regarding structural and demographic factors influencing online food retail adoption.
3. METHODOLOGY: Details and justifies the qualitative, semi-structured interview approach used to gather data from 25 German students at the University of Hildesheim.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Presents and interprets the empirical findings regarding consumer behaviors, motivations, and the reasons for the low demand for online grocery retail in Germany.
5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Summarizes key research outcomes and provides practical recommendations for retailers to improve online grocery adoption strategies in the German market.
Keywords
Online Grocery Retail, Consumer behaviour, Technology Acceptance Model, Germany, Qualitative research, Semi-structured interviews, Cultural norms, Grocery store density, Perceived usefulness, Perceived ease-of-use, Demographic factors, Digital adoption, Market entry, Consumer resistance, Retail strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The dissertation focuses on understanding why the demand for online grocery retail in Germany is significantly lower compared to other developed economies like the UK, despite the availability of necessary technological infrastructure.
What is the central research question?
The research explores what motivates German consumers to use online food channels and what factors, particularly cultural or structural ones, act as barriers to their adoption of online grocery retail.
Which scientific model is used as a theoretical framework?
The study utilizes the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), as developed by Davis et al. (1989), to analyze consumer behaviors, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease-of-use regarding new technology applications.
What methodology does the author employ?
The researcher conducted a qualitative study involving 25 semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with students aged 18-30 at the University of Hildesheim in Germany.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines current grocery shopping patterns, identifies motivating and demotivating factors such as freshness concerns and time constraints, and discusses why cultural factors heavily influence German consumer behavior.
What are the key keywords characterizing this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Online Grocery Retail, Consumer behaviour, Technology Acceptance Model, Cultural norms, and Market entry barriers in Germany.
How do cultural factors influence the adoption of online grocery retail in Germany?
The findings suggest that German consumers are culturally more traditional and skeptical toward new trends, preferring to "wait and see" rather than early adoption. Additionally, the high density of physical grocery stores reduces the perceived added value of delivery services.
Why did the researcher choose students for the study?
Students aged 18-30 were chosen because they represent the future generation of consumers and are expected to be the most comfortable with using technology, making their reluctance particularly significant for understanding the barriers to market growth.
- Quote paper
- Yasin Yilmaz (Author), 2020, Consumer Behaviour in Online Grocery Retailing in Germany, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/540108
