Journal of Competitiveness 36
On-line Shopping on B2C Markets
in the Czech Republic
Pilk Michal
Abstract
The paper deals with the e-commerce theory and is aimed primarily at its usage in business-to-
consumer markets. On-line purchasing management is increasing not only in the Czech Repub-
lic but also in Europe and all over the world. The customers who think rationally use on-line
shopping because of money saving, speed delivery and the possibility of product comparison.
This paper presents the results of a project fnanced by the Czech Science Foundation P403/11/
P175: The factors infuencing customers on-line behaviour in e-commerce environment on B2C
and B2B markets in the Czech Republic. 89 % of respondents use e-shops for buying products
in the Czech Republic. 32 % of them use the Internet for regular purchases and 57 % of them
irregularly. 11 % of respondents have not used e-shops yet.
Key words: Marketing, E-Commerce, Business-to-Consumer Market, On-line Shopping, Consumer Buying Be-
haviour
1. INTRODUCTION
More than 85 % of the worlds online population has used the Internet to make a purchase - in-
creasing the market for online shopping by 40 % in the past two years - according to the latest
Nielsen Global Online Survey on Internet shopping habits. Globally, more than half of Internet
users have made at least one purchase online in the past month, according to Nielsen. Among
Internet users, the highest percentage shopping online is found in South Korea, where 99 % of
those with Internet access have used it to shop, followed by the UK (97 %), Germany (97 %),
Japan (97 %) with the U.S. eighth, at 94 %. (The Nielsen Company, 2008)
The Internet and its tools no longer feel unfamiliar. Still the majority of its users are afraid of on-line
purchases even though there are a number of advantages. Young generation is an exception. The
Internet enables (together with new marketing approaches) customers as well as companies quickly
and effciently buy and sell goods or services. The area of e-commerce is still a new phenomenon in
the Czech Republic and is worth exploring and developing. And it was one of the reasons to explore
on-line buying behaviour in the Czech Republic. The main goal of this paper is to introduce the
general view of on-line purchasing from e-shop users characteristics, their preferences, expenses,
purchasing frequencies and main fears by on-line shopping acceptations point of view.
1.1 Internet Users Worldwide
Internet World Stats has reported that the estimated number of Internet users reached 2 267 233
742 on December 31, 2011 (InternetStatsToday, 2012). 32.7 % of world population has Internet
connection. Table 1 shows the latest data about Internet users in world regions. As we can see
most Internet users are in North America. It is not a big surprise that 78.6 % of the population
has Internet connection in the Internets birthplace.
Vol. 4, Issue 4, pp. 36-49, December 2012
ISSN 1804-171X (Print), ISSN 1804-1728 (On-line), DOI: 10.7441/joc.2012.04.03
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 36 19.12.2012 9:20:20
37
If we compare the Czech Republic with the European average, we have to say that the situa-
tion in the Czech Republic is better than the European average. 70.9 % of Czech population
has Internet connection. E-commerce potential is very high in Europe, North America and
Australia.
Tab. 1 World internet users and population statistics. Source: InternetWorldStats, 2012
World Regions
Population
(20JJ)
Internet
Users
Penetration
Users Growth
2000 - 2008
Africa 1 037 524 058 139 875 242 13.5 % 2 988.4 %
Asia 3 879 740 877 1 016 799 076 26.2 % 789.6 %
Europe 816 426 346 500 723 686 61.3 % 376.4 %
Middle East 216 258 843 77 020 995 35.6 % 2 244.8 %
North America 347 394 870 273 067 546 78.6 % 152.6 %
Latin America/
Caribbean
597 283 165 235 819 740 39.5 % 1 205.1 %
Australia/Oceania 35 426 995 23 927 457 67.5 % 214.0 %
World Total 6 930 055 154 2 267 233 742 32.7 % 528.1 %
1.2 E-commerce History and Definition
The year 1999 was one of explosive growth for e-commerce in Europe. Before 1999, in the
shadow of the booming US economy, e-commerce in Europe had been overlooked and under-
estimated, not often commanding the same level of attention. Historically, European Internet
penetration, and therefore e-commerce, has lagged behind that of the US for many reasons,
including the high connection costs resulting from the slow deregulation of the European tel-
ecommunications industry, restrictive European trade and legal regulations, and language and
cultural differences across Europe. Consequently, while e-commerce became a phenomenon
in the US during the latter half of the 1990s, it is just beginning to attract attention in Europe
(Zott et al., 2000)When the term electronic commerce was frst introduced, it was understood as
simple as transactions over the Internet (Sung, 2006).
The Internet is an extremely important new technology, and it is no surprise that it has received
so much attention from entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and business observers (Porter,
2001). It has become an essential business platform for trading, distributing and selling prod-
ucts between organisations, among organisations and consumers, and even between consumers.
This has brought e-commerce to an entirely new level. (Corbit et al., 2003) The investments to
this new media and e-commerce profts are continuously increasing every year and that is one
of the reasons to follow this new technology and try to describe and analyse Internet users
behaviour.
Modern organizations are under increasing pressure from stakeholders to fnd new ways to com-
pete effectively in dynamic markets and changing customer preferences (Phillips, Wright, 2008).
The marketplace has never been as dynamic and muddled as we enter the twenty-frst century.
This dynamism is a result of great changes in the following:
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 37 19.12.2012 9:20:20
Journal of Competitiveness 38
The structure of markets.
The mobility of individuals and the great increase in global travel.
The growth of information technology and its impact on marketing.
The nature of marketing segments.
Strategic alliances and networks between organizations. (Ranchhod, 2004)
Ranchod (2004) predicted the impact of information technology on marketing. We can add the
impact on business in general because the growth of new technologies enables to make business
faster than before.
Electronic commerce is the use of advanced electronic technology for business. Both parties
of business information, product information, sales information, service information and elec-
tronic payment and other activities are achieved with mutually agreed trading standards through
the network, the advanced information processing tools, and the computer. Online shopping
or online retailing is a form of electronic commerce whereby consumers directly buy goods or
services from a seller over the Internet without an intermediary service. (Tao, Li, Dingjun, 2011)
Ramanathan et al. (2012) describes previous interpretation of e-commerce simply as transactions
over the Internet. However, over the years, e-commerce has been interpreted to include a variety
of organisational activities including selling, buying, logistics, and/or other organization-man-
agement activities via the Web or doing business over information networks. (Ramanathan et
al., 2012)
The emergence of e-commerce as a way of doing business has created an environment in which
the needs and expectations of business customers and consumers are rapidly changing and
evolving. (Clarke, Flaherty, 2005)
In the last decade, the growth and generalization of Internet use has made it possible to increase
sales through e-commerce websites. (Iglesias-Pradas et. al, 2012) Whether on- or offine, con-
sumers are individuals who buy products or services for personal consumption. (Chaffey et. al,
2006)
1.3 Consumer Behaviour on the Internet
All marketers try to identify consumers buying behaviour. But they are in opposite to sophis-
ticated customers who are able to use and analyse more information sources than before and to
make the best buying decision. They are more comfortable than in previous years because they
are used to having better services now. The effectiveness of advertising is decreasing and it is
more diffcult to persuade customers to buy companys products. The combination of these fac-
tors can infuence the fnal price.
The analysis of consumer behaviour is a key aspect for the success of an e-business. However,
the behaviour of consumers in the Internet market changes as they acquire e-purchasing experi-
ence. (Hernndes et al., 2010) Hernndes et al. (2010) claims that the growth of e-commerce has
made it clear that customer behaviour has evolved. Customer behaviour does not necessarily
remain stable over time since the experience acquired from past purchases means that percep-
tions change.
Consumer decision process is so generic that it can be applied to consumer behaviour in any
channel, including the Internet. (Roberts, 2008) A model of Internet consumer behaviour might
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 38 19.12.2012 9:20:20
39
be illustrated as follows see Figure 1. It has all the elements of the traditional model, although
they are arranged differently. It also includes elements of relationship building after the initial
sale.
Fig. 1 Model of Internet consumer behaviour. Source: Roberts, 2008
Each customer decision is infuenced by many factors. Figure 2 shows the chosen groups of fac-
tors infuencing on-line buying behaviour. These factors were analysed during the research.
Fig. 2 Factors infuencing on-line buying behaviour. Source: own survey
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joc_4-2012_v2.indd 39 19.12.2012 9:20:21
Journal of Competitiveness 40
2. ON-LINE SHOPPING IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
2.1 Research Goals and Methodology
Quantitative marketing research was used for collecting primary data. An on-line questionnaire
survey was used during the period June - September 2012. The questionnaire included 41 ques-
tions and the main goal was to get to know the current situation in the area of on-line buying
in the Czech Republic focusing on factors infuencing on-line buying behaviour. SPSS software
was used for data evaluation.
The main goal for purpose of this paper is to present the general view of on-line purchasing in
the Czech Republic.
2.2 Sample Selection and Demographics
Pseudo random selection of respondents was used. 557 respondents participated in the research and
455 completed questioners were evaluated. As we can see in Table 2, the sample includes 180 men
(39.6 %) and 275 women (60.4 %). Further we can see other characteristics of the respondents.
Tab. 2 Sample demographics. Source: own survey
N
Gender Male 180 39.6
Female 275 60.4
Age 16-24 114 25.1
25-34 178 39.1
35-44 80 17.6
45-54 42 9.2
55-64 24 5.3
65+ 17 3.7
Study Level Primary education 6 1.3
Secondary school without graduation 31 6.8
Secondary school with graduation 133 29.3
University degree 285 62.6
Level of PC
Literacy
Beginner 30 6.6
Common user 301 66.2
Advanced user 110 24.1
Professional 14 3.1
2.3 Research Questions
Survey methodology was used to test the research questions. The following research questions
had been set prior to the research:
RQ1: There are still more than 15 % of people who do not purchase on-line in the Czech
Republic.
RQ2: The most regular customers purchase on-line more than once a month.
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 40 19.12.2012 9:20:21
4J
RQ3: Worry about misuse of personal data has the great impact on on-line shopping.
RQ4: The on-line buying frequency infuences customers expenses.
3. MAIN RESULTS
3.1 On-line Shopping in the Czech Republic
Figure 3 describes the current situation on the Czech on-line market. As we can see, 89 % of
Czech Internet users use this medium for purchasing products or services. But only 32.1 % buy
on-line regularly. It means that most Czech Internet users buy on-line but only irregularly and
still prefer brick and mortar shops for majority of shopping.
Fig. 3 Internet buying in the Czech Republic in %. Source: own survey
If we compare Internet penetration in the Czech Republic (70.9 %) with the European aver-
age (61.3 %), we can evaluate this situation in the feld of on-line purchasing positively. People
who buy on-line (regardless whether regularly or irregularly) buy mostly once in a quarter year
(32.3 %). The second rate of buying frequency is once in month (23.9 %). Other frequencies are
presented in Table 3 below. (Note: the basis for this statistics was generated from regular and
irregular on-line buyers totally and separately for each group. Non-buyers were not counted.)
Tab. 3 On-line buying frequencies in %. Source: own survey
1otal regular and
irregular on-line
customers
Regular on-line
customers
Irregular on-line
customers
On-line Buying
Frequencies
%
Cumulative
%
%
Cumulative
%
%
Cumula-
tive %
Once a week 2.2 2.2 4.1 4.1 1.2 1.2
2-5times a week 0.5 2.7 1.4 5.5
Once a month 23.9 26.6 42.5 48.0 13.5 14.7
2-5times a month 14.0 40.6 29.5 77.5 5.4 20.1
6-10times a month 1.0 41.6 1.4 78.9 0.8 20.9
11-20times a month 0.2 41.8 0.7 79.6
Once in three moths 32.3 74.1 17.8 97.4 40.4 61.3
Once in six moths 17.8 91.9 0.7 98.1 27.3 88.6
10,8
32,1
yes regularly yes, regularly
yes, irregularly
no
57 1 57,1
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 41 19.12.2012 9:20:21
Journal of Competitiveness 42
Once a year 4.4 96.3 0.7 98.8 6.5 95.1
Other frequency 3.7 100.0 1.2 100.0 4.9 100.0
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0
If we look at the results separately (comparing regular and irregular on-line customers), we can
see the obvious difference. Regular on-line customers purchase on-line mostly once a month (or
2-5 times a month) and irregular on-line customers use Internet for purchasing products and
services mostly once a quarter year (or once a half year). Therefore their on-line buying behav-
iour is very much different from this point of view.
3.2 On-line Auctions
Other possibility how to use the Internet for purchasing products or services are Internet auc-
tions. This business e-commerce model is called customer-to-customer model (C2C) and we
can defne it as transactions between consumers. Here, a consumer sells directly to another
consumer. The most common example of C2C is an online auction. eBay.com and Aukro.cz (in
Czech Internet auction environment) are common examples of online auction.
Internet auctions are not so popular in the Czech Republic despite their growing popularity
in foreign countries in general. The usage of Internet auctions by Czech on-line customers is
presented in Table 4 below. Only 41 % of respondents use Internet auctions. Almost 60 % of
respondents do not use Internet auctions due to:
Distrust of sales and auctions portals in general;
Bad personal experience;
Bad experience of friends and family members;
Time-consumption (bidder has to monitor the auction regularly);
Aversion to buying used products.
It is surprising that some respondents give as a reason for not using Internet auctions their lack
of knowledge of Internet auctions.
Tab. 4 Internet auction usage. Source: own survey
Cumulative
Regular usage of Czech and foreign Internet auctions 8.8 8.8
Regular usage only of Czech Internet auctions 29.1 37.9
Regular usage only of foreign Internet auctions 3.0 40.9
No usage of Internet auctions 59.1 100.0
Total 100.0 -
3.3 E-shop Selection Criteria and Expenses
Chaffey (2006) defnes the key areas where customers have high expectations of on-line retailers.
The main areas are:
Logistics
Security and privacy of information
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 42 19.12.2012 9:20:21
43
Timeliness
Availability
Convenience
Customer service
Criteria for choosing an on-line shop differ from customer to customer. The most frequent
criteria were chosen for the analysis and the results are illustrated in Figure 4. Czech on-line
customers choose an e-shop mainly based on references, clarity and menu navigation, terms of
delivery, graphic design and additional services of the e-shop. It seems that graphic design is not
very important for Czech on-line customers when selecting an e-shop.
Sophisticated customers read discussions on the Internet before they spend their money on-line.
It is obvious when customers who are not able to orientate themselves in the e-shop (confusing
menu or navigation, the customer is not able to fnd the product quickly and easily) leave e-shop
very quickly. Customers use e-shops because they do not want to waste their time visiting brick
and mortar shops but they need to have products quickly available. Furthermore, delivery condi-
tions are very important for customers as well. It is quite surprising that Czech on-line customers
do not verify e.g. e-shops participations in Internet associations, e-shops history; or they do not
read delivery and sales terms.
Fig. 4 - E-shop selection criteria in absolute numbers. Source: own survey
Figure 5 illustrates the main information sources which are relevant for e-shop selection. As we can
see, references are the most important source of information when looking for the best e-shop. 70 %
of respondents use references from their friends as the most signifcant information source. Positive
or negative word-of-mouth infuences on-line business more strongly than traditional businesses
because it is something intangible for customers and they need to trust this business. Internet discus-
sions are vital for 46 % of respondents. They are similar to word-of-mouth because real customers
and users discuss e-shops, products or services and give recommendations to potential customers.
Offcial reviews infuence 45 % of on-line buyers. On-line customers are more sceptical to offcial
reviews because they are prepared by professionals and not by real customers and users.
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 43 19.12.2012 9:20:21
Journal of Competitiveness 44
Fig. 5 Information sources signifcant for e-shop selection in %. Source: own survey
Table 5 shows on-line expenses. Its evident that most on-line customers spend between 1,000
and 10,000 CZK a year. About 92.6 % of on-line customers spend 30,000 CZK or less in the
Czech Republic. Other results are shown in Table B below. (Note: the basis for this statistics was
generated from regular and irregular on-line buyers totally and separately for each group. Non-
buyers were not counted.)
Tab. 5 On-line expenses by Czech on-line customers. Source: own survey
1otal regular and
irregular on-line
customers
Regular on-line
customers
Irregular on-line
customers
On-line Lxpenses %
Cumulative
%
%
Cumulative
%
%
Cumulative
%
Less than 1000 CZK 4.9 4.9 0.7 0.7 7.3 7.3
1001 - 5000 CZK 31.8 36.7 14.4 15.1 41.5 48.8
5001 - 10 000 CZK 32.3 69.0 28.1 43.2 34.6 83.4
10 001 - 30 000 CZK 23.6 92.6 40.4 83.6 14.2 97.6
30 001 - 50 000 CZK 4.7 97.3 10.2 93.8 1.5 99.1
50 001 - 100 000
CZK
2.0 99.3 4.1 97.9 0.9 100.0
100 001 and more 0.7 100.0 2.1 100.0 - -
Total 100.0 - 100.0 - 100.0 -
The relationship between on-line buying frequencies and on-line expenses is weak (-0.411, p =
0.01). Correlation is signifcant at 0.01 level. There is a weak negative relationship between these
two variables. It might be interpreted that customers who buy on-line frequently spend less mon-
ey there. Determination coeffcient is 17 % and it represents weak tightness of these variables.
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 44 19.12.2012 9:20:21
4S
Tab. 6 Correlations between on-line buying frequencies and on-line expenses. Source: own survey
On-line Buying
Irequencies
On-line Lxpenses
On-line Buying Frequencies 1 -0.411
On-line Expenses -0.411 1
We can illustrate this result in Figure 6. The negative relationship between these two variables
is visible.
Fig. 6 Correlation between on-line buying frequencies and on-line expenses. Source: own survey
3.4 Shopping Agents
Shopping agents or shopbots facilitate customers to orientate themselves in current on-line bids.
Table 7 shows the results of shopping agents usage in the Czech Republic by regular and ir-
regular on-line customers. More than half (61.6 %) of regular on-line customers use shopping
agents regularly. A positive fnding is that 83 % of on-line customers use shopping agents. The
signifcance of relation between these variables is presented in Table 8.
Tab. 7 Shopping agents usage in the Czech Republic. Source: own survey
1otal regular and
irregular on-line
customers
Regular on-line
customers
Irregular on-line
customers
Shopping Agents
Usage
Cumulative
Cumulative
Cumulative
Regular 48.8 48.8 61.6 61.6 41.5 41.5
Irregular 34.2 83.0 29.5 91.1 36.9 78.4
No 17.0 100.0 8.9 100.0 21.6 100.0
Total 100.0 - 100.0 - 100.0 -
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 45 19.12.2012 9:20:21
Journal of Competitiveness 46
The relationship between on-line buying and shopping agents usage is weak (0.211, p = 0.01).
Correlation is signifcant at 0.01 level (2-tailed). There is a weak positive relationship between
these two variables. Determination coeffcient is 4.5 % and it represents weak tightness of these
variables.
Tab. 8 Correlations between shopping agents usage and on-line buying. Source: own survey
Shopping Agents
Usage
On-line Buying
Shopping Agents Usage 1 0.211
On-line Buying 0.211 1
The relationship between on-line buying frequencies and shopping agents usage is weak (0.152
p = 0.01). Correlation is signifcant at 0.01 level (2-tailed). There is a weak positive relationship
between these two variables. Determination coeffcient is 2.3 % and it represents weak tightness
of these variables.
Tab. 9 Correlations between shopping agents usage and on-line buying frequencies. Source:
own survey
Shopping Agents
Usage
On-line Buying
Irequencies
Shopping Agents Usage 1 0.152
On-line Buying Frequencies 0.152 1
3.5 E-product Selection Criteria
It is often very hard for customers to choose the best product. Internet becomes the frst step in
an on-line decision process for most of them. Sophisticated customers look on-line for informa-
tion. They use all possible sources to get the best information and make the best decision. It is
harder than before because all e-products are intangible. Customers cannot touch the product,
cannot smell it, nor cannot test it. Criteria for choosing the best e-product are presented in Table
10 below. It is clear that price is the most important criterion. It is not surprising because better
price is a general advantage of on-line shops. For 87.2 % of respondents price is the most impor-
tant criterion. More than half of respondents (51.7 %) marked product availability as a signifcant
criterion. 42.4 % of respondents consider discounts or sales as relevant. On-line customers do
not fnd product graphic design as an important criterion for choosing e-product. (Note: the
basis for this statistics was generated from regular and irregular on-line buyers totally. The basis
was 406 on-line buyers. Non-buyers were not counted. Each respondent could choose more
criteria.)
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 46 19.12.2012 9:20:22
47
Tab. 10 E-product selection criteria. Source: own survey
Criteria product
Price 87.2
Product Availability 51.7
Discount, Sales 42.4
Product Graphic Design 13.3
Other 6.2
3.6 Fears by Internet Shopping in The Czech Republic
All on-line users have some worries about purchasing on-line. It does not signify if they pur-
chase on-line regularly or irregularly. The main worries are presented in Figure 7. We can see
that most people are afraid of complaints products or their testing (61 %). 37 % of respondents
marked misuse of personal data and security as an important barrier against Internet shopping
acceptance. It is surprising that only 44 % of respondents marked misuse of personal data as a
relevant worry because the fear of security and personal information is generally very high in the
society. On the other hand, this information is also positive because it seems that Czech on-line
customers start to trust this medium.
If we compare the approach of regular, irregular and non- online buyers, we can see that all of
these segments have the same worries. The impossibility of product testing, problems with com-
plaints, problems with product return and misuse of personal data are the main worries about
on-line purchasing.
Fig. 7 Fears by Internet shopping in the Czech Republic. Source: own survey
4. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION
In recent years, a great number of e-commerce websites have emerged to provide product and
information service to customers. Customers, however, have to be far better versed in the offer
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 47 19.12.2012 9:20:22
Journal of Competitiveness 48
of on-line shops. There are general rules which customers should follow when selecting either
the very e-shop or product, and the actual shopping on-line. We assumed (RQ3) that the safety
and concerns about the possible misuse of private information predominate while choosing an
on-line shop. The survey showed, surprisingly, that these factors do not play the most signif-
cant role in selecting an on-line shop. Shopping on-line is becoming more and more popular
even among often very conservative Czech customers. At the beginning of the survey (RQ1),
we assumed that there are still more than 15 % of people who do not purchase on the Internet.
Although the survey showed that e-shops are not used by approx. 11% of people, this research
question can be thus disproved. We thought that regular on-line customers purchase on-line
(RQ2) mostly more than once a month (i.e., 2-5 times a month). This confrms the thesis that
regular on-line customers shop on-line mostly once per month (42.5 %). The second most com-
mon frequency of purchases is 2-5 times a month (almost 30 % of respondents). Based on the
survey results, this research question can also be refuted. We therefore disprove this research
question. The more often customers shop the bigger infuence it has on the amount of money
spent at on-line shops. Thus the fourth research question (RQ4) was established. We can confrm
this research question. It was confrmed that the frequency of purchasing on-line infuences the
amount of money spent, but in a negative way. A weak negative correlation (-0.411) was found
between these two variables. It can be interpreted in a way that customers who use e-shops fre-
quently spend less but more regularly. This confrms the general marketing thesis that an effort
of merchants is to bring regular customers to shopping for smaller amounts than to making one
purchase for large amount only. The survey results confrmed the general awareness and previ-
ous research results about on-line shopping in the Czech Republic. Presented and other survey
results will serve as a basis for on-line buying model creation because to know on-line customers
is becoming more and more important for companies and e-shops as well.
Acknowledgement:
This paper presents the results of a project fnanced by the Czech Science Foundation P403/11/P175: The
factors infuencing customers on-line behaviour in e-commerce environment on B2C and B2B markets in the
Czech Republic
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Contact information
Ing. Michal Pilk, Ph.D.
Tomas Bata University in Zln, Faculty of Management and Economics
Mostn 5139, 76001 Zln, Czech Republic
E-mail: pilik@fame.utb.cz
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JEL Classifcation: M31
joc_4-2012_v2.indd 49 19.12.2012 9:20:22
