Penetration of eCommerce and Perception of Consumers in Thailand

Abstract

The study focused on business-to-consumer eCommerce in Thailand regarding its penetration and the perceptions of consumers in the country. Stratified sampling was used to collect data from the different regions of Thailand because of its diversified nature in culture and economic activities. By the offline questionnaire survey, conducted in January to March 2018, data were collected from regular online shoppers and regular offline buyers and the same were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Books & Magazines, Cosmetics, Mobile, and Laptop are the four consumer items used in the study to investigate the penetration and it was estimated that the average penetration of online shopping is twenty five percent in volume on these commodities. The convenience of online shopping is the most influencing factor for positive attitude towards online shopping. Lack of trust and confidence in electronic transactions due to the paucity of adequate protective laws; and the consumers’ perceptions towards product performance risk and financial risk are major deterrents of eCommerce in Thailand. It has been observed that the penetration of online shopping is not a threat, for the time being, to the traditional retailers of these commodities since they have more than double the market share of online buyers.