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The interactions between e-shopping and traditional in-store shopping: an application of structural equations model

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Abstract

As the proliferation of e-commerce leads to ever greater numbers of on-line transactions, transportation planners are interested in the impacts of e-shopping on our strained transportation systems. Although the substitution effect of e-shopping is appealing, previous studies provided mixed results on its impact. Using 539 adult internet users in the Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area, this study applied a structural equations model to investigate the interactions among online purchases, in-store shopping, and product information search via internet. We found that online searching frequency has positive impacts on both online and in-store shopping frequencies and online buying positively affects in-store shopping. In particular, the marginal effects of online-buying frequency and online-searching frequency on in-store shopping frequency were estimated at 0.153 and 0.189, respectively. Since the internet as a shopping channel tends to have a complementary effect on in-store shopping, the rise of e-shopping is not likely to be a solution but a challenge to travel reduction.

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Acknowledgments

The study was funded by the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Institute, a program of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) through the TechPlan Program, which is part of the State and Local Policy Program at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Financial support was provided by the US Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technologies Administration (RITA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, 301 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Xinyu Jason Cao & Frank Douma

  2. China Monitor Inc, Guohong Tower B, Suite 2202, Mu Xi Di Bei Li Jia No.11, Western District, 100038, Beijing, China

    Zhiyi Xu

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  1. Xinyu Jason Cao
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  2. Zhiyi Xu
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  3. Frank Douma
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Correspondence to Xinyu Jason Cao.

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Cao, X.J., Xu, Z. & Douma, F. The interactions between e-shopping and traditional in-store shopping: an application of structural equations model. Transportation 39, 957–974 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-011-9376-3

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