Abstract

O2O, an acronym of online-to-offline or vice versa, is a new business model blending online retailing with offline retailing. This new model improves an existing method of shopping by either integrating the online components for traditional shoppers or the traditional shopping for Internet or mobile shoppers. Few studies have examined consumers’ acceptance of new O2O business model. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate consumer acceptance of O2O business model from the status quo bias and habit perspectives that have been used to examine new system acceptance by past research. Using a sample data collected from 230 respondents, this study applies a structural equation model (SEM) to examine the relationships of the proposed research model. The results reveal that behavioural-based inertia positively impacts perceived ease of use and cognitive-based inertia positively impacts relative advantage, and consequently impacts consumers’ intention to use O2O shopping. In addition, subjective norm positively impacts perceived ease of use and relative advantage, and self-efficacy positively impacts perceived ease of use. Because O2O shopping is a consumer’s adoption of a new business model which involves information technologies and retailing services, this study thus provides in depth insights into enhancing the acceptance of both new information technologies and new business model. Particularly, inertia can facilitate consumers O2O shopping acceptance as opposed to inhibit new system acceptance found in past research. Perceived ease of use and relative advantage fully mediate the relationships between external variables (such as inertia, subjective norm, and self-efficacy) and O2O shopping intention. Implications are drawn for electronic commerce, mobile commerce, and retailing.

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