An Empirical Study on Factors Influencing a Consumer's Switching Behavioral Intention in the Internet Shopping Mall Environment

Abstract

This study empirically investigates how the switching barriers influence the consumer's perceived intention to change his or her current favorite internet shopping mall. Drawing from switching cost theory, variables pertaining to trust, shopping mall service quality, product price, web page quality, switching barriers were examined to examine the consumer's behavioral intention to switch to another shopping mall. The interaction effect of consumer involvement was also included in the research model. The results of the study report that customer satisfaction and switching cost influence shopping switching intention, while the effect of attractiveness of the shopping mall was not significant in the statistical analysis. Furthermore, a moderating effect of consumer involvement was not found significant in the PLS analysis. The study demonstrates the shopping mall owners try to increase the customer's overall satisfaction and raise the switching barrier by providing mileage advantages, for instance.