Gender Difference in Online Buying Behaviour: An Empirical Study in Punjab

Abstract

Online buying is no more just a buzz word rather has become a helpful medium to transact and buy things while sitting at home. Shopping online not only provides the comfort of buying at home but also enjoying a wide and huge variety of products with few clicks. Online buying has been substantially increasing globally as well as in India. The rise of digital natives, better broadband facilities and lesser rate of the internet is fuelling the demand for online products and increasing the number of online consumers. The number of online consumers in India is expected to grow from 69 million in 2016 to 100 million online consumers by 2017(Assocham, 2016). These growing numbers have kindled great interest in this field and in understanding the consumer's decision of indulging in or refraining from online shopping these days. Different demographics play a vital role in consumer behaviour studies. Gender is one of the most significant demographic in studies of consumer behaviour. It becomes eminent to study that who buys online, for whom are they buying and what kind of products consumers prefer to buy. Therefore this research paper throws light on whether gender plays any significant role in online buying or not. The results of this study show that there is a significant difference in frequency of buying goods online as well as in the amount of money spent by male and female. Some of the products bought online also showed significant difference specially buying electronic items, apparels, and jewellery, etc. while no significant differences are found between males and females for other products like toys and games, books and stationery items and gifts and flowers etc.