Research on Consumers' Attitudes in China about Using Online-to-Offline Mode for Purchasing Wooden Furniture

Abstract

Abstract The online-to-offline (O2O) business mode, designed to attract online shoppers to participate in in-person retail consumption, is rapidly emerging in popularity in China, and having a significant impact on traditional manufacturing. Taking the wooden furniture industry as a case study, this research surveyed consumers' attitudes toward using the O2O mode for wooden furniture shopping. Respondents were asked to rate their online and in-store experiences and attitudes about wooden furniture shopping via the O2O mode. On the basis of data processing of questionnaires, this study established hypotheses and conducted hypothesis testing by one-way analysis of variance and regression analysis. Results of this research indicated that Chinese consumers' attitudes about using the O2O mode for wooden furniture shopping were significantly affected by the region/city tiers in which the respondents resided. Consumers' attitudes in all regions were affected by subjective perceptions, the reputation and security of the Internet platform, and the quality of enterprise services. Specifically, those who live in tier 1 cities (most economically developed cities, e.g., Beijing, Tianjin) are more concerned about their shopping environment, whereas those who live in tier 3 cities (less economically developed cities) are more concerned about the Internet platform's service and promotions. Tier 2 cities (large cities that may be provincial capitals) are more concerned about convenience of online shopping and environment of the offline store. The results of this study could help enable business managers to develop appropriate marketing strategies for O2O wooden furniture shopping and provide reference for the transformation of business mode of wooden furniture manufacturing enterprises.