Simulations of the relationship between the experience level of e-commerce customers and the adopted variables - implications for management in the area of online shopping

Abstract

Over the last year, there has been a significant shift in online shopping caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This change manifests itself primarily in the fact that already 73% of Polish citizens shop online. E-commerce customers are generally optimistic about this type of shopping, and this opinion has even improved over the past year. Online shopping is primarily perceived as convenient and uncomplicated and offers more choice than buying in traditional stores. In this measurement, the perception of comfort was remarkably improved. As the period of online shopping lengthens, the level of experience acquired by e-commerce customers increases, which, on the one hand, not only improves the online shopping process but, on the other hand, may affect the perception of websites in terms of other criteria. Thus, the purpose of the article is to examine the relationships between the time of online shopping (understood as the acquisition of experience of e-commerce customers) by respondents and the assessment of individual variables. Research conducted among the e-commerce customers allowed us to make the following conclusion - the perception itself and perception of specific criteria influencing the functioning of the Internet platform changes during the time while experience in online shopping is being acquired. However, this does not mean that these ratings are constantly improving. In the case of the level of satisfaction and the assessment of meeting e-commerce customers’ needs above expectations, with the higher experience in online shopping, both the level of satisfaction and ratings regarding meeting the needs above expectations become lower. The obtained research results can be advice for online platforms in purchasing process management and customer service.