The Decade of Online Shopping in the Jewish Ultra-Orthodox Community

Abstract

ABSTRACTBased on large scale annual social surveys in Israel, the current study uses an innovation resistance perspective and domestication theory as frameworks for analyzing trends of Internet adoption and online purchasing behavior in Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox community over the past decade (between 2003 and 2012). During the last decade, rates of Internet access and online purchasing have continued to increase in the Ultra-Orthodox community. However, users in this group (similar to other religious groups in Israel) have yet to fully use the potential of online shopping. The odds ratio in Internet adoption and online shopping over time among the Ultra-Orthodox were higher compared to other religiosity groups. Our findings show that socio-demographic characteristics are effective for tracking Ultra-Orthodox Internet adoption. However, the power of these characteristics to differentiate Internet usage behaviors is much lower. Due to the linked processes of Internet domestication, increasing connectivity, and utilitarian Internet use the Ultra-Orthodox community may be considered an attractive target audience for online retailers.