Mobile Shoppers: Types, Drivers, and Impediments

Abstract

The technology adoption of mobile commerce has frequently been studied by considering the extended technology acceptance model (TAM). However, the role of the perceived drivers and impediments affecting potential mobile shoppers' acceptance has been scarcely analyzed. This article highlights: (1) the typology of potential m-shoppers described by their reasons for, and perceived impediments to, mobile shopping and (2) the possible differences in the extended TAM in the resulting categories. In order to do so, we advance a single hypothesis about moderation of the m-shopper type on the relationships presented in the extended TAM. The study was conducted in Spain, a country with significant current and forecasted use of mobile shopping. Data from 476 Spanish mobile phone users were analyzed. The use of latent class cluster allowed us to identify three types of mobile shoppers that show different profiles based on their perception about drivers and impediments. Differences in the extended TAM relations across the clusters were identified using the multigroup approach of structural equation models. The results show support for the moderation effect, providing valuable information for practitioners to understand how consumers develop mobile shopping intentions, which is necessary to implement effective marketing strategies.

Keywords:

• mobile commerce
• technology adoption
• technology acceptance model
• drivers
• impediments

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank the Fundación Ramón Areces (Spain) for its support of this research through the project of mobile commerce (Ref 2010/00134/001). Also, the authors are indebted to the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their valuable suggestions and helpful comments.

Notes

¹See Davis (1989) for an explanation of the relationships among classical TAM variables.