Abstract
Accompanying the widespread use of the Internet, the popularity of e-commerce is growing in developing countries such as China. Online shopping has significant effects on in-store shopping and on other personal activity travel behavior such as leisure activities and trip chaining behavior. Using data collected from a GPS-based activity travel diary in the Shangdi area of Beijing, this paper investigates the relationships between online shopping, in-store shopping and other dimensions of activity travel behavior using a structural equation modelling framework. Our results show that online buying frequency has positive effects on the frequencies of both in-store shopping and online searching, and in-store shopping frequency positively affects the frequency of online searching. Frequent online purchasers tend to shop in stores on weekends rather than weekdays. We also found a negative effect of online buying on the frequency of leisure activities, indicating that online shopping may reduce out-of-home leisure trips.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bhat, C.R., Sivakumar, A., Axhausen, K.W.: An analysis of the impact of information and communication technologies on non-maintenance shopping activities. Transp. Res. Part B 37(10), 857–881 (2003)
Bollen, K.A.: Structural equations with latent variables. Wiley, New York (1989)
Bureau of Statistics of Beijing: Beijing Statistical Yearbook 2013. China Statistical Press, Beijing (2013)
Cao, X.: E-shopping, spatial attributes, and personal travel: a review of empirical studies. Transp. Res. Rec. 2135, 160–169 (2009)
Cao, X., Douma, F., Cleaveland, F.: The influence of e-shopping on shopping travel: evidence from Twin Cities. Transp. Res. Rec. 2157, 147–154 (2010)
Cao, X., Xu, Z., Douma, F.: The interactions between e-shopping and traditional in-store shopping: an application of structural equations model. Transportation 39, 957–974 (2012)
China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC): Chinese online shopping Market Research Report 2013 (2014)
Ding, Y., Lu, H., Zhang, L.: An analysis of activity time use on vehicle usage rationed days. Transportation (2014). doi:10.1007/s11116-014-9568-8
Farag, S., Schwanen, T., Dijst, M.: Empirical investigation of online searching and buying and their relationship to shopping trips. Transp. Res. Rec. 1926, 242–251 (2005)
Farag, S., Schwanen, T., Dijst, M., Faber, J.: Shopping online and/or in-store? A structural equation model of the relationships between e-shopping and in-store shopping. Transp. Res. Part A 41(2), 125–141 (2007)
Ferrell, C.: Home-based teleshoppers and shopping travel: do teleshoppers travel less? Transp. Res. Part A 1894, 241–248 (2004)
Ferrell, C.: Home-based teleshopping and shopping travel: where do people find the time? Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1926, 212–223 (2005)
Golob, T.F.: Structural equation modeling for travel behavior research. Transp. Res. Part B 37, 1–25 (2003)
Kline, R.B.: Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling. Guilford Press, New York (2005)
Lu, X., Pas, E.I.: Socio-demographics, activity participation and travel behavior. Transp. Res. Part A 33, 1–18 (1999)
Mokhtarian, P.L.: A conceptual analysis of the transportation impacts of B2C e-commerce. Transportation 31, 257–284 (2004)
Mokhtarian, P.L., Salomon, I., Handy, S.L.: The impacts of ICT on leisure activities and travel: a conceptual exploration. Transportation 33, 263–289 (2006)
Rotem-Mindali, O.: E-tail versus retail: the effects on shopping related travel empirical evidence from Israel. Transp. Policy 17(5), 312–322 (2010)
Rotem-Mindali, O., Weltevreden, J.W.J.: Transport effects of e-commerce: what can be learned after years of research? Transportation 40, 867–885 (2013)
Sugie, Y., Zhang, J., Fujiwara, A.: A weekend shopping activity participation model dependent on weekday shopping behavior. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 10(6), 335–343 (2003)
Ward, M.R., Morganosky, M.: Consumer acquisition of product information and subsequent purchase channel decisions. In: Baye, M.R. (ed.) Advances in Applied Microeconomics: The Economics of the Internet and E-Commerce. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam (2002)
Weltevreden, J.W.J.: Substitution or complementarity? How the Internet changes city center shopping. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 14(3), 192–207 (2007)
Weltevreden, J.W.J., Van Rietbergen, T.: E-shopping versus city centre shopping: the role of perceived city centre attractiveness. Tijdschr. Econ Soc Geogr 98, 68–85 (2007)
Zhang, M.: Exploring the relationship between urban form and nonwork travel through time use analysis. Landsc. Urban Plan. 73, 244–261 (2005)
Zhou, Y., Wang, X.: Explore the relationship between online shopping and shopping trips: an analysis with the 2009 NHTS data. Transp. Res. Part A 70, 1–9 (2014)
Acknowledgments
The research presented in this paper is funded by Key Projects in the National Science and Technology Pillar Program during the Twelfth Five-year Plan Period. The authors thank the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) for provision of funds.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ding, Y., Lu, H. The interactions between online shopping and personal activity travel behavior: an analysis with a GPS-based activity travel diary. Transportation 44, 311–324 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-015-9639-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-015-9639-5