Title: The role of product reviews on mobile devices for in-store purchases: consumers' usage intentions, costs and store preferences

Authors: Tobias Kowatsch, Wolfgang Maass, Elgar Fleisch

Addresses: Institute of Technology Management, University of St. Gallen (ITEM-HSG), Dufourstrasse 40a, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland. ' Institute of Technology Management, University of St. Gallen (ITEM-HSG), Dufourstrasse 40a, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland; Research Center for Intelligent Media, Hochschule Furtwangen University, Robert-Gerwig-Platz 1, 78120, Furtwangen, Germany. ' Institute of Technology Management, University of St. Gallen (ITEM-HSG), Dufourstrasse 40a, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Scheuchzerstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland

Abstract: Product reviews help consumers in purchase decisions. In contrast to reviews obtained from websites on the desktop, it is open if they are adopted for in-store purchases on mobile devices. Further, it is open to which degree free product reviews provided by users or paid product reviews provided by experts are adopted and influence consumers| preferences for stores that offer access to them. To address these questions, a theoretical model based on innovation diffusion theory, technology acceptance model and theory of planned behaviour is developed and empirically tested with 116 subjects. Results indicate that consumers intend to use product reviews on mobile devices for in-store purchases. Moreover, they are willing to pay almost 5% of the product|s price for a review. Based on these findings, new business models for providers of product reviews and store managers are feasible, which extend physical products with value-added online services.

Keywords: consumer behaviour; shopping; product reviews; mobile devices; costs; store preferences; usage intentions; mobile marketing; in-store purchases; purchase decisions; websites; desktops; mobile services; mobile phones; cell phones; free reviews; paid reviews; experts; consumer preferences; customers; innovation diffusion; technology acceptance; planned behaviour; prices; new business models; store managers; shops; retailing; retail trade; retailers; physical products; value-added services; online services; Germany; internet marketing; advertising; world wide web; electronic business; e-business; digital marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2011.038237

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2011 Vol.6 No.3, pp.226 - 243

Published online: 26 Nov 2014 *

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