Digital Shopaholics: Patterns of Purchases, Products, and Buying Prices by Chinese and American College Students

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Date

2015-05

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The Ohio State University

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Abstract

With the development of new technologies, more and more people choose to use the Internet for shopping instead of shopping in brick and mortar stores. In my research, I compare the self-reported shopping behavior of consumers from China now living in the USA with the self-reported shopping behavior of consumers who were raised in the USA. The majority of self-reported purchases included products such as books, groceries, and electronic devices. Payment methods included credit cards, debit cards and Paypal. I used surveys and focus groups to collect my data. In addition to comparing my original data (over 200 participants) from the different groups directly, I also make comparisons with secondary data (from research firms and publicly available databases). My analyses include comparisons of the Chinese consumers and American consumers with similar demographics. In general, the research findings reveal an interesting mix of influences on the behavior and preferences of Chinese students from traditional Chinese backgrounds now living in the USA. Compared to traditional Chinese consumers, Chinese students living in US are very active in using deal websites and in using credit cards when shopping. Compared to American college students, Chinese students in the USA use more deal websites when shopping online. This research may provide important insights for online retailers as well as banks providing credit cards for college students. The research findings may also provide insights as to why some college students tend to overspend when using credit cards.

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E-commerce, Online Banking, Online Shopping, Chinese living in the US

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