Dear Carlos and Huub,
I have been reading your conversation with much interest and I think I
could answer (at least partially) one of your questions: 1.-What are the
specific factors that explain the success of the online bookstores?
But first, let me introduce myself again: I am a second year Master of
Science student in Marketing at a Canadian University, and I am currently
writing my thesis on the consumer perception of intangibility and its
consequences, without and then within a specific context, the context
chosen being the Internet via electronic commerce (as a mode of purchase).
I study various products and services, and try to determine to which extent
the degree of (in)tangibility of some products make them easier or more
difficult to be sold via EC. I have not empirically tested my hypotheses
yet, but I think that books is an exception (which would explain the rapid
adoption of EC as a purchase mode for such products), as an evident example
of a very tangible product BUT that does NOT need to be touched or
evaluated physically before purchase (vs clothing, some groceries, etc.) a
case in which giving the consumer the opportunity of physical inspection
will offer no more concrete benefits, except to the most skeptical
consumers (those who systematically need some tangibilization of offers)
and to the ones who are not familiar with the Internet environment
(proportion of the population which is already decreasing a lot).
Thus, the case of music is different, and that is my starting point
example, as a very intangible product (I will verify empirically if that is
the perception of the consumers), which can be sold through EC and will be
easily bought by the consumer who perceives it as so, whereas it will
possibly not be bought by the ones who think it is tangible because of its
supports (CD, booklet with words, etc.), if they think they need these when
they buy music.
I will stop there, although I study some other products. If you have any
comment, question or suggestion to make, I would be very happy to read and
answer them, especially since not many people have showed interest in my
study so far, although I think it is an extremely important issue for
people who want to understand the actual consumer behavior with respect to
tangibility and to the Internet as a purchase environment.
Of course if you have any information related to intangibility and the
Internet, I would be very happy to know it too.
Regards.
Christine
Christine Goutaland
Concordia University, Montreal, Qu�bec
M.Sc.A. in Marketing
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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