The Determinants of Consumers' Inshopping Behavior : An Empirical Study of Consumers in Tokyo

Abstract

It is indispensable to promote consumers' local shopping behavior for the vitalization of the regional shopping area and the realization of a compact city. The purchase of goods by consumers inside their local shopping area is called inshopping. The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of consumers' inshopping intentions and behavior using structural equation modeling. A quantitative consumer survey was conducted in Tokyo, and structural equation modeling was applied to the consumer data to find the determinants of inshopping.
We found that 1) the level of preference for the small-sized retailer, 2) the level of evaluation of the local shopping area and 3) the preference for personal communication were all significant in explaining consumer inshopping intentions and behavior. The features in the cause and effect model notably stipulate that the level of preference for the small-sized retailer is the key mediating variable determining inshopping intentions. We discuss implications of the results of this exploratory study.

JEL classification: M39, R58