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Identifying the geography of online shopping adoption in Belgium

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  • Beckers, Joris
  • Cárdenas, Ivan
  • Verhetsel, Ann

Abstract

The widespread adoption of the internet as retail channel is impacting a range of stakeholders. Retailers are expected to sell online, logistics operators are required to reconfigure their supply chain and public authorities try to keep local retail competitive while simultaneously attempt to manage the increase in freight transport. Within this context, a growing body of research is studying the socio-economic profile of the online shopper and the spatial variation in the demand for B2C goods. Yet, as can be expected for a relatively new evolution, little consensus exist. Therefore, in this paper, with data from the national retail federation on online shopping behaviour, we add to this growing field by first analysing the relation between socio-economic characteristics and the willingness to shop online. By mapping these characteristics, we then construct the geography of online shopping adoption in Belgium. Finally, we assess the impacts of this specific geography for the stakeholders that are adapting to this new reality. We conclude firstly that the well-educated man in his thirties with a well-paid job has the highest probability to shop online, independent of the level of urbanisation of the area he resides. Secondly, we predict over- and underestimations of the potential online buyers of up to 50% when assuming a homogeneous e-commerce penetration, especially in poorer urban areas. This implies a serious negligence for e-commerce practitioners and academics when ignoring the specific geography of the online shopping adoption.

Suggested Citation

  • Beckers, Joris & Cárdenas, Ivan & Verhetsel, Ann, 2018. "Identifying the geography of online shopping adoption in Belgium," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 33-41.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:45:y:2018:i:c:p:33-41
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.08.006
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    2. Wang, Kaili & Gao, Ya & Liu, Yicong & Nurul Habib, Khandker, 2023. "Exploring the choice between in-store versus online grocery shopping through an application of Semi-Compensatory Independent Availability Logit (SCIAL) model with latent variables," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
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    5. Beckers, Joris & Weekx, Simon & Beutels, Philippe & Verhetsel, Ann, 2021. "COVID-19 and retail: The catalyst for e-commerce in Belgium?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    6. Tomas Hanell, 2022. "Unmet Aspirations and Urban Malaise," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 83-103, November.
    7. Shao, Rui & Derudder, Ben & Witlox, Frank, 2022. "The geography of e-shopping in China: On the role of physical and virtual accessibility," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    8. Colaço, Rui & de Abreu e Silva, João, 2022. "Exploring the e-shopping geography of Lisbon: Assessing online shopping adoption for retail purchases and food deliveries using a 7-day shopping survey," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    9. Dumitru (Boboc) Andreea - Larisa & Moise Daniel, 2018. "Marketing Study: Online Purchase Trends Regarding Smart Devices," International Conference on Marketing and Business Development Journal, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 1(2), pages 106-114, December.
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    13. Chan Wang & Pu‐yan Nie, 2020. "Retail competition using free shopping shuttle bus strategies," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(6), pages 1010-1019, September.
    14. Zhouying Song, 2022. "The geography of online shopping in China and its key drivers," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 49(1), pages 259-274, January.
    15. Wang, Jiawei, 2023. "The relationship between loneliness and consumer shopping channel choice: Evidence from China," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
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    17. Muhammad Sajid Mehmood & Gang Li & Annan Jin & Adnanul Rehman & V P I S Wijeratne & Zeeshan Zafar & Ahsan Riaz Khan & Fahad Ali Khan, 2021. "The spatial coupling effect between urban street network’s centrality and collection & delivery points: A spatial design network analysis-based study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(5), pages 1-21, May.
    18. Fan Wang & Mingfeng Wang & Shichen Yuan, 2021. "Spatial Diffusion of E-Commerce in China’s Counties: Based on the Perspective of Regional Inequality," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-17, October.
    19. Bart Geurden & Jeroen Cant & Joris Beckers, 2022. "Food Accessibility in the Suburbs of the Metropolitan City of Antwerp (Belgium): A Factor of Concern in Local Public Health and Active and Healthy Aging," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-13, November.
    20. Hood, Nick & Urquhart, Ryan & Newing, Andy & Heppenstall, Alison, 2020. "Sociodemographic and spatial disaggregation of e-commerce channel use in the grocery market in Great Britain," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    21. Beckers, Joris & Cardenas, Ivan & Sanchez-Diaz, Ivan, 2022. "Managing household freight: The impact of online shopping on residential freight trips," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 299-311.
    22. Liu, Na & Li, Jing, 2024. "The time code of online consumption: Exploring the impact of work hours on online consumption in the retail industry," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

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