An Empirical Study Of Factors Impacting On Potential Consumers' Attitude And Intention On TV Shopping

Since early 1990s, inland China has witnessed the emergence of TV shopping. Currently, there are two types of TV shopping in China: Third party private companies on TV and TV shopping channels. Because the latter focuses on grocery commodities, which are closely related to everyday life, it has greater market potential. However, the ratio of population exposed to TV shopping channels and the actual TV shoppers is 10:1. Most of the exposed population are still potential consumers. In China, the existent studies on potential consumers are limited. Empirical studies on the attitudes and intention of potential TV shoppers can provide TV shopping channels useful information in taking practical marketing strategies and guidance for their business.In this study, we conducted a survey to a sample of potential consumers in the city of Changsha, who had watched TV shopping channels but had not actually purchased anything through TV. We attempted to: explore the relationship between marketing boost perception and risk perception of potential consumers and their purchasing attitude and intention; examine the differences in shopping attitude, intention and influence factors of TV shopping among potential consumers of different demographic background and watching situation; explore whether potential consumers' attitude had a significant correlation with their intention; examine the differences in shopping attitude, intention and influence factors between actual consumers and potential consumers.Our results indicate: 1) in general, potential consumers held a positive attitude towards TV shopping channels. They had some intention to become actual shoppers. There was a positive correlation between attitude and intention; 2) there was also a significant positive correlation between marketing boost perception of potential consumers and their purchasing attitude and intention. The average level of marketing boost perception of potential consumers was somewhere between "neutral" and "agree". Reasonable price, time and availability limitation, high quality and attractive appearance, fame, uniqueness of the products are among the list of lowest level of perception; 3) there was a significant negative correlation between risk perception of potential consumers and their purchasing attitude and intention. The average level of risk perception was somewhere between "neutral" and "some worries". They worried about that the merchandises received were not what they expected, repair process was time consuming, return was impossible, high price, and low quality; 4) there were significant differences in marketing boost perception, risk perception, purchasing attitude and purchasing intention among respondents of different demographic background and watching situation, exposure, and past shopping experiences.Accordingly, this thesis came up with marketing suggestions to TV shopping channel form seven aspects: emphasize brand and quality of commodities, expand the diversity of commodities, guarantee reasonable prices, make good use of time and availability limitation as a boost, reduce the risk perception of consumers, and promote the exposure of TV channel to forest the TV shopping habit, encourage potential consumers to take the first step to shop by TV.