Laggards and innovators: The impact of appeal type and shopper type on attitudes and intentions regarding online shopping

Although online shopping behavior is increasing, many consumers are still hesitant to make purchases online. This study examines the effectiveness of different message strategies for different consumer types. Specifically, this investigation explores the influence of appeal type (expert or peer) and innovator type (low, high) on perceptions regarding online shopping.; The primary theories espoused are diffusion of innovations, the technology acceptance model (TAM) developed by Chen et al. (2002), and two-step flow theory. A quantitative experiment examined respondents' shopping behavior, shopper type, shoppers' attitudes and intentions regarding online shopping, and Internet usage. Consistent with expectations, innovators reported greater online shopping behavior, and more positive specific perceptions regarding an online store. Expert appeals resulted in more positive general attitudes toward an online store for high innovators while peer appeals resulted in more positive attitudes for low innovators, although more specific perceptions were not similarly affected. Unexpectedly, expert appeals were found to be more effective in many cases for both low and high innovators.