Key determinants of virtual store acceptance among Malaysians consumers

Abstract

The Internet has evolved from a communication tool for a select group of people to a commercially that is predicted to change the way people buy and sell things across a number of industries. In the last few years, we have witnessed phenomenal growth in the business activities on the Internet. One of the most significant phenomena is the emergence of a new form of business called virtual store. By making use of the advantages if the Internet, virtual store provides greater efficiency in the retail value chain and their existence has tremendously paved the way for the diffusion of the electronic commerce concept into the general public. However, little systematic research had been conducted to study the new form of business especially in Malaysia. This research intends to investigate the virtual store phenomenon to some extent. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is used to study the acceptance and use of virtual stores by consumers. This will lead to the explanation of a large portion of factors that lead to a user’s behavioral intention to use the virtual store. This research is conducted using as the primary methodology. The results from the survey indicate that the proposed theoretical model is able to explain and predict consumer acceptance of virtual stores substantially well.