E-Commerce (part 4)

The On Demand Global Workforce - oDesk


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The impact of ICT on work and shopping trips is only beginning to be understood, and the influence of residential broadband connections is even less clear. However, the literature reviewed and data obtained in this study suggest a few lessons, especially for transportation planners.

First, e-workers take advantage of ICT to modify their commutes without impacting their workday. Many appear to use ICT before or after work to maintain contact with their office while leaving for or from work at times later than the common peak. While use of telecommuting as a direct substitute for the work commute is rare in this sample, most that do have broadband connections, indicating that the true telecommuting "boom" may yet occur, if broadband connections become more common.

Second, e-shopping broadens the range of shopping activities from home. While direct substitution-type activities appear less frequent and seem to have little impact in this sample, people seem use the Internet to modify their shopping behavior, by either browsing for products before leaving home, or by using the Internet to make their trip more efficient.

To further explore the thought suggested in the literature review that online shopping might not replace shopping trips; a number of survey items explored other possible and more complex interactions between ICT. These exploratory items probe:

I. On-line purchasing behavior (substitution for respondent travel)

II. Browsing the Net before making a trip to shop (substitution for "exploration" trips)

III. Use of the Net for item previews before making a trip to buy (modification - increasing trip efficiency)

IV. Extent to which Net browsing has led the respondent to make a shopping trip s/he would not otherwise have made (generation)

V. Net searches with the purpose of making shopping trips faster/more efficient (modification)

Survey results showed that respondents do engage in trip substitution behaviors as well as Net behaviors that might modify shopping-related travel. Of those that engage in some e-shopping behavior, 64% indicated that they had purchased items from on-line vendors, and 62% reported pre-purchase browsing on-line. However, on-line purchasing behavior was somewhat infrequent. When asked to indicate with what frequency they made on-line purchases, more participants noted doing so "several times per year" (48%).

Response patterns indicate more frequent browsing behavior than that revealed for actual on-line shopping.

For example, more respondents indicated that they browse "every week" (14% vs. 3%) and "several times per month" (29% vs. 14%). Regarding whether browsing modified or generated shopping trips where a purchase was made, 52% of respondents indicated that they searched the net to make their shopping trip more efficient, and 32% perceived that their use of the Net for browsing generated at trip.


The On Demand Global Workforce - oDesk





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