The effect of digitalization on consumers' food purchasing behaviour: Case of Antalya

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of digitalization and the increase in online shopping channels on consumers' food purchasing behavior. These effects were analyzed from demographic and socio-economic perspectives and the factors affecting consumers' online shopping behavior were identified. The study is limited to three central districts (Muratpaşa, Kepez, Konyaaltı) where approximately 50% of the Antalya province population lives. In the study, a sample of 300 people representing households living in three large central districts in Antalya was determined. Data were collected by face-to-face survey technique. Descriptive statistical analysis of the data, factor analysis of behavioral data and cluster analysis were performed with SPSS software. The survey data show that more than half of the sample (53.3%) do not purchase food from online sales channels. The most important reason for this is that consumers do not trust online sales channels and want to physically touch the products. Consumers who shop for food through online channels use these channels primarily because of the convenience, time savings, discounted prices and the richness of the brand-product range. Providing full security in online channels, prices being more advantageous than physical market prices in e-sales channels, special campaigns for online shopping, services provided during and after sales are among the factors that will increase the likelihood of consumers to continue or start online food shopping. In the factor analysis, the 4 factors determined to affect consumers' online food shopping explain 72% of the total variance. Convenience and trust factor explains 44.71% of the variance, price-shopping cost factor explains 13.64%, transportation-time factor explains 7.30% and finally product-brand diversity factor explains 5.34%. According to the results of the analysis, the sample of online food buyers (46.7%) is divided into two clusters. The first cluster constitutes 44.3% of online food buyers and the second cluster constitutes 55.7%. The first cluster is predominantly composed of married individuals, who are highly sensitive to convenience-reliability and price-transaction cost. This cluster is therefore referred to as married-economy seekers. The second cluster consists predominantly of single individuals, who place high importance on transportation-time and variety (product and brand). The second cluster is named as single-diversity seekers cluster. Keywords: digitalization and consumer behavior, food consumer behavior, consumer food purchasing behavior, online food purchasing