Research on customers' choices in purchase between conventional furniture stores and e-trade furniture stores

RESEARCH ON CUSTOMERS? CHOICES IN PURCHASE BETWEENCONVENTIONAL FURNITURE STORES AND E-TRADE FURNITURE STORES(M.Sc. Thesis)Ayça HOŞCAN SÜERGAZİ UNIVERSITYINSTITUTE OF SCIENCEJune 2006ABSTRACTThis study focuses on the subject of whether preference of customers betweenconventional furniture stores and e-trade furniture stores differ depending ondemographic features (age, level of education, financial status, occupation, etc.). For thispurpose, customers of different economical conditions living in Çankaya, Aydınlıkevler,Bahçelievler, Batıkent and Çubuk districts of Ankara were subject to research.Evaluations of customers were identified through a questionnaire regarding theirpreferences between conventional and e-trade furniture stores. As a result of theassessment of obtained data, it has been found out that there is a meaningful relationbetween the factors which are the age of customer, their rates of purchase, visualapplications of the store, frequency of internet use and reliance on e-trade stores. It washowever observed that age is not effective on the issue of purchase from e-trade stores. Itwas found out that there is a meaningful relationship between financial status,insufficient parking area of store, and arrangement of discount product salesdepartment. A reasonable relation was also observed between marital status andavailability of an area in the store for children. While there is a significant relationshipbetween occupation and frequency of internet use, it was also found out that level ofeducation has a positive effect in terms of reliance on e-trade stores. In addition, it wasobserved that bedroom furniture is the most preferred real estate furniture to bepurchased from e-trade furniture stores, and offers of solution were presented on thesubject.Science Code : 500 10 13Key Words : Virtual shops, customer choises, e-trade, furniturePage Number : 90Adviser : Assist. Prof. Dr. İhsan KÜRELİ