Online Sales in B2C E-Commerce Platforms: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study examines online shopping behavior during the pandemic in the emerging market, Turkey. The current research benefits from the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework and innovation resistance theory. We analyzed the qualitative data with thematic analysis. We carried out thirty in-depth interviews to collect qualitative data. Our findings show that environmental stimuli (crowding, product category, usefulness, past experiences, the perceived threat of COVID-19) and the organism (perceived benefits, tradition barrier, risk barrier) affect the response (shopping from online stores during the pandemic).