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The four dimensions of retail convenience share a common element - they each save the
consumer time and effort in a unique way. Whether shopping online or in a physical store,
consumers seek these various convenience dimensions to reduce time and effort costs associated
with consumer decision-making. The next section addresses the different models of retail
convenience for each shopping format.
A Model of Retail Convenience for In-Store and Online Shoppers
Consumers often cite convenience as a major benefit of shopping online (Szymanski and Hise
2000; Hoffman 2000; Childers, Carr, Peck, and Carson 2001; Wolfinbarger and Gilly 2001). We
argue that a consumer’s preference for a specific type of convenience influences his or her
preference for a particular shopping format - either online or at a traditional store. Figure 1 contains
the hypothesized models to be tested in this study.
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Figure 1 about here
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As the dimensions of convenience have only begun to be examined empirically, the first
hypothesis relates to the different structures of retail convenience for in-store and online shoppers.
We concur with Seiders, Berry, and Gresham (2000) that there exists four distinct dimensions of
retail convenience. For traditional in-store shoppers, we feel an additional dimension of
convenience should be considered. Hoffman (2000) found that in-store shoppers consider it
convenient to ask for and receive assistance from a salesperson in making a purchase, especially if
the consumer lacks the necessary information to complete the purchase himself. Particularly for
purchases that require extensive problem solving, if the consumer lacks the necessary information,
he will seek that information from expert problem solvers like knowledgeable salespeople (Dunn,
Thomas, and Lubawski 1981; Hoffman 2000). Thus, “assisted search,” defined as the speed and
ease with which consumers identify and select products they wish to buy due to assistance from a
salesperson, is an additional convenience dimension applicable to traditional retailers. It is not
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