This document summarizes the results of a survey conducted to understand the awareness of e-shopping amongst women in Vadodara, India. The survey found that while internet usage is common, online shopping awareness and habits vary across age groups. Younger women are more aware of e-commerce websites and shop online more frequently than older women. Clothes and travel tickets are the most popular purchase categories. While convenience and selection are appreciated, concerns around security and authenticity remain top considerations for women when shopping online. Overall awareness and participation in e-shopping is growing but traditional shopping remains more popular, especially for older demographics.

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BBA Programme
Faculty of Commerce
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
Awareness of
E-Shopping
Amongst
Women
In Vadodara
A Report of the Consumer Survey
October 2012
Authors Tutors
Bhavin Lalwani Dr. Anshu Surve
Mihir Makwana Mr. Parth Dave
Mohammed Aatif Ms. Shilpa Parmar
Rutu Mehta
Divya Mistry

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Awareness
Of
E-Shopping
Amongst Women
In Vadodara
By: Roll No.
Bhavin Lalwani 81
Mihir Makwana 82
Mohammed Aatif 83
Rutu Mehta 84
Divya Mistry 85
Class: F.Y. BBA – 2012-2013

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Acknowledgement
We express our sincere thanks to all the respondents who
supported us wholeheartedly and willingly to make our research
a success. The contribution of their valuable time to complete
the survey has been very much appreciated.
We would like to thank our tutors who helped and guided us at
every step in this research, right from framing the questionnaire
to making the final report.
Last but not the least; we would like to express our gratitude to
our friends, classmates and family for their mutual support in
accomplishing the survey.

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Preface
The trend of shopping on the internet has been constantly
increasing all over the world. It was in 1979 that Michael
Aldrich invented e-commerce and since then it is still
continuously.
India has the third largest number of internet users, just next
to China and America, but the internet penetration rate is
very low as compared to others countries in the world.
This survey was conducted to know about the awareness,
opinions, preferences about the online shopping trend amongst
the women in Vadodara, Gujarat. Vadodara is known as the
Cultural Capital of Gujarat. The varied mixture of ethnic groups
makes it one of the most cosmopolitan cities in India.
Primary data was collected in administering the survey. Through
the survey we found that genuineness, guarantee and price are
the primary factors women consider while shopping online.

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Contents
Title Page No.
1. Introduction 6
2. Research Purpose 7
3. Hypothesis 8
4. Respondents 8
5. Research Method 9
6. Results 10
7. Analysis 19
8. Conclusion 23
9. Webliography 25

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1. Introduction
The internet has changed the way people shop. Earlier it was
just going to the market or the main area of the city to shop.
After the dotcom boom and the rapid rise of the use of the
internet, people can now shop online without leaving their
comfort zone from their home.
Not only internet is used for communication, but it is used for
varied purpose like reading news, education, entertainment, and
surfing and last but not the least for shopping. Certain
characteristics of the internet make shopping convenient to some
consumers, while some people find it risky to shop online.
When shopping online, the customers browse through various
categories of goods on the website, or sub categories, if the
website is a specialty for particular good e.g., an online book
store only selling books divides the website into fiction, non-
fiction and so on. But now-a-days sites like Amazon.com have
developed from a mere book store to an online giant selling
almost everything from books to electronics and music to
clothes. After clicking a product consumers can read the
description and see the photos of the products after which he

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adds the product to his virtual cart. At the end, he checks out by
finally having a summary of the cart and payment.
There are various modes of payment available like credit card,
debit cards, net banking, paying through gift vouchers. Also
there is Cash on Delivery option, which is very unique to the
Indian e-commerce websites.
2. Research Purpose
Internet shopping in India is increasing day-by-day and the
popularity is even increasing. Many people from various tiers of
cities shop online to save time and enjoy the precious time with
family and friends. But do the women really shop online? Are
they aware of the online shopping?
The research aims to bring light to the awareness of this ongoing
trend amongst the women in Vadodara. It aims to bring out the
tastes and preferences of shopping amongst women of various
age groups and targets to identify various factors women
consider while shopping online. Also, the research intends to
know the satisfaction from internet shopping and the prime
reason why do some women not shop online.
The research was carried out by filling up the questionnaire by
women of different age groups and then an analysis was carried
out to know the real picture.

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3. Hypothesis
We hold the hypothesis that though internet shopping has
increased in India a lot; it has still got a more way to go. We
assume the women especially like traditional shopping rather
than internet shopping because they want to touch and try
various products before the use them. They specially find
traditional shopping as a social activity where their friends or
relatives come together to shop and have a nice time. We
suppose that women still feel insecure about giving credit card
details online so they prefer to shop in stores only. Also, we
have an assumption that the women not being able to use
internet as efficiently as most men do is one of the reason not to
shop online. According to our hypothesis, we assumed that there
will be much difference in awareness among various age groups.
4. Respondents
For the research, women in various geographic areas of
Vadodara of various age groups were selected to bring out a
clear picture of the research. From housewives in their 50’s and

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40’s to students in their teenage or early youth were surveyed.
Also, working women too have been surveyed to know their
opinions. The data presented in the results is of the respondents
only and is free from any bias and misinformation.
5. Research Method
For our research, we adopted the method of questionnaire to be
filled up by the respondents. The questionnaire was divided into
personal details of the respondents followed by the questions.
Various kinds of questions ranging from awareness to knowing
the preferences were asked to know the results. The questions
were framed to know:
 The usage of internet
 Awareness of e-shopping
 Taste and preferences
 Shopping Habits
 Opinions about internet shopping
Thus the questionnaire was aimed to bring out the whole picture
of the purpose for which the research was being conducted.

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6. Result
Questionnaire - Collected Data:
Demographics:
Age and occupation were included to find if there were many
differences about awareness, opinions and preferences.
Questions pertaining to the age group and the occupation of the
respondents provided the following data:
 Table 6.1: Age Group
Age Group Percentage of Respondents
Below 20 years 25
20-30 years 41.66
30-40 years 0
40-50 years 25
Above 50 years 8.33
Total 100
 Table 6.2: Occupation of The Respondents:
Occupation Percentage of Respondents
Student 50
Employee 8.33
Housewife 41.67

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Total 100
Background about Internet Usage:
We wanted to find whether they have a computer or laptop with
internet or not and if yes, what purposes they use it for and their
efficiency. 100% of the respondents had internet connection at
their homes. The following data was collected about their usage:
 Table 6.3: Purposes for Using Internet:
Purpose of Using Internet Percentage of
Respondents
Communication/Networking 58.33
Surfing 66.67
Shopping 33.33
Work/Business 25
Education 66.67
Gaming 25
News/Magazine 16.67
 Table 6.4: Proficiency in Using Internet:
Proficiency Percentage of Respondents
Beginner 33.33
Intermediate 66.67
Expert 0

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Total 100
Awareness
Data as to how the respondents came to know about internet
shopping, their awareness regarding different kinds of sites was
collected. 100% of the respondents say that they are aware of the
Cash on Delivery option, which is unique for the Indian E-
Commerce Market. Awareness of other things is as follows
 Table 6.5: Source of Knowledge About E-shopping:
Source Percentage of Respondents
Newspaper 0
Radio 0
Internet 50
Friends/Relatives 50
Others (TV) 0
Total 100
 Table 6.6: Knowledge About Different Sites:
Site Name Percentage of Respondents
who have heard about the
site
Flipkart 100
Myntra 91.67

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Indiamart 66.67
Firstcry 16.67
Crossword 66.67
Zoomin 33.33
Bookmyshow 58.33
IRCTC 66.67
Makemytrip 100
Amazon 75
Wal-Mart 75
Preferences and Habits
After knowing how much aware are they about internet
shopping, we also found out what are their preferences and
spending habit on the internet. The results are as follows:
Preference to online shopping: Only 25% of the respondents say
they prefer online shopping to traditional shopping.
 Table 6.7: Frequency of Shopping Online::
Frequency Percentage of Respondents
Never 8.33
Rarely 41.67

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Occasionally 33.33
Frequently 16.67
Total 100
 Table 6.8: Products Respondents Shop for:
Products Percentage of Respondents
Who Buy Online
Groceries 0
Cosmetics 50
Books 50
CD/DVD 25
Music 16.67
Toys 8.3
Furniture 0
Clothes 66.67
Electronics 16.67
Movie/Play Tickets 33.33
Air/Rail Tickets 66.67
Baby Products 0
 Table 6.9: Most Used Websites:
Name of Website Percentage of Popularity
Myntra 10
Flipkart 25
Makemytrip 10
Jabong 10

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IRCTC 10
Others 35
Total 100
Comparing Prices on Other Websites: 88.33% of the
respondents compare the prices of a product with that of the
prices on any other website, prior to their purchases.
 Table 6.10.: Preferred Mode of Payment:
Mode of Payment Percentage of Respondents
Credit Card 33.33
Debit Card 16.67
Internet Banking 25
Cash On Delivery 41.66
 Table 6.11: Factors Considered To Shop Online:
Factors % age of respondents who
consider it important
Price 41.67
Availability 41.67
Genuineness 58.33

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Delivery Time 33.33
Customer service 25
Reputation Of Company 16.67
Guarantee/Warranty 41.67
Description Of Goods 25
 Table 6.12.: Maximum Amount Willing to Spend on
Online Purchases:
Maximum Amount %age of Respondents
Rs. 1000 8.33
Rs. 5000 33.33
Rs. 10,000 25
Rs. 15,000 16.67
Rs. 20,000 or more 16.67
Total 100
 Table 6.13. :Maximum Amount Willing to Pay for
Shipping Charges
Maximum Amount %age of Respondents
Rs. 50 8.33
Rs. 100 8.33

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Rs. 500 58.34
Rs. 1000 0
Order when shipping is free 25
Total 100
EMI Option: Only 41.67% of the respondents said that they
would go for an EMI option, if available.
Opinions
The opinions of the respondents regarding various aspects of
internet shopping were sought for the research purpose.
After making them fill the questionnaire, the following results
about the opinion were found:
Convenience Charges: Some websites charge convenience
charges for booking or shopping online. Respondents were
asked if these charges were too high. 66.67 respondents said
they were too high.
Satisfaction: 83.33% of the respondents got satisfaction after
shopping online.
Bad Experience: 41.66% of the respondents said they had
encountered a bad experience while shopping online.

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Recommendations: 91.66% of the respondents said they are
likely to recommend their favorite sites to others as well.
Intention to Continue Shopping Online: 91.66% of the people
investigated intended to shop online in the future.
Reason for Not Shopping Online: Respondents were asked as to
why some people did not shop online. The following are the
reasons the respondents believe why other people do not shop
online.
 Table 6.14: Reason Respondents Believe Why People
Don’t Shop Online
Reason Percentage of Respondents
Who Believe This is the
Reason
Risk of Credit Card Transactions 66.67
Difficulty in Returning Products 8.33
Not Skillful with Internet 16.67
Lack of Trustworthiness of Vendor 25
More Complex Than Traditional
Shopping
16.67
Not Being Able to Touch Products 8.33
Prior Bad Experience 8.33
Views regarding online shopping: Respondents were asked to
give views on different aspects relevant to the topic of online
shopping. The following table shows their views in the

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respective matter and their acceptance rate in % of respondents
agreeing or disagreeing
 Table 6.15.: Views Regarding Online Shopping.
Views Regarding Online
Shopping
Agree Disagree
Saves Time 100 0
Difficult 25 75
Risky 58.33 41.67
More Popularity in Future 75 25
More Choices 75 25
Good Description of Goods 66.67 33.33
Reduces Monetary Costs
(parking, petrol etc.)
75 25
First choice in some products 66.67 33.33
7. Analysis
The results imply that the students are more aware than the
housewives or employees in the matter of e-commerce. The

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younger generation is more open to accept e-shopping and also
shows more online shopping than the older generation.
The usage of the internet shows that the internet is mostly used
for surfing and education with 66.67% respondents using
internet for that purpose. The least usage is for reading news or
magazine online.
From the results, it known that most of the users are
intermediate (66.67) and no one is expert. The source of the
knowledge regarding E-Shopping is equally shared by internet
and friends/relatives. That implies every respondent comes to
know about the internet shopping though a friend or the internet
itself. The awareness of the cash on delivery option is full with
100% respondents being aware of that thing
Awareness Regarding Various Sites:
Flipkart and Makemytrip emerge as the most popular sites with
100% respondents being aware of it, followed by Myntra,
91.67%.

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Indiamart, India’s first e-commerce website is just known to the
younger generation with 66.67% respondents aware of it.
The websites of the Western world like the giants Amazon and
Wal-Mart are known by 75% of the respondents, again mostly
the younger ones. Even the Indian Government’s railway
website, IRCTC is known only by 66.67% of the respondents.
Online movie ticket site, Bookmyshow is only know to 66.67%
respondents
Specialty sites are not so popular with women of Vadodara.
Zoomin, the specialty site that sells just camera and other things
relating to photos and printing is known by just 33.33% of the
respondents. Even lesser than that, Firstcry.com, a specialty site
for baby products is known just by 16.67% of the respondents.
Preferences:
From the results of the questionnaire, it is known that mostly the
respondents go for online shopping rarely or occasionally.
41.67% of the respondents rarely go for online shopping, while
33.33 % go occasionally. The percentage of frequent online
buyers is just 16.67

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When purchasing online, air/rail tickets and clothes are the most
bought commodities (66.67% respondents buy those), followed
by cosmetics and books at 50%. Women rarely go for shopping
online for electronics or music. Also, women never go for
groceries, furniture or baby products online.
For shopping online, Flipkart again emerges as the favorite
website for the respondents to shop online with 50% of
popularity, followed by Myntra, Makemytrip, Jabong and
IRCTC at 10% each. Other website account for 35%.
When shopping online, the most preferred mode of payment is
cash on delivery, with 41.66% of the respondents opting for that,
followed by credit card at 33.33% and internet banking at 25%.
Debit card is the least popular payment method with just 16.67%
preferring it.
While enquiring about the factors respondents consider while
shopping online, genuineness emerges as the top criteria with
58.33% respondents considered it. Next are guarantee/warranty,
price and availability at 41.67 %. Respondents give least
importance to reputation of company at just 16.67%.
Opinions
Most of the respondents think the convenience charges levied by
some sites are very high. Most of the customers are satisfied
when they shop online.

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41.66% of the respondents said they had encountered a bad
experience while shopping online. Also, the likelihood of
respondents to recommend their favorite site to others is very
high with 91.66% respondents willing to recommend their
favorite site. Also, the respondents are going to continue
shopping online, with 91.67% respondents agreeing.
8. Conclusion
From the survey conducted, we can conclude that the women in
Vadodara are aware about the online shopping trend, but not too
much.
Even though the women are aware about online shopping, they
rarely shop online. They give more priority to traditional
shopping and go for online shopping when they are
recommended by their friends and relatives. The younger
generations of women, mostly students, are more aware are
more likely to shop online for commodities like clothes and
air/rail tickets.
The women give more importance to the genuineness of the
products and websites rather than the customer service,

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reputation of company or the description of goods while buying
online.
The women get high satisfaction from online shopping and are
likely to recommend the websites to their friends and family.
Also, the women intend to continue shop online.
Our hypothesis that that women still prefer traditional shopping
hold true but the assumption that women do not buy online
because they are not skillful is using internet is false. Also like
our hypothesis, the women of different age group showed
different results.
Thus, we can conclude by saying that the awareness of e-
shopping amongst women in Vadodara is not too high and not
too low, but it is gaining popularity not amongst the younger
generation, but also the older generations

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9. Webliography
Online Shopping Experience Report, June 2011
http://www.slideshare.net/GreenHONCHOS/online-shopping-
experience-survey-report-june-2011
Consumer Behavior in Online Shopping,
http://www.scribd.com/doc/50587452/www-unlock-
pdf-com-FULLTEXT01