UTILITARIAN OR HEDONIC? A CROSS CULTURAL STUDY IN ONLINE SHOPPING

Abstract

With the inconvertible effect of globalization, a growing number of websites today sell their products to more than one country. The effects of cross cultural differences on buying behaviors are widely acknowledged. Therefore, a consideration about attracting and retaining online consumers from different countries and cultures is gaining importance. What are the basic motives that make consumers buy from online retailers? Does being hedonic or utilitarian matter? This paper examines the roles of hedonic and utilitarian values on online shopping by comparing cross culturally the Turkish and US consumers. A total of 264 students participated to the survey from Turkey and USA. Findings showed that Turkish and US consumers differ according to their hedonic and utilitarian values in online shopping. While Turkish consumers use online retailers to socialize with others, the US people use it to relax.