Optimal experience in online shopping: the influence of flow

This research investigates the influences of product presentation modes, decision behaviour and the consumer experience on Internet shopping. The growth of online shopping brings with it cognitive challenges for consumers attempting to assess large numbers of options in purchase decisions. Further, there is little guidance for vendors in terms of presenting large numbers of product. In this study, online shopping is viewed as an information processing, decision task. This approach is ameliorated with our study of the experiential aspects of shopping online. Flow, the theory of optimal experience, is introduced as a lens to study experiential aspects in online shopping scenarios. This study provides guidelines to vendors seeking to support decision making, and to optimise consumer experience in online shops. The evidence presented indicates that optimising the consumer experience during their shopping trip may be of greater importance for vendors than supporting better decision behaviour. The findings relating to online shopper flow experience are more substantial than those relating to decision behaviour, though both hold significance. In our study, consumer experiences online influenced behavioural intent to a large degree. As such, influencing flow experiences online is a fruitful avenue for research and has important implications for online vendors.