Determinants of consumer purchasing decision in the e-commerce sector in Poland – generation perspective

University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Economics, 119/121 Armii Krajowej, 81-824 Sopot, Poland

^* Corresponding author: olga.debicka@gmail.com

Abstract

Development of the e-commerce sector in Poland over the last decade has been extremely dynamic. Both its value and share in GDP have increased, and the growth rate of on-line retail sales in Poland is currently one of the highest in Europe. The market development is driven either by changes in the behavior of consumers who are increasingly shopping online, as well as by growing number of e-stores. The main objective of this article is to identify the key factors determining purchasing decisions in the e-commerce sector in Poland by assessing the impact of differences in the characteristics of generations on their preferences regarding e-commerce. Each generation is significantly different from each other in terms of work, education, security, success in professional and personal life, as well as in terms of consumption. The characteristics of individual generations and the level of their digital competence have a significant impact on the way in which a given generation makes purchases and what is expected in the purchasing process. In order to establish the key determinants of on-line purchasing decision, a method of on-line survey was used. The quota sample included three generations of Polish Internet users: 260 people at the age between 25-37 (generation Y); 200 people at the ages between 38-50 (Generation X) and 100 people at the age between 51-70 (baby boomers generation). The structure of the article includes a presentation of the problem against the background of relevant literature, theoretical assumptions of the research, its findings, discussion and conclusions.