Abstract:

The aim of this study was to identify the preferences of final purchasers concerning the environment of cooperation with offerors and to define the importance of age as a variable that differentiates the perceived advantages of the Internet as a place of potential cooperation. The results of a cognitive-critical analysis of the global literature on the subject indicate that there is a knowledge gap in this area. Therefore, to bridge this knowledge gap, three research hypotheses were formulated, and empirical research was conducted to verify the hypotheses. The primary data were collected using a survey method that included 1,196 adult representatives of final purchasers from Poland. The data were analyzed statistically using exploratory factor analysis, a comparative analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis (KW) test, the Pearson chi-square independence test and the V-Cramer contingency coefficient. The results of these analyses indicate, inter alia, that most respondents preferred to cooperate with offerors simultaneously online and offline. Moreover, age did not determine these preferences. No statistically significant dependencies were identified between age and most of the advantages of the internet as a place of cooperation between final purchasers and offerors. The results of this study provide excellent cognitive and application value and contribute significantly to the theory and practice of marketing and market behavior.