Abstract:

The introduction of electronic grocery (e-grocery) in the Sultanate of Oman requires attention to multiple challenges that affect its success. These challenges include creating a new market, creating new job opportunities and demands, and changing Omani customers' perception and behaviors towards traditional grocery shopping. Although the adoption of the e-grocery requires less consumer effort and time, it needs to be user-friendly and trusted to utilize its full strength. In additions, it is challenged by the extent to which adopting a new behavior necessitates considerable time to be fully effective. In this paper, the authors use a sample of 255 responses to study the determinants of adopting electronic grocery in the context of Oman. The determinants represent consumers' perceptions prior using an e-grocery shopping service which consist of physical efforts, time pressure, shopping enjoyment, perceived relative advantage, perceived compatibility, and perceived complexity. The findings of this study show that consumers perceiving a high percentage of physical effort at in-store shopping and consumers complaining about time pressure while shopping will be motivated to replace their shopping experience with e-grocery. This study also shows that consumers who are willing to change their behavior and attitudes will be looking forward to adopt e-grocery. Moreover, this research indicates that shopping enjoyment at physical stores is negatively related to the perceived relative advantage and perceived compatibility factors e-grocery. Despite all difficulties, e-grocery will remain an interesting new challenge to the Omani market. Nevertheless, it needs to be embraced to develop the Omani market.