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Increasingly, retailers are combining Internet and store based operations to become 'multi-channel' as they attempt to attract and retain customers. This study investigates how the type and level of perceived product risk (specifically economic and psychosocial risk) influence patronage preference for shopping from three types of e-tailers. The e-tailer formats studied are: pure play e-tailers (e.g., Overstock.com), value-oriented store based e-tailers (e.g., Wal-Mart.com), and prestigious store based e-tailers (e.g., Bloomingdales.com). The hypotheses, based upon prior research in the area of perceived product risk, show that type and level of risk do matter. Further, e-tailers linked with prestigious stores have an advantage over both other e-tailer types. Results also show an interaction between perceived product risk and the e-tail format. Based on samples from the Northeast and Southeast USA, the results are found to be similar in these diverse regions, improving the generalizability of the findings. Keywords Risk * Internet * e-Tailing * Online shopping * Store patronage

A study of Hispanic consumers-behavior, attitudes and beliefs. Also it tries to discern differences between assimilated and less-assimilated Hispanic consumers.

This article examines the differential effects of two types of semantic cues: (1) cues connoting that an advertised price discount exhibits low consistency over time, and (2) cues connoting that an advertised discount is highly distinctive vis-a-vis competitors. Results suggest that, for manipulations of external reference prices with offering price held constant, semantic cues that connote high distinctiveness are more effective in influencing consumers' price-related evaluations when the external reference price is otherwise implausibly high than are semantic cues that connote low consistency. For manipulations of offering prices with external reference price held constant, however, semantic cues connoting high distinctiveness exert more relative influence on price-related cognitions when offering prices are high. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Byline: Eric J. Karson It is generally accepted that consumers' privacy concerns negatively affects their willingness to participate in e-commerce. Additionally, factors such as gender and internet experience are thought to influence the relationship between privacy and online buying behaviours and intentions. Using three years of data from a student sample, the effects of these concerns, the 'conventional wisdom' as it were, is investigated. Results indicate that the direct effects of concerns over privacy are largely absent. Implications are discussed.