E-Shopping, Spatial Attributes, and Personal Travel A Review of Empirical Studies

In an era of unprecedented proliferation of e-shopping, retailers and planners are interested in the changes that it will bring. Recently, several empirical studies have explored the influence of spatial attributes on e-shopping and its impacts on individuals' activity travel patterns. This study evaluates the progress that has been made, provides a critique of previous research, and discusses the improvements in research methodology needed to enhance understanding of the connections among e-shopping, spatial attitudes, and travel behavior. In particular, this review highlights the importance of (a) controlling for shopping preferences and household shopping responsibility, (b) exploring multiple dimensions of travel behavior, (c) testing the connections that depend on time scale, (d) deconstructing the shopping process, (e) differentiating product types, (f) demonstrating the oomph of coefficient estimates, (g) integrating shopping surveys and activity diaries, and (h) identifying shopping accessibility on the basis of the search area for products when its impacts on e-shopping are being tested.