1 Time Pressure, Time Saving and Online Shopping: Exploring a Contradiction

Previous survey research revealed that consumers perceived online shopping and buying to be a time saving practice. Para-doxically, they only rarely reported using that tactic to save time, introducing a contradiction. Focus group research and unstruc-tured interviews among active, time-pressured consumers pro-vide partial solutions to the puzzle. Two types of online shopping benefits appeal to two types of consumers: Those experiencing situational time pressure respond well to "time-saving " appeals. Another, larger proportion, whose personal inclinations or per-sonality traits result in time pressure are more interested in do-ing more tasks quickly or engaging in polychronic activities. These findings suggest online merchants simultaneously promote both time-saving and quicker accomplishment of more tasks. Though they are two sides of the same coin, time-pressured con-sumers tend to see only one side or the other. Both types of time-pressured shoppers eschew Websites re-quiring substantial "up-front " investment of time; complex, multi-option initial or home pages, and early insistence for "registra-tion " that requires revealing personal information. This suggests clean, clear, uncluttered introductory pages and delay in urging registration until rapport has been established. Inexpensive, rapid delivery times and liberal return privileges were also highly valued by all time-pressured participants. Cost restric-tions limit the degree to which online merchants can accommo-date these preferences