So Similar and Yet So Different: Reasons for Online Purchasing, a Comparative Research in Colombia and Mexico Using Nonparametric Association Tests

The reasons for buying online have occupied the literature of consumer behavior on the Internet for quite some time. Different theories seek to understand the relationships between different variables of purchasing behavior using this channel. However, the literature has not been sufficiently focused on making comparative analyses between countries, especially between emerging and Latin American countries. For this reason, it is relevant to carry out a comparative study that seeks to understand the differences among the reasons to purchase online. In 2017, a survey with 552 students, professors, and administrative staff in two universities was conducted: one in Bogota, Colombia, and the other one in Puebla, Mexico, using a convenience sampling. We designed a semi-structured questionnaire with seven items, mostly categorical. Using nonparametric association tests, the results indicate that in five of the six questions that are asked, there are significant statistical differences in the two countries such as why customers buy on Internet, the payment methods, shipment preferences, and the reasons why they would not buy on the Internet. The implications for marketing for those companies that are interested in penetrating or improving their participation in these markets, is that they should be aware of their differences and use, depending on the country, adapted strategies.