Orginal Article

‘Window’ shopping and browsing opportunities in cyberspace

  1. Professor Jennifer Rowley†,*

Article first published online: 11 JUL 2006

DOI: 10.1002/cb.81

Issue

Journal of Consumer Behaviour

Journal of Consumer Behaviour

Volume 1, Issue 4, pages 369–378, June 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Rowley, J. (2002), ‘Window’ shopping and browsing opportunities in cyberspace. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 1: 369–378. doi: 10.1002/cb.81

Author Information

  1. School of Management and Social Sciences, Edge Hill College of Higher Education, Ormskirk, L39 4QP, UK

  1. †

    Jennifer Rowley is Head, School of Management and Social Sciences, Edge Hill College of Higher Education. She has published extensively on a wide range of topics within knowledge and information management and has a developing profile in areas associated with electronic commerce. Her earlier posts have been at the Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Central England.

*School of Management and Social Sciences, Edge Hill College of Higher Education, Ormskirk, L39 4QP, UK

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 11 JUL 2006
  2. Article first published online: 11 JUL 2006
  3. Manuscript Received: 10 APR 2001

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Keywords:

  • Browsing;
  • on-line shopping

Abstract

This article reviews the integral nature of browsing to the shopping experience and then explores the different types of browsing and searching that are supported in the online environment. Browsing contexts and episodes occur when consumers use browsers, URLs, search engines, menu categories and shopping bots to identify merchants and products. Browsing may be both intentional and unintentional, from the consumer's perspective, and controlled or uncontrolled, on the merchant's part. A matrix proposes four different categories of searching: partnership, consumer owned, merchant owned, and no-one's land. These categories need to be taken into account when designing further research to profile browsing behaviour and to investigate the effect that it has on purchase decisions. Copyright © 2002 Henry Stewart Publications.

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