Transformations  in
Business & Economics

EXPLORING M-SHOPPING EXPERIENCE THROUGH THE EYES OF ROMANIAN YOUNG GENERATION. A NARRATIVE INQUIRY
Irina Albastroiu Nastase, Lelia Voinea, Teodor Mihai Negrea, Dorin Vicentiu Popescu, Razvan Dina, Mihai Felea

ABSTRACT. Consumer behavior has always been influenced by the gradual implementation of new technologies. Among these, the mobile ones have become ubiquitous nowadays, playing a major role in consumers' shopping experience. Taking as premise the fact that mobile technologies have the most important role in influencing contemporary life, both in terms of communication and consumption patterns, and that young people are enthusiastically engaged in m-shopping, we conducted qualitative research, aiming at exploring participants' lived experiences related to this new model of purchase transaction. In this regard, a narrative inquiry based on participant produced narratives was used for data collection from a sample of 28 Romanian students. Our study highlights several defining dimensions of m-shopping experience as seen through the eyes of Romanian young consumers, which are related to: on-the-go facility of m-shopping, responsive web design of virtual stores, safety of mobile application, rich and physical-like digital product presentation, ads, and social media's influence on buying decision.

KEYWORDS:  m-shopping experience, Romanian young generation, qualitative research, narrative inquiry.

JEL classification:  L81, M21, O33.