Abstract
This study analyzed risk perception and risk reduction behaviors of male and female college students in their twenties who purchased fashion products in internet shopping malls. It also investigated the relationship between risk perception and risk reduction behavior as well as the ways in which groups, categorized by risk perception, differed in their risk reduction behaviors. The results of this study were as follows: first, seven factors of risk perception were identified. These were product quality, shipping, product image, payment, economic feasibility, fear of other people's reactions, and size. Six types of risk reduction behavior were also identified. These were product comparison, word-of-mouth information search, price search, preference for name-brand, service comparison, and referring to experiences. Next, a correlational analysis of the factors of risk perception and those of risk reduction behavior showed several patterns. The highest positive correlation was between economic risk perception and product comparison behavior. In addition, shipping risk perception was positively correlated with service comparison behavior and product quality and product image had a positive correlation with word-of-mouth information search behavior. Third, customers of internet shopping malls could be categorized into three groups: shipping risk perception group, high risk perception group, and product quality risk perception group. The groups were shown by factor analysis to be significantly different to each other. Finally, risk reduction behavior was investigated according to the different groups of risk perception of the internet shopping malls and the results showed significant differences among groups.