Perceived risk of online shopping: differences between the UK and China

Internet shopping is becoming the fastest-growing use of the Internet; however, some online consumers still take information gathered online to make purchases offline. A number of researchers attribute consumers’ reluctance to purchase online to perceived risk. This study investigates differences in perceived risk between online shoppers in the UK and China examining six types of perceived risk: financial, product performance, psychological, social, physical, and time risk. The results indicate that both British and Chinese Internet users have a similar aggregated degree of perceived risk. Findings also suggest that while cultural differences might significantly affect relative differences in three specific types of perceived risk, there is not as much variation as might be expected from Hofstede’s uncertainty avoidance dimension.