Factors Affecting Consumer Choice Between In-Store and Online Shopping: A Study on Tesco

This study investigates the factors affecting consumer choice between in-store and online shopping within the UK retail sector, with a focus on Tesco. It examines the challenges faced by customers during online and offline shopping and recommends ways for Tesco to minimize these challenges.

Dissertation

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Customers are one of the integral part of an organisational growth and success at
marketplace. and there are many factors which impact on their buying behaviour. In addition to
this, most of the people are now shifted towards online shopping due to many aspects such as
time, convenience, quality and so on. There are many issues faced by customers because at the
time of online and offline shopping that is high waiting time in queue, not getting deliver on
time, Product quality, logistics-related issues, ambiguous website policies, payment issues and
many more. It is important for organisations to make ensure meeting of customer requirements
as it has positive impact on the purchase decision of customers.

Contents
Topic: To investigate the factor affect consumer choice between in store shopping and online
shopping within UK retail sector: A study on Tesco.......................................................................3
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Research background...................................................................................................................3
Significance of the research.........................................................................................................3
Research aim and objectives........................................................................................................4
Research Questions......................................................................................................................4
Rationale for the research............................................................................................................4
Outline of research methodology.................................................................................................5
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................5
Factor that affect store shopping within retail sector...................................................................5
Factor that affect on customer decision making towards online shopping..................................6
Challenges faced by the customers during online and offline shopping within Tesco...............6
Best way for Tesco through which challenges of customers can minimized..............................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

Topic: To investigate the factor affect consumer decision making between in
store shopping and online shopping within UK retail sector: A study on
Tesco.
INTRODUCTION
Research background
Customers are the asset and one of the main reasons for an organisational growth and
success (Sharma, 2020). It is important for a company to analyse the customer choice and
requirements and provide them offerings so that they can feel satisfied and remain loyal for
longer time. The shopping experience of customers is changing due to changing in market trends
and preferences. In addition to this, it also include the aspect that is time and convenience as
well. In the present time, most of the customers are shifting towards online shopping instead of
store and offline shopping (Stouthuysen and et. al., 2018). It is vital for companies to focus on
the choices of customer as it help them to fulfil the requirements of customer and improve brand
image as well. The present study will focus on the factors affect consumer choice between in
store shopping and online shopping.
For the present study, Tesco is taken into consideration. It is a British multinational
grocery as well as general merchandise retailer which was founded in year 1919 and head office
in England, UK. It has around 7000 shops worldwide that directly shows the company has high
market share and growth (Tesco, 2022). In addition to this, it has both offline and online store
that help in covering large market size and customer base level. The present study will help
TESCO to gain knowledge about the factor affect consumer choice between in store shopping
and online shopping within UK retail sector. This further help to consider factors while offering
due to which it can gain various advantages such as customer satisfaction, customer retention,
improvement in performance and profitability and many more.
Significance of the research
In the present time, it is important for an organisation to provide an effective and quality
service to customer which help them to retain customers for longer run and maintain its
performance level as well. Along with this, focus on customer choice assist organisation to retain
them for longer time period and develop loyal customer base in an effective manner. In addition

to this, most of the customers are shifting towards online shopping and prefer to buy products
from those retail stores which provide them quality, convenience, and variety as well (Naeem,
2020). The present study helps to investigate the factors which affect consumer choice between
in store shopping and online shopping. This assists respective organisation to consider these
factors while offering goods and services at market that leads to improvement in performance,
profitability, and brand image of company. Moreover, it also assists in retaining customer loyalty
which is significant to attain competitive advantage at marketplace.
Research aim and objectives
“To determine the different factors that affect the customer decision making between in
store and online shopping within Tesco.
Objectives:
 To determine the factor that effect on customer decision making towards store shopping
within retail sector
 To assess various factor that effect on customer decision making towards online
shopping.
 To ascertain the challenges faced by the customers during online and offline shopping
within Tesco.
 To recommend the best way for Tesco through which challenges of customers can
minimized.
Rationale for the research
One of the main reasons to conduct this study is to gain knowledge about factors which
impact the choice of customer in store shopping and online shopping. Along with this, the
present study assists to various stakeholders that is organisation, researcher, and students. In
context to researcher, it helps in gaining understanding about factors impact on customer
decision while store shopping and online shopping (Factors that affect online shopping, 2018).
Along with this, it helps to know about challenges faced by customer at the time of offline and
online shopping. In context to Tesco, it assists company to develop effective strategies to resolve
issue faced by customer while shopping which will further help improvement of customer base
level and retention as well. It helps researcher to learn and improve skills that is data analysis,

data collection, data interpretation, time management and many more. In the last, it will also
assist researcher to conduct future studies in more effective and timely manner.
LITERATURE REVIEW
In this section, the literature review is conducted on the basis of developed research
objectives. The main objective here is to gain in-depth knowledge about topic from various
sources that is books, Journals, online polls and many more. The literature review based on
research objectives is given below:
Factor that affects store shopping within retail sector
As per the viewpoint of Juneja, (2021) It is determined that the taste and preferences of
customers towards the shopping is changing as per the market trends and convenience. To fulfil
requirements of customer and help meet with their needs, it is important for companies of retail
industry to undertake the factors which impact customer towards store shopping as it assists them
to develop strategies and ensure customer satisfaction. The factors which impact customers
towards store shopping within retail sector is given below:
Convenience: It is considered as one of the main factors that directly impact on the decision of
customer to buy product from the store. It is analyzed that if the store is nearby to the customers
or within their area then they prefer to visit stores. It is important for an organization to open
their stores within the area where there is high population. This help in attracting large number of
customers, increasing footfall which has positive influence on sales and profitability of company.
Variety: Another fact that impact on store shopping within the retail sector is different variety of
products offered by an organization. It is determined that if a retail store offers various varieties
and fulfil number of customer requirements at one place then customer prefer to shopping from
that specific retail store as it saves their time and is also convenient. Tesco has big stores that
offer multiple products which help in attracting customers and provide them ease which further
leads towards repeat purchase and achievement of objectives as well.
As per the view point of Travis (2021), there are also other factors that affects store
shopping within retail sector and is given below:
Customer treatment: It is analyzed that providing effective and good treatment of customers is
an effective way to attract and pull customers towards the store. It is vital for retailers and its
associated staff members to treat the customers properly. It is important to greet customers and

assist then within their shopping as it helps them to gain positive customer feedback and ensure
repeat purchase by customers. It is analyzed that if the customers are treated proper at the store
and their requirements is fulfilled properly, them they prefer for the repeat purchase which leads
to increase in performance and profitability of an organization.
Ambience of the store: It is analyzed that the ambience of the store plays an important role in
acquiring and attracting new and existing customer towards retail stores. It is determined that
customers did not prefer to buy products from the store which is not clean and is not managed
properly (Factors That Affect the Retail Industry Nowadays, 2021). The stores of Tesco are
properly managed and ventilated as it helps in making customers buying enjoyable and effective.
Apart from this, it also assists in improving customer base level and increase footfall of customer
towards the retail stores. It is determined that the ambience of store help in attracting large
number of customers in an effective manner that leads to increase in customer base level,
profitability and brand image of respective company.
Factor that effects on customer decision making towards online shopping
According to Valentin Radu, 2019, understanding, analysing, and keeping track of
consumer behaviour is critical for business. As per his views, there are many things that could
affect the behaviour of customers, but most occurring factors influencing consumer behaviour
can be explained without any difficulty. Marketing campaign influences shopping decision of a
customer which should be done correctly with right message to persuade customers to exchange
brands or opt for expensive alternatives. Author adds that marketing campaigns such as
Facebook advertisements as e-commerce can be used as reminders for product or services that
need to be brought regularly but may not be necessary for affecting customers. According to the
customer a good marketing message can influence impulse purchases (Valentin Radu, 2019).
Another factor that is identified is economic conditions, mainly for expensive items like houses,
vehicles, etc. plays important role. Accordingly, it's explained that if customer's decision-making
process is longer for expensive purchases and it can be influenced by more personal factors at the
same time. According to the author, another factor that can be established is personal preferences
that affects the buying decision of customer mainly due to certain reasons such as likings,
dislikes, priorities, morals, ethics, and values. It is said that advertisements can affect behaviour
but lastly, consumer's choices are greatly influenced by their preference. For this an example of
vegan person on whom the impact of advertisements related to burger joints would be of no

value as the person would not eat meat. Another reason that the author explains is group
influence, or peer pressure that impacts consumer shopping decision. It had been elaborated with
relation to family members, classmates, immediate relative, etc. who plays role in our decisions.
Social psychology impacts consumer behaviour such as fast food over homemade meals, etc.
Moreover, it had been stated that the factor such as purchasing power is a crucial determinant of
influencing customer's behaviour to do shopping for a particular product. The product might be
excellent, the marketing could best on point, but if the person doesn't have the money that would
restrain them to buy expensive things. It is analysed that segmenting customers based on their
buying capacity will help marketers determine eligible customers and achieve better results.
According to Micam(2020), It is analysed that there are various factors which impact
directly or indirectly on the consumer decision towards online shopping. Along with this, it is
complex for organisations to judge the psychological aspect of customers while they are buying
any product. It is determined that the purchasing behaviour is also impacted through shopping
orientation, channel knowledge, demographics and so on. But there are different factors which
lend higher transaction rates and is having high impact into online shopping behaviour. It is
important for an organisation to consider all the factors which impact on the decision making of
customers at the time of online shopping so that better offerings is provided to them in an
appropriate way. Moreover, it also help to increase in number of sales and profitability level in
an appropriate way. The factors which impact on the consumer decision making towards online
shopping is given below:
Convenience: It is one of the effective and best aspect of online shopping and is also the
main reason of online shopping by most of the customers. It is analysed that it saves time of
customers throughout the day and is provide door-to-door delivery to customers. It is analysed
that customers also have wide range of choices to select and compare which they cannot at the
time of offline shopping. Instead of going out and give high time, individuals are having one
click option and doing things that they want (Analysis of the Factors Impacting the Online
Shopping Decision-Making Process, 2020 ). Companies such as Tesco, it is important for them
to ensure that all its offering is available to customers online as it assist in attracting large
number of customers and help them to improve its sales as well as profitability level. For
example, Tesco provide door-to-door service to customers in order to provide convenience to
customers.

Return policy: It is one of the vital factors which gives customer a choice to return
unwanted purchase which does not fulfil their requirements. It is determined that without a return
policy, the customer’s behaviour towards shopping is impacted as they are being emphasis to put
high faith in commerce business that is sometimes complex to attain because of falsely described
products and deception. It is determined that most of the companies who offer online provide an
effective and appropriate return policy to customer associated with time which further give
customer a positive mind set to but online instead of offline.
Time: It is one of the main concerns for most of the people or community when they prefer
online shopping. It is determined that most of the individuals compare the time spent on online
shopping and physical shopping and believe that they save a lot of time as they did not require to
leave a place. In the present, time plays an important role as everyone is looking to save their
time and prefer to spend in the work. Online shopping assist to save the time of customers and
ensure quality shopping as well. In context to Tesco, it offers products online and ensure on-time
delivery to its customers which is one of the major reasons that it has high customer base level
and repeat purchase as well. It is important for respective organisation to enhance its online
presence to achieve competitive edge at marketplace.
E-service quality: Electronic service quality is referred as an extension of website to
facilitate purchasing, shopping as well as distribution in an efficient and effective manner. It is
determined that E-service associated to customer perception on the outcome of the services is
high and effective as compared to offline shopping. It is analysed that it helps customers to know
the viewpoints and feedback of other customers on their chosen product which further help them
in better decision. Along with this, it also develops trust and positive mind-set of customers
towards the brand that has positive impact on the performance of an organisation. The service
quality which is provided on online site consist of experiences during as well as after the
purchasing and interaction procedure by online store. Furthermore, the indicators of e-service
quality consist of website functionality, responsiveness & fulfilment by company, information
quality, customer relationship and so on. All these indicators affect customers towards online
shopping and better purchase decision making.
Apart from this, there are also other factors that influence customers towards online
shopping such as security, easiness, website quality and many more. It is important for an

organisation to ensure all these factors so that they can cover large are and increase its customer
base level as well as profitability in an effective manner.
Challenges faced by the customers during online and offline shopping within Tesco
As per the viewpoint of Darji, (2018), it is stated that online shopping has changed the
overall way and manner of shopping but there is lot of issues which is faced by customers while
shopping online. It is important for companies to ensure that all the issues of customers must be
considered and resolved as it help them to retain customers fir longer time and maintain
performance in an effective manner. Along with this, it is determined that most of the people are
nowadays relying mainly on online shopping as it helps them to save time, cost, convenience,
quality and many more. Many of the individuals are relying on online sales, discount, schemes
that is provided by companies (Tesco Company’s E-Commerce Implementation and Challenges,
2021). The increase in number of online offerings and e-commerce websites, the issues faced by
customers at the time of purchasing is also increased. The issues faced by customers while doing
shopping online is given below:
Product quality: One of the common issues that is faced by customers due to online
shopping is that some products does not guarantee quality of product. Along with this, it is
analysed that e-commerce websites are acting as issue for sellers to sell its offerings as
fraudulent sellers are getting registered and is selling low-quality products in the fake name of
original products. Sometimes the seller refuses to exchange or replace the faulty products and did
not give refund to customers due to which customer bear loss and did not repeat purchase from
that brand.
Logistics-related issues: It is another issue that is faced within online shopping by
customers. It is stated that some of the products are damaged or lost while in-transit and
sometimes the tracking system is also unable to locate the product accurately (Most Common
Problems faced by Consumers while Shopping Online, 2018). These products are sometimes not
get delivered on time and customers must wait for days to receive their ordered products. The
same issues are faced by customers when it comes to return the offerings.
Ambiguous website policies: It is analysed that many of the shopping websites have no
website policies which is unclear as well as confusing for the user. In addition to this,
inappropriate data leave customers in issue of return of products or refund of money. Moreover,
some of the websites are not clear in context of guarantee and warranty of products which has

raised question in the mind of customers, and they did not prefer it convenient to but the
products. Inappropriate website policies and information develop an issue for the customers and
provide them bad experience as well.
Payment issue: It is determined that there are lot of online shopping issues faced by
customers nowadays and among them one of the issues is online payment. Although, there are
many payments methods available such as debit card payments, net-banking, cash on deliver but
payment failure take place due to payment gateway error, website’s server error, technical
glitches that sometimes deduct the payment of customer’s card or account but is not received by
website. This has arisen issues and to refund the amount customers must wait for 7 to 15 days.
This has developed issues and the customers did not also take any action towards it.
According to Patel, (2022) it is analysed that there are many issues that is faced by
customer while shopping offline or physically. One of the issues is high waiting time for billing
which sometimes frustrate and exhaust customers due to which they did not prefer to repeat
purchase. along with this, it also develops negative mind-set towards brand and decline the
customer base level of company. Another issue is lack of real time engagement due to which
customers sometimes are not able to take appropriate decision. It is determined that customers
need instant assistance and prefer face-to-face conversation to get appropriate solution but due to
lack of staff and ineffective knowledge, they are not getting right solution from the store. Rude
and ineffective communication of customer service staff is the issue that is faced by customer at
the time of offline shopping. It is analysed that when customers reach for support and enquiry,
they are already worried and if customer service staff reply rudely then it develops negative
mind-set for brand. Lack of unified customer view is also the issue that is faced by customer at
the time of offline shopping (Key Customer Service Problems, 2022). The improper alignment
among customer journey and customer service outcome as inconsistent service that frustrate the
customers and due to this they shift to another brand. Apart from this, there are also other issues
associated to offline shopping that is slow response time, offering a wrong product, ineffective
after sales support, offering wring restaurant and so on.
Best way for Tesco through which challenges of customers can minimized
As per the viewpoint of Patel, (2022), in context to Tesco, there are various customer
service challenges which are faced by the organisation in order to enhance customer service.
There are various strategies which are used by the company in order to solve various issues.

With the help of acquiring more customers it helps in solving various issues. With the help of
constant quality check and using quality raw materials will help in enhancing the quality of the
products and services. With the help of effective transportation and assigning efficient and
effective employees in the organisation it helps in solving logistics related issues. In addition to
that, using the right payment methods and online methods will help in solving the payment issue
and will attract more and more customers. Moreover, the organisation can cultivate customer
loyalty through acknowledging and offering proper support to the service problems of the
customers with the help of using useful solutions that can help in impressing the consumers.
Furthermore, satisfied customers helps the organisation in increasing the customer loyalty. In
addition to that it is very important to resolve the problems of customer in a quick manner and
also having deep understanding about how the employees feel and instantly apologizing for any
mistakes made with a genuine apology[10 Key Customer Service Problems (and How to Resolve
Them)].
In context to Tesco, it is very important for the managers and leaders to listen to the
consumers very carefully and showing genuine empathy towards the customers. It is also very
important to follow up with the customers, assessing the situation, delivering the solution,
offering a solution and providing option whenever possible. It is very important for the
organisation to understand the needs and expectations of the customer as it helps in finding out
the preferences, expectations, needs and preference of the customer. In context to Tesco, the
leaders and managers need to face a lot of challenges such as not providing rewards or discounts,
service multiple consumers at same time, having no solution the problem of customer and being
time pressed. For a organisation to run successfully, it is very important to provide customers
with various benefits such as rewards, offers, discounts, coupons etc in order to attract more and
more customers and also dealing with one individual customer at a time and always focusing on
solving issues in relation to the problems of the customers and providing them instant solutions.
All these strategies will help the organisation in dealing with the customer problems and running
the operations of the company in an effective and efficient manner and also will result in
generating more profits and revenue (Analysis Of Trends, Challenges And Best Practices In
Contemporary Retailing, 2018). With the help of implementation of all these strategies, it will
help in retaining old customers, attracting new customers and also enhancing the image of the
brand. This will also help in building trust among consumers and solving their queries in speedy

manner. It is believed that a satisfied customer plays a very essential role and help in improving
the image of the company which helps in increased customer satisfaction and better working
within the organisation.
Conclusion
From the above literature review, it is concluded that there are many factors which
impact on the shopping of customers within the retail sector that is convenience, variety,
customer treatment, ambience of the store. Along with this, it is determined that there are many
aspects because of which are now shifted towards online shopping which are time, convenience,
easy return policy and so on. Moreover, there are many issues faced by customers while online
as well as offline shopping such as logistics-related issues, ambiguous website policies, payment
issues. Furthermore, there are many strategies because of which such issues can be resolved by
retail companies that is continuous feedback from customers, focus on building trust, offer
quality, ensure on-time delivery and so on.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is defined as important and significant process that is undertaken by
research worker to gather data for achieving objectives. In addition to this, it includes various
methods that help researcher to gain better understanding of topic and attain objectives timely. It
is also consider as general pattern for develop the activity and to collect the reliable data (Bisdas
and et. al., 2019). It is a chapter which explains the significance of gathering appropriate data for
addressing the questions and objectives of research. The research methods used in the present
study is given below:
Research design: It is referred as a structure and plan for an investigation and is also a list
of specifications and procedure to organise and monitor the whole research project. Along with
this, it is identified as a master plan which clearly highlights strategy of research and is applied to
accumulate and evaluate data. Research design is categorised into three forms such as
descriptive, experimental and exploratory. Experimental research design is form of research
design that is undertaken by investigator to develop a relationship among the origin and effect of
condition (Darder, 2019). Descriptive is a form of research design that explain the situation and
is helpful in gathering numerical data and attaining aim and objectives. For the present study,
descriptive as a research design is effective as it help to collect numerical data and is also help

in developing origin of data based on facts and quality. Along with this, it also allows researcher
to analyse facts and assist in developing in-depth understand of research problem. Moreover, it
also enables researcher to determine the behaviour of study in natural setting due to which
meaningful interpretations can be developed.
Data collection: It is referred as an important area of a study as it help in collecting valid
and appropriate information. Herein, the data is gathered by researcher by way of two methods
that is primary and secondary. It is determined that both these two methods of data collection is
effective and useful in order to collect information (Maithya, Mukolwe and Waka, 2019).
Primary data is defined as information which is collected for the first time and is original in
nature. Secondary data is defined as the information which is gathered by someone instead of
primary user. In addition to this, it mainly include the viewpoint of various authors on specific
topic. Furthermore, secondary data is the data which has been gathered by primary sources and is
easily available to investigator. For the present report, primary data collection is appropriate and
useful as it assist investigator to gather data directly from the respondents and also help to collect
first-hand data (Advantages of primary data, 2022). Along with this, primary information is
developed and researcher by individual’s attention which help in getting more accurate data.
Moreover, the data that is produced by primary method is updated and is valid as well because of
which research is able to develop reliable and authentic conclusion. On the other side, researcher
has not selected secondary method of data collection as it help to gain viewpoint of different
authors on specific topic. The secondary data is collected by researcher with the help of journals,
books, articles and many more.
Research choice: It is referred as the part of methodology which assist in defining what
type of information is needed to be gathered. In addition to this, there are mainly two forms of
research choice that is quantitative and qualitative. Qualitative research includes gathering as
well as analysing non-numerical information in order to understand the opinion, concept and
experiences. In addition to this, qualitative research mainly relies on information obtained by
investigator from first-hand observation, questionnaire and so on. In context to the present
research, quantitative as a research choice is applied as it help in collecting data based on facts
and figures because of which valid conclusion can be developed. Along with this, it also help to
evaluate and measure information as per the requirement of topic. Moreover, there are many
advantages gained by researcher with the use of quantitative research such as data collection

occurs rapidly, reliable data, generalize findings and so on. All this assist research to attain valid
data and achieve research objectives on time frame (Advantages of Quantitative research, 2022).
On the other hand, it is also associated with some disadvantages that is it does not analyse
whether answer is true or not, did not follow-up answers and many more.
Research strategy: It is introduces as step-by-step plan of action which gives direction to
researcher thoughts and efforts. In addition to this, the different forms of research strategy are
case study, action research, survey, archival research, grounded theory and many more. Case
study is defined as one of the significant and popular research method which is mainly used by
investigators within industrial marketing. It also help to bring qualitative information and
provide in-depth knowledge about the nature of phenomena. Action research is referred as a
systematic research which assist researcher to resolve research problem and looking for effective
solutions. The main objective of using this method by researcher is to involve complex dynamics
within all social contexts (Research strategy, 2020). Grounded theory is defined as qualitative
research method and its objective is to create a theory which is based on the systematic collection
as well as analysis of information. In addition to this, grounded theory believes that there should
be an effective relationship among two activities that is gathering as well as analysing
information. Surveys are mainly used to obtain information which will guide investigator in
order to collect quantitative information. Along with this, it is a method which assist in
generating a large amount of information from many participants. Herein, the participants are
chosen on the basis of different number of features that is age, demographic, social class
question and so on. All these forms of research strategy are effective and is helpful to meet
objectives in systematic and effective manner. For the present study, survey as a research
strategy is taken into consideration and the main reason to select is it help in gathering primary
information directly from the source (Juškevičienė, Dagienė and Dolgopolovas, 2021).
Moreover, it also helps to collect data directly from the source in less time and cost as well.
Sampling: It is introduce as an effective process of choosing a particular part of population in
order to collect data for the specific study. In addition to this, it is mainly categorised into two
types that is probability as well as non-probability sampling methods. For the present report,
probability sampling is taken into consideration (Belgrave and Seide, 2019). In this, random
sampling which is a form of probability sampling is applied and the main reason to select is it
help in choosing large sample size because of which effective data is collected. The 30 customers

of Tesco is chosen as respondents and the reason behind selecting this as sample size is they
have knowledge gained experience of products and services of Tesco because of which they can
provide better and effective knowledge to researcher.
Research instrument: It is defined as the techniques which is adopted by investigator to
collect information and is of different forms that is questionnaire, survey, observation, interview
and many more (Murris and Bozalek, 2019). In order to accumulate data, questionnaire is
applied and the main reason to select is it help in collecting in-depth information about the topic.
Moreover, it also assist in gathering data in less time and cost as well.
Types of Questionnaire Meaning Reason or justification
Open-ended It is defined as the questions
which are free from survey
question and allow
participants to answer in text
format as per their opinion.
For the present study, open-
ended questionnaire is not
considered. The main reason
is it does not cover all the
answers and is many end-up
with low score or irrelevant
information.
Close ended It is defined as the type of
questions which ask
participants to select from the
given set of responses.
In the present study, close
ended question is developed
(Advantages of Questionnaire,
2022). The main reason to
choose this is it help in
obtaining quantitative and
measurable information.
Along with this, it also assists
to get rid of irrelevant answers
and develop valid conclusion.
Data analysis: It is defined as the process that is used by researcher in order to analyse the
collected data. It is mainly of two types that is thematic analysis and frequency distribution
analysis. Thematic analysis is defined as method of analysing the qualitative information and is
one of the most common forms of analysing qualitative research. It mainly focus on identifying,

interpreting as well as analysing patterns of meaning associated with qualitative information. It is
mainly applied to a set of texts that is a transcript or an interview. On the other hand, frequency
distribution analysis is referred as the representation either in tabular or graphical format which
shows the number of observations in a given time period (Frequency analysis, 2022). It is a
significant area of statistics which deals with the number of frequency as well as analyse
measures of dispersion, tendency, percentile and so on. It includes the most frequently occurring
scores that are easily identified and is include score ranges, upper and lower limits, total number
of observations, outliers and so on. It is important for researcher to make use of an effective and
appropriate data analysis method so that meaningful interpretation and conclusion can be drawn.
In relation to present study, frequency distribution analysis is used as it help in analysing primary
information and also help to represent the findings in the form of graphs and charts which is easy
to interpret and understand. In addition to this, it assist investigator to present raw information in
an easy and organised format. Moreover, it assist to develop meaningful findings in an
appropriate and effective manner (Jessee, 2019).
Research limitations: When an investigation is conducted, there are some limitations which
are faced by investigator. This limitation are lack of resources, managing time, limited access to
data and many more (Altrichter, 2021). It is vital for researcher to ensure to have backup plan as
it assist to deal with the issues and implement research activities in a proper manner. Every
research is associated with some forms of limitations and is important for an investigator to be
striving to decline the range of scope of limitations by using an effective research procedure. It is
vital for researcher to develop a backup plan in order to deal with the limitations that further
leads to execution of research activities in a systematic and timely manner. One of the limitation
associated with study is development of aims and objectives. It is analysed that it is sometimes
difficult for researcher to specify the ways in which research aims as well as objectives could be
narrowed and the focus on investigation is increased (Research limitations, 2020). Another
limitation can be execution of data collection method. If the researcher did not have extensive
experience in primary data collection them there is high chance that the nature of execution
associated to data collection is flawed. Sample size is undertaken as other research limitation as
it is determined that if sample size is small then there is less chance to identify significant
relationship within data set. Another research limitation associated to study is lack of previous
studies within the research area. It is determined that sometimes researcher is not able to access

the data associated to investigation topic because of privacy or need of credentials. This
sometimes narrow down the data collected and researcher is not able to gain in-depth knowledge
about topic. Apart from this, there are also other research limitations such as scope of
discussions, time management, non-availability of resources and so on.
Validity, Reliability and Ethics: In the present study, the data is gathered from the reliable and
appropriate sources which shows that the research involve high validity. In addition to this, the
researcher follow all the research ethics such as anonymity, confidentiality and informed consent
because of which there is no ethical and delays take place while implementing the research
activities (Reliability and validity, 2022). Furthermore, the present information is reliable as it
include academic references and sources as well. In this research, questionnaire is used by the
researcher for collecting numerical and quantitative data about the different factors that affect the
customer decision making between in store and online shopping within Tesco. A questionnaire is
used for collecting valid and reliable information from the 30 customers of Tesco. Along with
this, a questionnaire is an effective instrument used by a researcher for getting valid and reliable
outcomes for the current study.
Conclusion
It has been concluded that it is important for researcher to make use of appropriate and
effective methods of research as it help in collecting and using data which help in attaining
positive results. It is determined that with the help of primary data collection method, researcher
is able to gain in-depth knowledge about topic which further assist to meet aims and objectives
(Lê , 2019). Moreover, it is analysed that frequency distribution analysis allow researcher to
develop meaningful findings and represent the information to others in an understandable
manner.
Results and analysis
Q1). What is your Gender? Frequency
a) Male 18
b) Female 12
c) Other 0

Interpretation: The above diagram is based on the gender of respondents. After getting
response of 30 respondents, it is found that 18 individuals are male where 12 individuals are
female. Therefore, the majority of respondents belong to male gender.
Q2 What is your age? Frequency
a) 20-25 5
b) 25-30 8
c) 30-40 10
d) 40-45 7

Interpretation: From the above diagram, it is analysed that the respondents belong from
different age group. 5 respondents out of 20 belong to the age group of 20-25 whereas there are 8
respondents of age group between 25-30. Apart from this, 10 respondents belong from the age
group between 30-40. Rest, 7 respondents belong from the age group of 40-45. Therefore,
majority of the respondents belong from the age group between 30-40 who will provide
necessary information to complete the research work.
Q3 What is your occupation? Frequency
a) Marketing 15
b) Management 8
c) Finance 7

Interpretation: The above chart is based on occupation of the respondents. After interviewing
30 respondents, it is found that 15 respondents belong from marketing profession whereas 8
respondents belong to management profession. Rest 7 respondents belong from the finance
position. Therefore the majority of the respondents who have been considered for the current
project belong from the marketing profession.
Interpretation:
Q4. As per your view point, what are the factors that effects on your
decision towards store shopping in retail industry?
Frequency
a) Convenience 5
b) Variety 7
c) Customer treatment 5
d) Ambience of the store 7
e) Quality 6

Interpretation: From the above graph, it is interpreted that there are many factors which
impact on decision towards store shopping within the retail sector. One of the factor is
convenience which is said by 5 respondents from the total 30 participants. In addition to this,
variety and customer treatment is the factor which is perceived by 7 and 5 respondents
respectively. Along with this, the 7 participants said that ambience of store is the factor whereas
the remaining 6 respondents state that quality is the factor that effects on customer decision
towards store shopping in retail industry.
From the above data of literature review, it is analysed that there are many factors which
impact on decisions of customers towards retail industry such as Convenience, variety, Customer
treatment and many more. The data collected from secondary data and the information gathered
from primary study is almost similar which state that the objectives of research are attained.
Q5. What factors have effects on your decision making towards online
shopping?
Frequency
a) Return policy 8
b) Time 7
c) Convenience 8
d) E-service quality 7

Interpretation: By analysing the above graph, it is analysed that there are many factors
which effects on customer decision making towards online shopping. One of the main factor is
return policy which is said by 8 respondents out of the total 30 participants. In addition to this,
time and convenience is also the factor which is perceived by 7 and 8 respondents respectively.
The remaining 7 participants state that e-service quality is the factor which has direct effects on
decision making of customers towards online shopping. It is important for the retail organisations
to ensure that these factors is to be considered while offering products to the customer online. All
this help in satisfying the requirements of customer and retain the for longer time period.
Q6. According to you, what is the impact of online shopping on your
decision?
Frequency
a) Positive impact 20
b) Negative impact 7
c) Neutral 3

Interpretation: From the above graph, it is stated that there is positive impact of online
shopping on customer decision and is said by 20 respondents. Along with this, 7 participants
have negative influence and the remaining 3 respondents is said no and perceive that there is no
impact of online shopping on customer’s decision. It is analysed that online shopping provides
more benefit to the customers and one of the major benefit is time and convenience. Most of the
customers are now shifted towards online shopping as it has positive impact on the overall
customer decision as per the data collected.
Q7. What is the benefits gained by Tesco by offering products both
online and offline to customers?
Frequency
a) Increase in customer base level 9
b) Enhancement of brand image 8
c) Customer retention and satisfaction 7
d) High profitability 6

Interpretation: By analysing the above given graph, it is interpreted that there are many benefits
attained by respective organisation due to offering offline and online products to customers. One
of the benefit is increase in customer base level which is perceived by 9 respondents out of total
30 respondents. In addition to this, customer retention and satisfaction and retention is also the
advantages gained by company and is said by 8 and 7 respondents respectively. The remaining 6
participants state that there is increase in profitability of organisation due to offering products
both online and offline to customers. It is analysed that gaining of all this benefits further help
respective company to remain competitive at marketplace and assist in enhancing brand image as
well. Moreover, it also assist to achieve objectives within the given time frame.
Q8. What are the major challenges faced by customers during offline
shopping within Tesco?
Frequency
a) High waiting time 3
b) Lack of real time engagement 3
c) Ineffective communication of customer service staff 3
d) Lack of unified customer view 6
e) Issues in returning the product 4
f) Convenience issue 6
g) Lack of product varieties 5

Interpretation: The above graph state that there are many issues and complexities faced by
customer because of offline shopping. The issues are high waiting time, lack of real time
engagement, ineffective communication to customer service staff and is said by 3 respondents
respectively. In addition to this, lack of unified customer review and issues in returning the
product is the challenge faced and is said by 6 and 4 respondents respective. Moreover,
convenience issue and lack of product varieties is also the issue that is faced by customers during
offline shopping within Tesco and is said by 6 and 5 participants respectively.
Q9. What are the major challenges faced by customers during online
shopping within Tesco?
Frequency
a) Product quality 6
b) Logistics-related issues 3
c) Ambiguous website policies 5
d) Payment issue 2
e) Online fraud 8
f) Missing parts 6

Interpretation: By analysing the above graph, it is analysed that there are challenges faced by
customers during online shopping within an organisation. These issues are product quality,
logistics related problems, ambiguous website policies, payment issue and is said by 6, 3, 5 and 2
respondents respectively. In addition to this, online fraud is also the challenge faced by
customers at the time of online shopping and is perceive by 8 respondents. The remaining 6
participants state that missing parts of product is the issue which is aced by customers during
online shopping within respective organisation.
While collecting data for literature review, it is determined that there are many issues
faced by customers when they are doing online shopping. Some of the issues are Logistics-
related issues, Payment issue, Online fraud, missing parts of product and many more. By
collecting the primary data, it is analysed that the issues are Product quality, Ambiguous website
policies which is almost similar. It state that the objectives research objectives are attained.
Q10. As per your view point, is above mentioned challenges have impact
on the decision making process of customers?
Frequency
a) Yes 23
b) No 7

Interpretation: The above graph state that the above issues have direct impact on the decision
making procedure of customers which is said by 23 participants from the total 30 respondents.
Along with this, it is determined that 7 respondents is not agree with the point.
By analysing the data collected for literature review, it is analysed that when customers
face issue at the time of doing shopping then it impact directly toward their shopping decision.
The customers did not prefer to repeat purchase that declines the overall profitability of an
organisation.
Q11. What are the various strategies that must be adopted by Tesco to
deal with the challenges faced by customers during online and
offline shopping?
Frequency
a) Customer feedback 15
b) Offer live chat 5
c) Make checking out simple 4
d) Offer free shipping 6

Interpretation: By analysing the above graph, it is interpreted that there are many strategies
used by respective organisation in order to deal with the challenges faced by customers during
online and offline shopping. One of the strategy is customer feedback that help company to know
where they lack and what are the improvements they require to undertake in order to resolve
issue of customers and is said by 15 respondents out of total 30 participants. In addition to this,
offer live chat with customers is an effective strategy which is adopted and is perceived by 5
respondents. Moreover, making checking out simple is the strategy adopted by company and is
said by 4 respondents. The remaining 6 respondents state that offer free shipping is also the
strategy that must be adopted by respective company to deal with the challenges faced by
customers during online and offline shopping. It is analysed that adoption of all this strategy not
only assist respective organisation to deal with the issue but also help in making good
relationship with customers which is vital in order to satisfy and retain them in an effective
manner.
Q12. According to you, is above mentioned strategies help in increasing
satisfaction level of customers for longer time with organisation?
Frequency
a) Yes 24
b) No 6

Interpretation: By analysing the above graph, it is interpreted that 24 respondents from the total
30 participants said that the above mentioned strategies help in increasing satisfaction level of
customers for longer time with organisation whereas the remaining 6 participants is not agree
with the point. Moreover, it is analysed that customer feedback strategy help company to make
employees feel important at purchase due to which positive mind-set is developed towards the
organisation. Furthermore, offer free shipping help in attracting large number of customers and
satisfy customers in an appropriate and effective manner.
Conclusion and Recommendations

Conclusion
It has been conclude that customers are one of the key integral part of an organisation to
satisfy them is significant in order to achieve objectives and higher success as well. In addition to
this, it is determined that the ultimate goal of every organization is to ensure customers feel
satisfied and visit frequently to the organization. It is important for the company to offer the best
possible shopping experience to the buyers as it help in increasing customer base level, brand
image, profitability and so on. Moreover, it is analysed that there are various aspects that affect
the offline shopping experience of the customers such as convenience, customer treatment,
variety and more. It is vital for organisations prevailing within the retail industry to undertake the
factors which impact customer towards store shopping as it assists them to develop strategies and
ensure customer satisfaction. It is analysed that there are many factors that impact directly on the
consumer behaviour towards shopping that is both online and offline such as time, convenience,
quality, cost, return policy and so on. Moreover, there are many issues faced when the customer
does shopping online that is product quality, delivery issues, return policy norms, payment issues
and so on. All this issues can be dealt by company by executing strategies that is Customer
feedback, offer live chat, offer free shipping etc. It is determined by conduct the research that the
factor which effect on consumer decision making between in store shopping and online shopping
within UK retail sector are time, convenience, quality, Ambience of the store, return policy, E-
service quality etc. This shows that the research objectives are attained by researcher effectively
and timely. Furthermore, it is determined that it is vital for researcher to make use of an
appropriate research methods so that an effective and valid conclusion can be drawn. It is
analysed that with the help of questionnaire, researcher is able to gain in-depth knowledge about
topic which further leads to development of meaningful conclusion. Frequency distribution
analysis allow investigator to showcase the data in the form of graphs, bar charts and so on
which is easy to interpret and understand by others. Moreover, it also assist researcher to gain
quantitative and statistical data in an effective and appropriate manner.
Recommendations
From the above-analysis, it is analyzed that the respective company is offering online as well
as offline shopping options to the customers. Here, the buyers are likely to take necessary

decisions while purchasing the product through online & offline mediums. In this context, the
company is facing certain issues that are associated with decision-making of the customers. It is
imperative to develop appropriate strategies to face the complexities significantly. In this
context, the necessary recommendations are mentioned below:
 It is suggested that TESCO needs to adopt crucial ways to promote the products. It is
analyzed that advertisements play a crucial role in affecting the purchasing decisions of
the customers. Through advertisements, it is possible to make people aware about the
offerings of the company. It makes the customers familiar regarding the products &
services that are being offered by a particular organization. For this purpose, TESCO is
required to select an appropriate method of advertisement with an aim to gain the
attention of customers.
 It is recommended to the higher authorities of Tesco to adopt online mechanism where
they can take the necessary feedback from customers. After purchasing product, the
customer’s needs to given opportunities to provide their reviews about the product or
service. Here, the feedback will allow the company in making improvements in the
product in future period of time. This will not only satisfy the customers but also
establish positive relationship between the customers and the company.
 It is suggested to the managers of Tesco to offer the option of live chatting to customers.
During the live chatting, customers can share their doubts to the company. Here, they can
resolve their query in minimum period of time. This profoundly affects the decision-
making of the customers. If company address their queries timely, customers are more
likely to purchase their products. This will improve the experience of the buyers
significantly so that they will not only purchase the product of the respective company
but also suggest it to others.
 Online shoppers are likely to face various challenges in terms of high waiting time, lack
of engagement, issues in returning the product, convenience and more. It is suggested that
TESCO needs to address the issue that are being faced by the online buyers. For this
purpose, they are required to minimize the delivery time by offering timely supply of the
products to the buyers. Additionally, they need to ease out the return policy so that the
customers can easily return the products if they wish to do so. Apart from this, the

company is also required to provide necessary convenience to the online buyers with an
aim to improve their experience.
 It is suggested that TESCO is required to provide various offers like discounts and more
to the buyers. These offers are important to gain the attention of the customers. Here, the
company can easily increase their online as well as offline sales by offering different
offers to the buyers. It is analyzed that the offers play an imperative role in gaining the
attention of the customers. In addition to this, it is also possible to get the competitive
edge by offering discounts and other such offers to the buyers.
 It is recommended to Tesco to recruit well-educated and efficient sales representatives
who can handle the buyers potentially. Here, the sales representatives play an important
role in affecting the decision-making of buyers. Apart from this, these sales
representatives are also helpful in terms of addressing the issues that are being faced by
the offline customers. Additionally, appointing the sales representatives is a crucial way
to keep the customers engage. This will help in ensuring the frequent visit of the buyers
so that the company can formulate a unique identity efficiently.
 Moreover, it is recommended to researcher to make use of project management tools such
as work breakdown structure and Gantt chart as it help them to decide the time of each
and every activity associated to research. This will further help dealing with the limitation
of research that is lack of time and help in attaining set objectives on time period.
 Furthermore, it is suggested to researcher to focus on observing individuals while
collecting the data as it help in minimizing the limitations of quantitative research. In
addition to this, the investigator will recommend to review the questionnaire as it help in
developing systematic and effective set of questions and patterns that is easy to answer.
By implementing the above-mentioned recommendations, it is possible to address the
challenges faced by the company. Here, effective implementation of such recommendations will
help the company in affecting the decision making of online and offline customers profoundly.
Additionally, these recommendations will prove helpful in terms of enhancing the overall
experience of online & offline customers significantly.

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APPENDIX
Questionnaire:
Q1 What is your Gender? Frequency
a) Male 18
b) Female 12
c) Other 0
Q2 What is your age? Frequency
a) 20-25 5
b) 25-30 8
c) 30-40 10
d) 40-45 7
Q3 What is your occupation? Frequency
a) Marketing 15
b) Management 8
c) Finance 7
Q4. As per your view point, what are the factors that effects on your
decision towards store shopping in retail industry?
Frequency
a) Convenience 5
b) Variety 7
c) Customer treatment 5
d) Ambience of the store 7
e) Quality 6
Q5. What factors have effects on your decision making towards online
shopping?
Frequency
a) Return policy 8
b) Time 7
c) Convenience 8
d) E-service quality 7
Q6. According to you, what is the impact of online shopping on your
decision?
Frequency

a) Positive impact 20
b) Negative impact 7
c) Neutral 3
Q7. What is the benefits gained by Tesco by offering products both
online and offline to customers?
Frequency
a) Increase in customer base level 9
b) Enhancement of brand image 8
c) Customer retention and satisfaction 7
d) High profitability 6
Q8. What are the major challenges faced by customers during offline
shopping within Tesco?
Frequency
a) High waiting time 3
b) Lack of real time engagement 3
c) Ineffective communication of customer service staff 3
d) Lack of unified customer view 6
e) Issues in returning the product 4
f) Convenience issue 6
g) Lack of product varieties 5
Q9. What are the major challenges faced by customers during online
shopping within Tesco?
Frequency
a) Product quality 6
b) Logistics-related issues 3
c) Ambiguous website policies 5
d) Payment issue 2
e) Online fraud 8
f) Missing parts 6
Q10. As per your view point, is above mentioned challenges have impact
on the decision making process of customers?
Frequency
a) Yes 23
b) No 7
Q11. What are the various strategies that must be adopted by Tesco to Frequency

deal with the challenges faced by customers during online and
offline shopping?
a) Customer feedback 15
b) Offer live chat 5
c) Make checking out simple 4
d) Offer free shipping 6
Q12. According to you, is above mentioned strategies help in increasing
satisfaction level of customers for longer time with organisation?
Frequency
a) Yes 24
b) No 6