UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTIONS AND KEY INFLUENCES OF ONLINE …
Transcript of UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTIONS AND KEY INFLUENCES OF ONLINE …
UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTIONS AND KEY
INFLUENCES OF ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING
TOWARD POTENTIAL CONSUMERS IN GREATER
BANGKOK AREA
BY
MISS HATAIPAT RUHAKARN
AN INDEPENDENT STUDY SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAM IN MARKETING
(INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM)
FACULTY OF COMMERCE AND ACCOUNTANCY
THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC YEAR 2018
COPYRIGHT OF THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY
Ref. code: 25616002040142RZN
UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTIONS AND KEY
INFLUENCES OF ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING
TOWARD POTENTIAL CONSUMERS IN GREATER
BANGKOK AREA
BY
MISS HATAIPAT RUHAKARN
AN INDEPENDENT STUDY SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE PROGRAM IN MARKETING
(INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM)
FACULTY OF COMMERCE AND ACCOUNTANCY
THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC YEAR 2018
COPYRIGHT OF THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY
Ref. code: 25616002040142RZN
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Independent Study Title UNDERSTANDING PERCEPTIONS AND
KEY INFLUENCES OF ONLINE GROCERY
SHOPPING TOWARD POTENTIAL
CONSUMERS IN GREATER BANGKOK
AREA
Author Miss Hataipat Ruhakarn
Degree Master of Science Program in Marketing
(International Program)
Major Field/Faculty/University Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy
Thammasat University
Independent Study Advisor Professor Malcolm C. Smith, Ph.D.
Academic Year 2018
ABSTRACT
Digital disruption and the change of consumer behavior has led to online
shopping digitization. With a value of $2.74 billion dollars, the e-commerce market in
Thailand is at its initial stage of development. Tesco Lotus, Big C and Tops Mall are
the leading players in food and drink internet retailing. The total value of food and drink
internet retailing in Thailand was $260 million dollar in 2018. The immaturity of this
market attributes to a lack of understanding of online customers. As a result, this study
aims to understand perceptions and key influences of online grocery shopping toward
potential consumers in the greater Bangkok area. The objectives of the study are 1) to
understand potential customers' perceptions toward online grocery shopping 2) to
determine the factors that affect potential customers’ decision to shop online for
groceries and 3) to evaluate potential customers’ experience when doing a first-time
online grocery shopping trial.
The study used qualitative methods to capture consumer insights. The research
was completed with a total of 15 respondents. In-depth interviews and observations
were done with 15 working women who live in the Greater Bangkok area, aged between
21 to 59, with a household income exceeding 100,000 baht per month.
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Dependent variables that were studied are 1) attitude toward online grocery
shopping and 2) intention to start buying online grocery products. The independent
variables that were studied are 1) perceived enjoyment 2) perceived risks 3) perceived
benefits 4) brand trust 5) previous experiences of online shopping and 5) situational
factors.
The major findings of the study are: 1) customers perceive convenience as the
benefit of an online grocery shopping service while product damage is the perceived
risk that customers are most worried about; 2) customers also perceive that online
grocery shopping is not as enjoyable as visiting the store since they cannot see, touch
and smell the products before buying; 3) retail brands do not affect their attitude toward
online grocery shopping and customers are not loyal to the current retailer where they
usually shop; 4) previous experiences of online shopping affect the attitude of online
grocery shopping; 5) the situation when customers are most likely to think of online
grocery service is when there are prompted by price promotions; and 6) online grocery
websites and applications are not user-friendly.
In conclusion, this study gives an understanding to managers and allows online
grocery companies to develop marketing strategies and communications that can best
capture a new potential customer group.
Keywords: Online grocery shopping, Online grocery shopping trial
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Prof. Malcolm C.
Smith, Ph.D., for the continuous support, guidance, insightful comments,
understanding, and encouragement throughout my research. The completion of this
independent study could not have been possible without great support from my advisor.
I would also like to thank the 15 participants who were involved in the in-depth
interviews for this research project. Without their passionate participation and input,
the interviews and observations could not have been successfully conducted.
Finally, I would like to thank all my supporters, family and friends for providing
me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my years of study
and through the process of researching and writing this independent study. All of your
support inspired me and largely contributed to the success of this research.
Miss Hataipat Ruhakarn
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................................................... (3)
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... (6)
LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................... (7)
CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Problem Statement and Research Purpose 1
1.2 Research Objectives 2
CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Overview of Global Online Grocery Shopping Service 4
2.2 Overview of Thailand Online Grocery Shopping Service 5
2.3 Previous Research Results 6
CHAPTER 3 ................................................................................................................ 10
3.1 Secondary Research 10
3.2 Primary Research 10
3.2.1 In-depth Interviews ........................................................................... 11
3.2.2 Observation ....................................................................................... 11
3.2.3 Sampling Plan ................................................................................... 11
3.2.4 Data Collection ................................................................................. 12
3.2.5 Data Analysis .................................................................................... 12
3.2.6 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................... 14
3.2.7 Limitations of the Study.................................................................... 14
CHAPTER 4 ................................................................................................................ 16
4.1 In-depth Interviews Results 16
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4.2 In-depth Interviews Key Findings 17
4.3 Observation Key Findings 24
CHAPTER 5 ................................................................................................................ 29
5.1 Conclusions and Managerial Implications 29
5.2 Suggestions for Future Research 30
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 32
APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. 35
APPENDIX A IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS QUESTION GUIDE 36
APPENDIX B THE RESPONDENTS’ PROFILES 39
BIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................. 40
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figures Page
2.1 Innovation-Decision Process 6
3.1 Research Methodology 10
3.2 Diagram of dependent and independent variables relationship 14
4.1 Tops online homepage 25
4.2 Tops online product categories 26
4.3 Snacks and Desserts subcategories 27
4.4 Search tool results for “marshmallow” 27
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LIST OF TABLES
Tables Page
3.1 Coding table plan 12
3.2 Supercategories table plan 13
4.1 Supercategories of perceived benefits and perceived risks 18
4.2 Frequency of terms used to describe perceived benefits and perceived risks 18
4.3 Frequency of terms used to describe the criteria of selecting the online grocery
retail brands 20
4.4 Supercategories of previous experiences of online shopping 21
4.5 Supercategories of situations in which customers considered shopping for
groceries online 22
4.6 Frequency of terms used to describe the situations in which the respondents
considered shopping for groceries online 23
4.7 Frequency of terms used for promotions that are attractive to the respondents 24
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Problem Statement and Research Purpose
Thailand’s e-commerce market is growing at a fast pace with an expected
compound annual growth rate of 11% over the next five years. Its revenue is expected
to reach $6 billion by 2023 (Statista Digital Market Outlook - Market Report, 2019).
Yet, online grocery revenue only accounts for 1% of the total e-commerce market. This
is in contrast to the world’s top e-commerce country, where the online grocery market
share in the US is five times greater than Thailand and is expected to reach 10% by
2020 (Online grocery market share in the United States from 2015 to 2020, 2017).
Thailand’s online grocery market is still in its initial development on both retailers’ and
consumers’ sides. Retailers are adapting to the changes in the digital world and have
started to develop online channels for supermarket shopping. Around two million
consumers will start to shop online by 2021 (eCommerce in Thailand , 2018).
As will be seen in the literature review below, there are not many studies about
online grocery shopping available in Thailand. As a result, we do not know Thai
consumers' perceptions and key influences that trigger them to buy or not buy groceries
online. The purpose of this study is to explore female consumers’ perceptions and key
influences toward online grocery shopping in the Greater Bangkok Area.
This study is a contemporary topic in applied marketing. The study will focus
on the subject area of technology. Technology has become a critical factor that has an
impact on business operations (Kokemuller, 2017). Business owners must understand
the effects of technology on firms, culture, society, and customers. Thai consumers’
buying behavior has changed in the past recent years – from offline to more online.
Retailers must adapt to the changing environment and consider integrating offline and
online marketing (Leesa-Nguansuk, 2018). However, there are still limitations and
doubts about online grocery shopping among some Thai consumer groups.
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From a managerial perspective, understanding consumers’ perceptions toward
online grocery shopping and key influences on online grocery shopping will allow
online grocery companies to develop marketing strategies and communications that can
best capture a new potential customer group.
1.2 Research Objectives
1. To understand potential customers' perceptions toward online grocery shopping
1.1. To determine the perceived benefits of online grocery shopping
1.2. To determine the perceived enjoyment during online grocery
shopping process
1.3. To determine the perceived risks of online grocery shopping
1.4. To determine customers' trust in online grocery retailer brands in
Thailand
1.5. To determine positive and negative attitude toward previous
experiences of online shopping
2. To determine the factors that affect potential customers’ decision to shop online
for groceries
2.1. To investigate in which situations potential customers are most
likely to buy groceries online
2.2. To investigate which promotional activity is the most effective
to attract potential customers
3. To evaluate potential customers’ experience when doing the first-time online
grocery shopping trial
3.1. To observe potential customers’ reaction during the online
grocery shopping trial
3.2. To measure potential customers’ satisfaction with the online
grocery shopping trial
As in-depth research and studies on the topic of online grocery shopping in Thai
culture and context are rather limited, the results from this study will allow online
grocery retailers to understand more about their customers’ perception toward online
grocery services as well as the important variables that motivate the customers’ online
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grocery purchasing decision. Moreover, the results from the observation would give
insights to retailers about customers’ satisfaction toward the current services and the
user interface. In summary, study findings will allow online grocery retailers to carve
marketing strategies and communications that can best capture a new potential
customer group.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Technology disruption of virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial
intelligence and the advancement of mobile and social commerce has accelerated e-
commerce services to the next stage (Roger, 2017). According to FATbit (2018),
twenty million American people will adopt online grocery shopping by the end of 2018.
In Asia, 2017 saw a significant growth of 44% in the e-commerce market. As a country,
although Thailand’s online grocery market has grown 104% (Roger, 2017), the number
only accounted for 1% of the total grocery market (Toomgum, 2017). Consumers still
prefer to shop for groceries in-store because they want to touch, smell and see the
products before buying, especially for fresh food and ingredients that can spoil.
However, according to Nielson (2017), 28% of Asian consumers who are currently not
buying groceries online have a potential to buy groceries online in the near future. The
online grocery shopping adoption rate is likely to increase among shoppers who are
under time constraints. This type of people will consider online shopping as it is faster,
easier and more effective than traditional shopping (Nielson, 2015).
2.1 Overview of Global Online Grocery Shopping Service
The global online grocery market value is expected to reach $41 billion dollars
in 2023, a 21% CAGR from $15.9 billion dollar in 2018. The competition among the
online grocery retailers is getting more intense since Amazon acquired Whole Foods in
2017. Amazon’s offering of same-day delivery service to customers had a huge impact
on other online retailers who had to adapt and offer a competitive level of service to
customers. Besides Amazon, key players in the US market are Walmart, Peapod, and
Kroger. In recent years, these major retailers started to offer other services to meet
customers’ needs as much as possible. Some offers include curbside pick-up, driverless
grocery delivery and automated grocery pick-up kiosks (Food and Drink Internet
Retailing in Thailand, 2019).
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Alibaba also introduced a “new retail” concept, Hema in 2018. Hema is an
integrated offline and online grocery shopping store. Customers visiting Hema store
can 1) pay for the products by scanning them at the check-out counters 2) pay by using
the store's app or 3) have the products delivered to them free of charge (Büchenbacher,
2018).
According to Euromonitor, there are currently two business models for online
grocery retailers; multichannel model and online-only model. Multichannel model are
the retailers who also own physical grocery stores while the online-only model does not
bear the cost of setting up a store (Comment: Pure-play vs. multichannel, 2012).
2.2 Overview of Thailand Online Grocery Shopping Service
Online grocery service providers in Thailand can be categorized into four
groups: bricks-and-clicks retailers, pure-play online grocers, marketplaces, and third-
party service providers (Zhu, 2016). Bricks-and-clicks retailers are retailers such as
Tesco Lotus and Central Food Retail who own physical stores. These retailers are now
catching the changes of digital consumers’ behavior. Pure-play online grocers are
startups that use their technological background to operate an online grocery with no
physical stores. Pure-play online grocers are good at online marketing and targeting
but, unlike brick and click retailers, mostly do not have a strong relationship with
suppliers. Pure-play online grocers usually offer limited product ranges. An example of
a pure-play online grocer in Thailand is Delishop. Marketplaces in Thailand are
companies such as JD Central, and Lazada. The marketplaces connect individual sellers
to customers. This type of grocery model offers customers a wide range of products,
prices, and brands. The last group is the third-party service providers such as Honestbee
and HappyFresh. This group enables customers to shop from various supermarkets on
one site.
In this paper, only bricks-and-clicks retailers were focused on as the online
grocery service provider. Currently, there are a total of five bricks-and-clicks retailers
that offer online grocery shopping in Thailand, including Big C online, Makro online,
Tesco Lotus online, Tops online and Villa Market online.
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The online grocery market in Thailand is highly competitive. These five
retailers are considered significant players who own numerous physical stores.
However, several emerging players such as Delishop and Honestbee also offer similar
services as mentioned above. As a result, the retailers are challenged to find the right
model that will enable them to meet consumers' expectations as well as generate enough
profits.
In Thailand, online grocers still provide customers with limited choices of
picking and delivery. Thai customers can only select goods online and have them
delivered to their home while in some countries, other options like online order and
pick-up at store, automatic online subscription, and virtual supermarket are available.
Currently, retailers are attracting customers by offering additional services.
Price promotions are offered daily for specific products. Common additional offers are
free delivery and same-day delivery.
2.3 Previous Research Results
As Rogers (2003) concluded in his book Diffusion of Innovation, customers
usually go through the innovation-decision process before adopting new products or
services. Customers have to consider the uncertainty of the new innovation compared
to the existing choice they are currently adopting. The innovation-decision process
consists of five stages: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and
confirmation. Figure 2.1 shows the process of innovation-decision.
Figure 2.1 Innovation-Decision Process
The knowledge stage is when customers are exposed to new products or services
and learn how they work. According to the research result, early knowers tend to have
higher education and higher social status when compared to late knowers. Most of the
time, customers, who are aware of the innovation, do not adopt because they do not see
Knowledge Persuasion Decision Implementation Confirmation
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the relevant benefits of the innovation to their life. The persuasion stage is when
customers start seeking information and opinions, especially from friends and family.
In the decision stage, customers must consider and try the products or services first
before deciding whether to adopt or reject. Implementation is when customers start
using the products or services. Last of all, confirmation is the final stage where
customers may reverse their decision.
However, research results from UK studies show that customers do not go
through cognitive elaboration or decision process when they start to shop groceries
online. Hand, Dall'Olmo Riley, Harris, Singh, and Rettie (2009) conducted research on
British shoppers to find out the key factors that trigger customers’ adoption and
discontinuance to buy groceries online. The research was divided into two stages;
qualitative and quantitative research. The results from the qualitative research show that
situational factors seem to have an impact on customers' decision to buy groceries
online. To elaborate, the customers describe that changes in lifestyle such as moving to
a new place and having a baby have led them to start online grocery shopping; they
would discontinue shopping groceries online when the initial trigger disappears. In
quantitative research, the authors conducted a survey of 908 respondents to test 20
situational variables’ influences on consumers' decision to start online grocery
shopping. The research results show that customers are driven to shop for groceries
online because of certain circumstances rather than by decision process. Another study
was conducted in South England by Huang and Oppewal (2006). They surveyed
supermarket shoppers to find out how situational factors affect consumers' decisions to
buy groceries either online or in-store. The results of the study also reveal that
situational factors have significant influences on customers' decision to start online
grocery shopping.
In one study, Chin and Goh (2017) researched how perceptions have impacts
on online grocery shopping behavior. It is found that uncertainty is one of the perceived
risks for the customers to adopt an online grocery service. Consumers' inability to
inspect products by themselves leads to the uncertainty about online shopping,
especially for grocery products. Based on the study, four dimensions of risks were
investigated with the attitude of Malaysian people toward online grocery shopping. The
four risks include financial risk, time risk, privacy risk, and security risk. Financial risk
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is associated with a loss of money when purchasing products or services. The results
from the study show that customers hesitate to buy groceries online because they are
concerned that online grocery products may not be worth their money. People who shop
online want to get the products delivered to their home at the appointed time; they will
feel uncomfortable if the transaction and delivery process take longer than expected.
This can be viewed as time risk. Waiting time can cause dissatisfaction, which will
consequently lead to the discontinuance to shop online next time. Moreover, during
registration, customers are required to fill in personal information. Customers are also
concerned that their information will be used for other marketing purposes or sold to
third parties. Customers’ perceived privacy risk can stop them from doing online
shopping at the process of member registration.
Research on online grocery shopping in Thailand is very limited; only one study
conducted in Thailand was found. Issariyapracha (2016) studied Thai people’s behavior
on online grocery shopping. Seven in-depth interviews and an online survey of 185
respondents were collected. The results from the qualitative survey reveal that
convenience is the key factor that attracts customers to shop online. In the case where
the delivery fee does not exceed the transportation cost, the respondents are likely to
use online services. The customers were divided into three customer segments based
on the results from the quantitative research: Online Grocery Shopper, Potential Online
Grocery Shopper, and Non-Online Grocery Shopper. Online Grocery Shopper is a
person who has purchased grocery products online while Potential Online Grocery
Shopper has never shopped for groceries online before but shows an interest to do so in
the future. Non-Online Grocery Shopper has no interest in online grocery shopping at
all. The results suggest that Online Grocery Shopper and Potential Grocery Shopper
find online grocery service more convenient and time-saving than the traditional
practice. Moreover, Potential Online Grocery shopper group shows high intention to
buy groceries online when prompted with price promotions.
To summarize the literature review, (1) the decision process of online grocery
shopping is different from traditional shopping process; (2) the perceived risks have an
effect on customers’ perception toward online grocery shopping; (3) the research on
online grocery shopping in Thailand is very limited; (4) the research on online grocery
shopping has not yet examined potential customers who have never bought groceries
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online; (5) the research on online grocery shopping has not yet examined users’
experiences of user interfaces. Therefore, the proposed study will provide contributions
in the last three areas.
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A qualitative methodology was used in this research. Observations and in-depth
interviews were done with a total of 15 respondents. The steps are as follow:
Figure 3.1 Research Methodology
3.1 Secondary Research
Secondary research was conducted online to get an overview of both global and
Thai online grocery shopping behavior. Secondary research sources are 1) published
online report related to online grocery shopping 2) statistical data related to online
shopping behavior, trends and opportunities, and 3) articles and studies related to the
area of study.
3.2 Primary Research
Previous research on online grocery shopping has mainly described online
grocery buying behavior, situational factors, triggers, and barriers. Little is known
about insights of what lies beneath these patterns. More research is needed to
understand potential customers' perceptions and motivations toward online grocery
shopping. Therefore, this research used qualitative methods to conduct 15 in-depth
interviews.
Secondary Research
Pre-test In-depth
Interviews
Indepth Interviews
Observations Data Analysis
November – December 2018 January – February 2019 February – March 2019
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3.2.1 In-depth Interviews
The key questions of the in-depth interview focused on 1) the current
behavior of grocery shopping, and 2) the attitudes and intentions to buy online grocery
in the near future. The in-depth interview pretest was done in December 2018 with the
total of three respondents. The key variables used in this study were identified from the
pretest in-depth interviews and the secondary research.
The in-depth interviews were conducted from January to February 2019
with a total of 15 respondents. The respondents passed all of the screening questions
before participating in the in-depth interview (See appendix A: In-depth Interview
Questions Guide - Part I) and were asked the in-depth interview questions found in
Appendix A: In-depth Interview Questions Guide - Part II.
3.2.2 Observation
In addition to the in-depth interviews, the respondents’ reactions during
an online grocery shopping trial were observed. After the in-depth interview process
was completed, the respondents were asked to participate in an experiment of an online
grocery shopping trial. The respondents were observed during the process of member
registration, grocery product selection, the time spent on selecting products, and the
easiness of website or application usage. A few questions were asked after the
completion of the trial process (See appendix A: In-depth Interview Questions Guide -
Part III).
3.2.3 Sampling Plan
The target populations of this study are working women who live in the
Greater Bangkok Area, aged between 21-59. This study focuses only on women
because they are more likely to shop for groceries than men (New Research: Evaluating
Online Grocery Shopping Trends, 2018). The target population’ household income
should exceed 100,000 baht per month. The respondents should use internet more than
three hours per day and buy products or services online at least once a month. According
to Issariyapracha (2016), potential online grocery shoppers in Thailand tend to have a
monthly household income of over 110,000 baht (55%), use internet more than three
hours per day (79%), and often buy products or services online.
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3.2.4 Data Collection
Due to the limitation of time and financial constraints, respondents were
selected through non-probability sampling and acquired through personal connections.
The in-depth interviews were face to face. The average in-depth interview time was 60
minutes. The interviews were standardized as much as possible to ensure that all key
topics were covered. Each interview was recorded and later transcribed.
3.2.5 Data Analysis
Deductive reasoning methods were used in the data analysis. The
procedures for analyzing the collected data in this study followed the guideline from
Ellen and Marcus’s Analyzing Qualitative Data (2003).
1) All interview data was recorded in the form of audiotape and later
transcribed.
2) Key questions to answer were identified in accordance with the research
objectives. A review of the research objectives was conducted to help the researcher
focus on relevant information.
3) The data analysis was focused on questions. The analysis took place
across each respondent’s answers question -by -question in order to see consistencies
and differences between each answer.
4) Data was categorized by the common themes and patterns – of ideas,
concepts, behaviors, interactions, incidents or phrases used – in relation to the research
objectives. Abbreviation was assigned to the unstructured data to label them into
categories and organizations (See Table 3.1).
Table 3.1 Coding table plan
Questions Categories
How was your experience with online
shopping?
Save time (Svt), More choices (MC),
Fun (F), Convenience (Conv), Late
delivery (LD), Bad quality (BQ)
In which situation will you consider to
shop grocery online?
Moving to a new place (Move), Price
promotion (Promo), No car (NC), Flash
sales (FS), Time-strain (TS), Free
delivery (FD)
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5) After the data were categorized, supercategories were assigned as
necessary (See Table 3.2).
Table 3.2 Supercategories table plan
Questions Categories
How was your experience with online
shopping?
Positive Experience (PE)
• Save time (Svt)
• More choices (Moc)
• Fun (F)
• Convenience (Conv)
Negative Experience (NE)
• Late delivery (LD)
• Bad quality (BadQ)
In which situation will you consider to
shop grocery online?
Situational Factor (SF)
• Moving to a new place (Move)
• No car (NC)
• Time constrain (Tcon)
Marketing Mix (MM)
• Price promotion (Promo)
• Flash sales (Flas)
• Free delivery (FreeD)
6) After supercategories were assigned, patterns and connections were
analyzed. Three methods were used to help with the analysis.
• Within category description: in order to analyze data within the
same category, the researcher looked for similarities and
differences of the responses to the same question.
• Relative importance: to measure which category was more
important than the others, the frequency of recurring themes was
counted.
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• Relationships: the researcher looked for connections between two
themes that may create a cause-and-effect relationship or a
sequence of specific actions.
7) The final step was to interpret the data by using themes, patterns, and
connections to explain the findings. The findings should answer all the research
objectives.
3.2.6 Theoretical Framework
Dependent and independent variables in this research are shown in the
figure below.
Figure 3.2 Diagram of dependent and independent variables relationship
3.2.7 Limitations of the Study
Firstly, this study is subjected to time-limitations with only a three-month
timeframe from designing the in-depth interview questions, recruiting respondents,
conducting the interviews and observations, analyzing the data, and writing the report.
Convenience sampling method was used. The respondents were recruited based on
Perceived Benefits
Perceived Risks
Perceived Enjoyment
Brand Trust
Previous Experiences of Online Shopping
Situational Factors
Attitude toward Online Grocery Shopping
Intention to Start Buying Online Grocery Products
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personal connections. The results of the data analysis may not be generalizable to the
entire population.
Secondly, due to the limited time and budget, the sample size was limited
to 15 respondents which may not fully represent the potential customers of online
grocery shopping in the Greater Bangkok Area.
Finally, there is limited research in the topic of online grocery shopping
in Thailand. The researcher only found one paper which mainly explores the existing
channels and customer segments of online grocery shopping. As a result, the secondary
data is obtained mostly from the foreign studies which may have different implication
on Thai customers.
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CHAPTER 4
RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 In-depth Interviews Results
The in-depth interviews were conducted with a total of 15 working women aged
21 to 59, living in the Greater Bangkok area (Age 21 - 35 = 9, Age 35 - 59 = 6). The
majority of the participants visit a supermarket at least once a month. Mostly, they visit
a store that is located near their homes by driving or taking a taxi, and their average
shopping time is around 30 - 60 minutes. However, the amount of money spent varies
depending on each person. The majority visit the supermarket to buy personal care
products, fresh produce, and fruit and snacks for themselves and their family (See
Appendix B: The respondents’ profiles).
Every respondent has had online shopping experience on several websites such
as Lazada, Shopee, Instagram and Facebook. The respondents who have had positive
experiences said that they bought the specific items online because they could not find
these items in any stores (n = 6). For those who have had negative experiences, it was
mostly because the product they received did not look exactly like the picture in the
advertisement that they saw on the internet.
The majority have never tried to buy groceries online before (n = 12). Female
#6 said, “I never thought of buying groceries online before because I always want to
visit the supermarket. That way I can touch, feel and smell the products before buying
them.” However, some of the respondents once tried to buy groceries online. Female
#3 said that she received a discount voucher from Tesco Lotus online, and she visited
the website. However, she did not proceed to the end of the buying process because she
did not want to fill in the personal information section.
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4.2 In-depth Interviews Key Findings
The key findings from the in-depth interviews will explain the relationships
between the dependent and the independent variables and respond to the objectives 1,
2 and 3 of this study.
Product damage is the main barrier to starting to buy groceries online
(Objectives 1.1 and 1.3)
Both the perceived benefits and the perceived risks have an impact on
positive and negative attitudes toward online grocery shopping. However, the perceived
benefits do not significantly lead to the intention to start buying groceries online
because the respondents are more worried about the perceived risks that can occur
during the process of buying groceries online.
As seen in Table 4.1, the perceived benefits of online grocery shopping are
convenience and better prices. Convenience is presented in two ways: online shopping
is time-saving, and there is no need to carry the heavy items. Female #14 is a working
woman who is very busy as she works full-time and also has to take care of her two
children. She mentioned that, “The only benefit I can think of is that it will save my
time on the weekend. I will have more time to spend with my two boys, clean the house
and cook the food for them.” For the respondents who do not own a car, another benefit
is that they do not have to carry heavy items back home by themselves.
The three main types of perceived risks are product damage, uncertainty of
delivery time and out-of-date stock. In the respondents’ perspective, product damage
can occur because of three reasons: 1) damage occurring during transportation, 2)
products are not fresh/not of good quality, and 3) staff do not carefully select the best
products, or they fail to properly take care of the products during packing and shipping.
The respondents are mostly worried about the damage that occurs during transportation
(See Table 4.2) because they do not know how each retailer operates. They question the
standard of the whole process from selecting the product to packing and delivering it to
their homes. For the respondents who were told that they are able to choose the delivery
date and time, they are still worried about the product damage and do not feel
comfortable with shopping for groceries online.
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Table 4.1 Supercategories of perceived benefits and perceived risks
Question 5
What is your perspective on the benefits and risks of online grocery shopping?
Perceived Benefits:
Convenience (conv)
• Time-saving (ts)
• No need to carry purchased items (car)
Prices (p)
• Cheaper (chp)
• Promotions (pro)
Perceived Risks:
Product damage (pd)
• During transportation (trans)
• Not fresh (nf)
• Unreliable staff (unstf)
Unsure of delivery time (undelt)
Not up-to-date stock (noupstk)
Table 4.2 Frequency of terms used to describe perceived benefits and perceived risks
Terms Used to Describe
Perceived Benefits
Terms Used to Describe
Perceived Risks
N N
Time-saving 16 Not fresh 24
No need to carry purchased items 8 Damage during transportation 22
Cheaper prices 4 Unreliable staff 12
Promotions 4 Uncertain delivery time 6
Not up-to-date stock 3
Shopping at a physical grocery store is more enjoyable than online
grocery shopping (Objective 1.2)
Surprisingly, all of the respondents said that they enjoy in-store grocery
shopping. Female #6 said that she is happy when she sees new products on the
supermarket shelves and smells the new scents of shampoo. Similarly, female #14 said
“I enjoy walking around the supermarket aisles if I am not in a hurry. I like it when I
can spend time to select the brands and sizes. There are so many products I can choose,
and I love to see new up-to-date products on the shelves.”
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Some respondents found it difficult to imagine the enjoyment of online
grocery shopping. Female #5 said, “I have to try online grocery shopping before I can
tell you if it’s going to be enjoyable or not. But, I don’t think it will be enjoyable for
me.” Another interesting response came from female #2, who mentioned that, “If I have
to choose between wasting my time on traveling and walking around the aisles and
wasting my time on scrolling through the websites to find the products that I want, I
would prefer to waste my time on traveling to and walking in the supermarket because
it is much more enjoyable.”
Since all of the respondents had never bought grocery products online
before, it was difficult for them to imagine the enjoyment of the online buying process.
The majority of the respondents felt worried and anxious about online grocery
shopping. Thus, it can be concluded that the respondents do not perceive online grocery
shopping as an enjoyable activity. This lack of perceived enjoyment leads to lower
intention to start buying grocery products online.
No brand loyalty, the best price wins (Objective 1.4)
All of the respondents do not have brand loyalty toward grocery retail
brands. The respondents agreed that they were willing to switch to buying from other
retailers who can offer cheaper prices (See Table 4.3). Female #12 stated that, “Retail
brands do not affect the quality of personal care products, so I don’t mind switching to
buying from retailers who offer lower prices.” Five out of the 15 respondents said that
they prefer to buy from Tesco Lotus online because it offers the cheapest prices.
With regard to the respondents who usually buy fresh produce, it is more
likely that they will be concerned about the quality and freshness of the products.
Female #6, who often cooks at home, mentioned that, “I normally shop at Tesco Lotus
because it’s near my home. But, I won’t continue to buy from Tesco Lotus when it
comes to online. I think I will choose Tops because Tops is a mid-range brand and
offers a better quality of food and vegetables compared to Tesco Lotus.”
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Table 4.3 Frequency of terms used to describe the criteria of selecting the online
grocery retail brands
Terms Used to Describe the Criteria of
Selecting the Online Grocery Retail Brands
N
Offer cheapest prices 31
Good quality products 10
Offer price promotions 7
Delivery fee 5
User-friendly 3
In conclusion, certain retail brands convey a positive attitude toward better
prices and better product quality. However, consumers were shown to have no brand
loyalty when they switch from offline to online shopping. Therefore, brand trust does
not lead to higher intention to start buying grocery products online.
Previous experiences of online shopping affect attitudes toward online
grocery shopping (Objective 1.5)
According to the respondents’ answers about their overall experience with
their previous online shopping, two supercategories are Positive Experiences and
Negative Experiences. Under Positive Experiences, the respondents have had positive
experiences based on three aspects: 1) price, 2) convenience and 3) products. Negative
Experiences consist of four aspects: 1) process, 2) products, 3) service and 4) delivery
(See Table 4.4).
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Table 4.4 Supercategories of previous experiences of online shopping
Question 2
Overall, how was your experience with online shopping? Please explain.
Positive Experiences
Prices (p)
• Cheaper (chp)
Convenience (conv)
• Time-saving (ts)
• More choices (mcs)
Product (prod)
• Good product quality (gpq)
• Difficult-to-find products are
available (difp)
Negative Experiences
Process (proc)
• Complicated (comp)
• A lot of steps to complete (steps)
Products (prod)
• Product received did not meet
expectation (nomeetex)
• Bad quality (bq)
Service (serv)
• Bad after sales-service (bass)
• Could not contact store owner
Late delivery (ld)
The respondents who have had positive online shopping experiences also
perceive online grocery shopping service in a positive way. The respondents who
experienced “cheaper prices” and “time-saving” for their online shopping are likely to
perceive online grocery benefits in the same way. To elaborate, Female #14 bought an
electronic device online at a cheaper price, and she also perceives that an online grocery
service would offer lower prices than an offline one.
Similarly, the respondents who had negative experiences from their
previous online shopping tend to have a higher negative attitude toward online grocery
shopping. The respondents who experienced poor product quality are very concerned
about online grocery product quality. To elaborate, Female#8 experienced bad product
quality from her previous online shopping. She mentioned “I don’t trust the product
that I cannot choose. The last time I bought an ear pod online. It broke after just a few
times of usage. I think I don’t trust anyone to select grocery products for me.”
High chance of starting to buy grocery products online when prompted
with price promotions (Objective 2.1)
The majority have never considered buying grocery products online before.
After asking the respondents to imagine the situation in which they would be most
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likely to buy grocery products online, the results can be categorized into two groups:
promotions and situational factors (See Table 4.5).
One respondent who once wanted to buy an avocado pack online stated that,
“There was one time when I wanted to buy an avocado pack from Tops because my
colleague said it was on sale. I didn’t have time to go to Tops, so I wanted to buy it
online. But, I just didn’t know how to, so I asked my daughter to buy it online for me.”
Table 4.5 Supercategories of situations in which customers considered shopping for
groceries online
Question 4
Have you ever considered shopping for groceries online? Why/Why not? In which
situation?
Promotions (promo)
• Price promotion (pp)
• Discount voucher (distv)
• Free delivery (freed)
Situational factors (sf)
• Busy (bus)
• Lazy (laz)
• No car (nc)
• Plastic bag-free day (pbf)
• Influence from other people (inf)
• Product not available on shelf (pdns)
• Moved to a new place far from a supermarket (move)
Table 4.6 shows the frequency of terms used to describe the situations in
which the respondents considered shopping for groceries online. The respondents are
sensitive to price and are willing to buy online grocery products at a lower price.
However, one respondent said that, “Free delivery is a good deal, but if the online price
is the same as the offline, then I’d rather go to the store.”
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Table 4.6 Frequency of terms used to describe the situations in which the respondents
considered shopping for groceries online
Situational factors are different from the previous research studies
Apart from the above results, this research study also discovered that the
situational factors that Thai respondents mentioned are quite different from those found
in the research conducted by Hand, Dall'Olmo Riley, Harris, Singh, and Rettie (2009)
in England. The British will think of an online grocery service in the situations that are
more intense or serious, such as when they have a baby or a health problem that makes
it difficult for them to travel to the supermarket. In contrast, the situational factors in
this study are of a low level of seriousness such as being busy, lazy or influenced by
other people. Female #9 stated that, “My boyfriend sometimes buys grocery products
online and he suggested that I do so as well. Every time he mentions an online grocery
service, I tell myself that I will try it next time.”
Buy 1, get 1 free promotions are what the majority want (Objective 2.2)
The majority of the respondents are attracted to “buy 1, get 1 free”
promotions. One respondent said that, “I like ‘buy 1, get 1 free’ the most because it’s a
100% discount.” However, one of the respondents who are not attracted to “buy 1, get
1 free” promotions said that, “Sometimes I don’t want to get two bottles of shampoo
Terms Used to Describe the Situations
in which Respondents Considered Shopping for
Groceries Online
N
Price promotion 17
Busy 9
Free delivery 9
No car 4
Influence from other people 4
Product not available on shelf 3
Lazy 2
Moved to new place far from supermarkets 2
Discount voucher 1
Plastic bag-free day 1
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because I normally change my shampoo brand every time. I think a discount is more
attractive.” (See Table 4.7).
Table 4.7 Frequency of terms used for promotions that are attractive to the
respondents
Terms Used for Promotions that are
Attractive to the Respondents
N
Buy 1, get 1 free 17
Discount 13
Free delivery 10
Membership rewards 2
4.3 Observation Key Findings
A total of 15 respondents were willing to participate in the online grocery
shopping trial. Ten participants chose Tops online, while the other five participants
chose Tesco Lotus online. The participants were required to complete the membership
registration before starting the online grocery shopping trial. The average registration
time was approximately 7 minutes, and the average shopping trial time was
approximately 20 minutes.
Customers feel uneasy when required to register for membership on the
selected online grocery shopping website/application (Objective 3.1)
The majority of the respondents hesitated and complained after realizing
that they must complete the membership registration at the beginning. Some of the
respondents mentioned that they usually skip registration on any sites that they visit.
Furthermore, several respondents said that they do not want to provide personal
information because of privacy concerns. However, after the respondents completed
the registration section, most of them were quite satisfied with the process. Female #13
stated that, “I thought the registration would take more time than this. I think it’s not
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too long for me, and the information they need us to fill in is all necessary for the
delivery service.”
Customers do not know how to find the products that they want (Objective
3.1)
• Website/Mobile Interface Problems
The participants who chose Tops online often started by scrolling on the home
page (See Figure 4.1). This behavior is similar to their in-store shopping habits in which
they described that they enjoyed walking from aisle to aisle. However, the products that
are shown on the Tops online homepage are random products from all categories. As a
result, the participants could not find the products that they were looking for. Even
though they could go to each product category or use the search tool, they were not
aware of these options. However, they started to visit each category when they were
told about the product category function.
Figure 4.1 Tops online homepage
• Word Choice Problems
When the participants were looking for a specific product, they were confused
regarding which categories the product fell into. For example, a participant who
shopped on the Tops mobile application was looking for a yogurt cup. However, she
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did not know whether a yogurt cup is under the “Snacks & Desserts” or the “Beverages”
category (See Figure 4.2).
Figure 4.2 Tops online product categories
Another participant was looking for a pack of marshmallows. She knew that
marshmallows are under the “Snacks & Desserts” category. However, there are
subcategories under “Snacks & Desserts”, and she was confused regarding which one
she should select (See Figure 4.3).
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Figure 4.3 Snacks and Desserts subcategories
• Search Tool Problems
The participant who was looking for a pack of marshmallows decided to use the
search tool to find the product that she wanted. However, after using the search tool to
find a marshmallow pack, the results also showed an irrelevant product. The irrelevant
product was the hair dye in a marshmallow color. This happened on both the Tops
online and Tesco Lotus online websites. (See Figure 4.4).
Figure 4.4 Search tool results for “marshmallow”
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Online grocery websites and applications are not user-friendly (Objective
3.1)
The participants who chose to shop with Tesco Lotus online on the mobile
application found out that the mobile application is used for membership rewards and
promotions only. Thus, they had to switch from the mobile application to the website.
This caused a great deal of frustration for all of the participants who wanted to shop via
their smartphone. Therefore, this participant group spent more time than the average
shopping time of the participants who chose Tops online.
Customers do not want to pay the delivery fee (Objective 3.1)
The majority of the participants spent less than 800 baht; therefore, the
delivery fee was charged. The delivery fee is approximately 50 - 60 baht. The
participants who realized that they had to pay this delivery fee hesitated and did not
complete the online grocery shopping trial process. One participant said, “Do I have to
really buy this from you now? I don’t want to pay the 60-baht fee.” It can be concluded
that the delivery fee is one of the major barriers that prevents customers from
completing online grocery shopping process.
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CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusions and Managerial Implications
According to the qualitative research, the majority of the customers perceive
that it is riskier to buy grocery products online. As a result, most of them still prefer to
visit the physical grocery stores. Moreover, online grocery websites and applications
are not user-friendly. Most of the participants complained about the complicated
process to find the products that they wanted. However, due to the fact that the
customers are not loyal to the current brand that they buy, there is an opportunity for
retailers to convince the customers to shop online on their websites.
The following are the managerial implications:
• Tops online and Tesco Lotus online are the top two brands that the
customers chose for the online grocery shopping trial. Customers who are
concerned about product quality are more likely to choose Tops online,
whereas the customers who are price sensitive are more likely to choose
Tesco Lotus online.
• Customers do not want to pay the delivery fee. Retailers should focus on the
high-spending customers as the potential customers of online grocery
services. The participants who finished the process of the online grocery
shopping trial spent more than 800 baht; therefore, they did not have to pay
for the delivery fee.
• Some of the participants mentioned that they wanted to choose Gourmet
Market, one of the high-end supermarkets in Thailand, for the online grocery
shopping trial. However, Gourmet Market does not operate its own online
grocery service. Nevertheless, customers can still buy these grocery
products via the third-party service providers such as Honestbee and
HappyFresh.
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• The price promotions that retailers should employ to attract new online
customers are “Buy 1, get 1 free” and “Discount promotions”. Customers’
preferences vary for each person. However, the research revealed that there
is a higher chance that customers will open an online website or application
when the retailers employ direct marketing activities such as coupons,
mobile messages, and e-mail.
5.2 Suggestions for Future Research
This study is an initial research study that aimed to explore and understand the
shopping habits and perspectives of potential female customers of online grocery
services in the Greater Bangkok Area. The following suggestions will enhance and
broaden the future studies.
• Another qualitative study should be conducted in order to better understand
the characteristics of the potential customers and their needs.
• Quantitative research of the potential online grocery shopping customers
should be employed to accurately measure the level of intention to start
buying online grocery products among different independent variables.
• The future studies should expand the target sampling from only the Greater
Bangkok Area to the other major cities in Thailand where people have
adopted and are familiar with online shopping.
• Regarding the intention to start shopping for grocery products online,
another important factor is a user-friendly interface. The investigation of
customer satisfaction with the current interface (websites and applications)
should be employed to assist retailers with the development of a better
interface for customers.
Retailers should study the advantages and disadvantages of providing and not
providing their own online service. The initial research showed that several of the
customers preferred to buy from Gourmet Market online, but since Gourmet Market
does not provide its own online service, customers switched to Tops online. Retailers
should therefore study the customer behaviors because shopping through third parties
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can cause difficulties. As a result, customers might switch to other retailers or may not
shop online at all.
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APPENDIX A
IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS QUESTION GUIDE
Part I General Information (Screening Questions)
Name: _________________________________________ Age: _______________
Gender: _________________ Occupation: _______________________________
Current Address (city): _______________________________________________
Number of Adult in Household: ________________________________________
Number of Children in Household: _____________________________________
Household Income (Baht/month):
1) Less than 35,000 2) 35,001 – 50,000 3) 50,001 – 100,000
4) 100,000 – 150,000 5) Above 150,001 6) Refuse to answer
Highest Education Level:
1) lower than Bachelor’s degree 2) Bachelor’s degree
3) Master’s degree 4) Higher than Master’s degree
How often do you buy products/services online?
1) Once a week 2) 2 – 3 times a month
3) Once a month 4) Less than once a month
Have you ever purchase online grocery product before?
1) Yes 2) No
- End of Part One -
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Part II In-depth Interview Question Guide Lists (Objective 1 & 2)
1) What do you think about traditional grocery shopping? Where/When was the
last time you shopped for grocery? How did you travel to the shopping place?
How much time did you spend shopping in the supermarket? What do you
usually buy? What is your average spending per time?
2) Overall, how was your experience with online shopping? Please explain
3) Why have you never tried to buy grocery online before?
4) Have you ever considered to shop grocery online? Why/Why not? In which
situation?
5) What is your perspective on benefits and risks of online grocery shopping?
6) Do you think online grocery shopping is enjoyable? Why/why not?
7) Have you ever seen a promotional advertisement from online grocery
shopping service providers? Are you attracted to the promotion?
8) If you have to buy grocery online, will you buy from the same retailer that you
currently shop grocery for? Why/why not?
9) Which of the following retailers that you would likely buy grocery online
from?
10) What kind of grocery products will you consider to buy online? Why?
- End of Part Two –
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Part III Question Guide after Online Grocery Shopping Trial (Objective 3)
1) How was your experience after first time online grocery shopping?
2) Is it easy or difficult for you to find products you want on the
website/application?
3) How are you satisfied with the service?
4) How likely are you going to repeat the purchase of online grocery?
- End of Part Three -
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APPENDIX B
THE RESPONDENTS’ PROFILES
No. Age Occupation Household
Income
Education
Level
Online Purchasing
Frequency
Female #1 28 Private Company 100,000+ Master 2 times/month
Female #2 29 Freelance 100,000+ Master 1 time/month
Female #3 26 Private Company 100,000+ Master 1 time/month
Female #4 27 Private Company 100,000+ Master 1 time/month
Female #5 27 Private Company 100,000+ Master 1 time/month
Female #6 28 Private Company 100,000+ Master 1 time/month
Female #7 57 Private Company 100,000+ Bachelor 1 time/month
Female #8 56 Business Owner 100,000+ Master 1 time/month
Female #9 35 Private Company 100,000+ Bachelor 1 time/month
Female #10 28 Private Company 100,000+ Master 1 time/month
Female #11 40 Private Company 100,000+ Bachelor 1 time/month
Female #12 38 Business Owner 100,000+ Master 1 time/month
Female #13 33 Private Company 100,000+ Bachelor 1 time/month
Female #14 45 Private Company 100,000+ Bachelor 1 time/month
Female #15 52 Business Owner 100,000+ Bachelor 1 time/month
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