in e-commerce as a primary shopping venue are less and less driven to the Internet by non-Internet marketing strategies. It is argued by Beardi (2000) that the Internet is changing the way that consumers behave.
Keller (2001) also believes that there are clear, coherent, and consistent patterns of change in consumer behavior linked to online shopping. A concept known as recentering is redefining the consumer landscape. Recentering translates into a quest for a more balanced life and into a higher level of knowledge on the part of consumers who now regard value as more critical than price. In such a climate, Keller (2001) argues that consumer loyalty will need to be earned over and over again.
Online shoppers are recognized by Keller (2001) and Girard, Silverblatt and Kargaonkar (2002) as driven by the desire for greater time and greater flexibility. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans regularly bring home takeout food. Three in 10 talk on a cell phone while riding in cars, and consumers in all socioeconomic brackets need increased amounts of information as a precursor to making a purchase. Keller (2001) therefore claims that consumers who shop online are in search of reduced stress, time savings, convenience, price, and value. They are willing to navigate the Internet to find value, but are unlikely to accept the proposition that an e-commerce merchant automatically offers value.
It is also important to recognize that many e-commerce consumers fall into one of two key demographic cohorts: younger shoppers who have grown up with the Internet and older shoppers or baby-boomers nearing retirement age (Polyak, 2000). B
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