Why do people shop together around the same screen?

Abstract

Purpose Increasingly, consumers shopping online are not doing so alone. This paper aims to identify motivations for and barriers to shopping together with relatives or friends on the same screen. Design/methodology/approach This study proposes an interdisciplinary theoretical framework investigating “sharing” and related commercial practices. It adopts an exploratory qualitative methodology as the phenomenon of screen sharing has not been widely investigated in prior consumer behavior literature. Findings Social and utilitarian motives elicit joint shopping in stores and collaborative consumption. This study reveals a third motive, related to the need for control, that drives shopping on the same screen. Screen sharing can increase efficiency, social bonds and control, due to the transparent presentation of information on the screen, but it also can cause inefficiency, social tension and struggle for control over the device. Research limitations/implications Screen-sharing motives reflect different logics for sharing: distribution (use with), communication (discuss with) and collaboration (control with). Defining further antecedents and consequences of joint shopping on the same screen represents relevant goals for further research. Practical implications By adapting their online platforms, brands can provide more agreeable, efficient and empowering experiences to screen-sharing shoppers, and thus gain competitive advantages. Originality/value Marketers generally assume online shoppers are alone at their screens, but in practice, many of them are often browsing together. Especially for families confined together at home, shopping together online constitutes a common practice.