سنجش کیفیت خدمات الکترونیکی در هند با استفاده از E-S-QUAL Measuring electronic service quality in India using E-S-QUAL

1. Introduction The number of customers buying online is increasing every day and so is the proportionate increase in the amount spent (Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2001; 2003). E-commerce refers to business processes for buying and selling of goods and services over internet. It has been growing steadily worldwide (Fang et al., 2014; Santouridis et al., 2012; Sharma and Lijuan, 2015; Sun et al., 2015, Chang et al., 2009, Mohanty et al., 2007; Yang and Fang, 2004). Use of e-commerce is not just limited to the developed world. Using internet to buy or sell goods has become common in most developing countries including India (Kandulapati and Bellamkonda, 2014). This was not the scenario a decade back — Indians preferred the traditional way of visiting brick-and-mortar stores for almost all of their purchases/return of goods. They preferred to touch and feel products before buying. With the burgeoning growth in population of India’s tech-savvy young generation, the general interest of the buyers to scout for discounts to bring their shopping bills down, convenience, ease of use, and the propensity to buy and sell goods over internet have gained more prominence in recent years than ever before. As a result, many brick-and-mortar stores started adding an online leg to their offline operations. According to Forrester Research report, India’s online buyer population will grow at a 28 per cent compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next five years (Business Standard, 5 March, 2016). Additionally, increased usage of broadband and logistics services has further propelled more consumers to buy online. There are incredible number of e-commerce players today operating in India such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Jabong, Myntra, Fashionandyou, Shopclues, Limeroad, Pepperfry, Infibeam, AliExpress, Banggood, and many others who have seen their businesses growing at an unprecedented rate in the last few years.