Deriving and Comparing Hierarchical Value Map for a Highly Involved Product in Virtual and Traditional Market

Abstract

This study aims to outline the reasons behind the behavior of those customers buying laptop from virtual and traditional market, through deriving hierarchical value map (HVM) using means-end theory. Data was gathered from 40 students using laddering interview. Twenty students had online shopping experiences and had more trust to E-stores and twenty others had more trust and experience buying from traditional stores. Using content analysis, 6 attributes, 13 consequences, and 5 values for the online stores, and 7 attributes, 16 consequences and 5 values for the traditional store were derived. At the next step aggregated Hierarchical Value Map (HVM) was depicted for each market. Regarding the virtual store map, the following linkage “possibility of creating a personal profile- customization- unique offers- discount-being valuable" and regarding the traditional value map the following links “bargaining- influencing the price- economization- putting resources to other use- more comfort" have shown to have the most associations among the interviewees.