Utilitarian motivations in online consumption: Dimensional structure and scales

•We delimit a full structure for the utilitarian motivations in online consumption.•Measurement scales are proposed for every utilitarian motivation.•Qualitative analyses are applied to purify a full structure of motivations.•Confirmatory analyses are applied to validate motivational structure and scales.•We conclude a nine-dimension utilitarian motivational structure for online consumption.

To date, the utilitarian benefits of online consumption have only been partially investigated. This study undertakes an exhaustive approach to fully delimit the dimensional structure related to the utilitarian motivations for online consumption. First, an in-depth literature review is carried out, in order to allow the proposal of an aprioristic base structure of eleven categories of utilitarian motivations. Next, qualitative analyses (focus groups and personal interviews) are applied to assess and eventually refine the structure of utilitarian motivations proposed after the literature review, their labels and respective measurement scales. Finally, this qualitative phase concludes with ten motivational categories and 46 items. Then, quantitative analyses (exploratory and detailed confirmatory factor analyses) are applied, based on a questionnaire administered to a sample of 667 Internet users, to keep refining and to eventually validate both the dimensional structure of motivations and the related measurement scales. Finally, a structure of 9 utilitarian motivations (and corresponding set of 36 items) is established, with the following labels: assortment, economy, convenience, availability of information, adaptability/customization, desire for control, payment services, anonymity, and absence of social interaction. The nomological validity of this structure is satisfactorily tested using a second-order factor model. The article finishes by discussing some implications for practitioners.