Abstract
To propose an integrated conceptual framework explaining how shoppers in Tier 2 Indian cities adopt online shopping in the post-COVID-19 context. This study uses a structured review of recent theoretical and empirical work on online shopping, mobile commerce, social influence, and digital inclusion to identify key determinants and organise them in a multidimensional model. The framework highlights five domains shaping adoption: behavioural factors (habit, impulse, and planned buying), consumer characteristics (demographic and psychographic moderators), technological adoption mechanisms (perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, and motivation for mobile commerce), social influence (offline peers, virtual communities, and live commerce), and infrastructure conditions (connectivity, digital literacy, payment readiness, and logistics). Behavioural and technological factors drive intention; consumer characteristics and social influence modify and amplify these effects, while infrastructural conditions determine whether intention converts into actual use. The paper formulates propositions linking these domains and outlines a research agenda for future empirical testing using longitudinal and multi-group designs in emerging market settings. The framework can guide policymakers and practitioners in designing interventions that jointly address behavioural drivers, digital capabilities, social support, and infrastructure gaps to strengthen online shopping participation in Tier 2 cities. By combining behavioural, technological, social, and infrastructural perspectives, this study offers a holistic, post-pandemic explanation of online shopping adoption in resource-constrained yet rapidly digitised urban regions.
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