AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ONLINE PURCHASING BEHAVIOR OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN ACCRA GRACE MWINTERO JOHNSON

ABSTRACT The desire for convenience in performing ones shopping tasks has mounted shedding more light on alternative shopping methods such as the use of the Internet for buying goods and services (online shopping). The purpose of this research is to find out factors influencing student‘s online shopping behavior. Questionnaires numbering 150 were distributed among students of Ashesi University, University of Ghana and Ghana Institute of management and Professional Studies and the response rate was a notable 100%. The findings of the study show that 100% of populace are familiar with the Internet and use it very often. The results of the research show that, regardless of the widespread use of Internet in Ghana, the use of E-commerce is still notably low. However, only 39% of study population shop online. Some of the main reasons why students shop online are: because there is variety online, it is quick and easy and they are able to compare prices. Another main concern of students who shop online was that they did not have access to debit or credit cards that enable them to shop online. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to examine students‘ behavioral intention to patronize online stores. It was noted that ‗intention to use‘, ‗trust‘, and ‗perceive ease of use‘ have more effect on students‘ willingness to shop online rather than ‗usefulness‘