Barriers to Online Shopping Revisited - Does Consumer Reluctance to Shop on the Web Persist in Times of Web 2.0?

With the proclamation of the next generation of the Internet (Web 2.0), questions arise as to whether acceptance of the web as a shopping channel has increased and whether 2.0-consumers behave and shop differently on the web. This paper focuses on revisiting the underlying motivational factors that inhibit consumers from online purchasing in times of the Web 2.0 internet era, based on a review of current literature and the empirical findings of a survey among Internet users in Switzerland. Three distinct barriers still remain today. Yet, compared to prior data, the online channel itself does no longer significantly inhibit consumers from buying on the web. Implications for the management of the online channel for retailers are derived.