• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.283-299
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• 2011

In this paper, we draw upon Task-Technology Fit theory to investigate the fit attributes which impacted on customer preference over three virtual shopping channels which included TV home shopping, Internet shopping, and broadband applications, i.e. IPTV. The fit attributes also reflected the product category contingency, which is classified based on the degree of quality assessing difficulty on the web, such as quasi-commodity, look and feel goods, and look and feel with variable quality goods. Using the collected survey data, we employed stepwise regression analysis to validate the fit attributes in the context of performing virtual shopping task via those three distinctive media technologies. Furthermore, through ANOVA test with Duncan statistics, we reported comparative intensity of the valid fit attributes across the product categories and distinct media technologies. The results validated four critical fit attributes and significant distinctions among product categories and three virtual shopping channels. The findings provide practical insights in distribution channel design exploiting digital convergence technologies.