Differences in online shopping risk perception between urban and rural consumers in Poland

Purpose: The main objective of the paper is to analyse the risk perception in online shopping by Poles living in cities and in rural areas. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study is based on the CAWI research conducted from September 17 to September 25, 2020 on the sample of 1,115 respondents, concerning the online shopping in cities and rural areas in Poland. The frequency of online shopping and two risk factors were analyzed. Three hypotheses were verified: H1: there are no general differences between online shopping by people from cities and rural areas in Poland; H2: there are no general differences between people from cities and rural areas in Poland concerning the lack of trust risk factor and H3: there are no general differences between people from cities and rural areas in Poland concerning the lack of the ability to assess actual quality risk factor. Findings: While there are still many differences between rural areas and cities in Poland, considering the online shopping behavior and perception of risk there are no observable differences – all three hypotheses are verified positivly. Since it is the first study with such a solid statement, therefore further research is required on the subject. Practical Implications: The practical implication for the e-commerce in Poland is that e-consumers from the rural areas and cities should be treated similary, as they behave in a very similar way. Originality/value: The paper is based on own, primary research.