Are the Time-Poor Willing to Pay More for Online Grocery Services? When ‘No’ Means ‘Yes’

This paper investigates consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for click-and-collect grocery services. In particular, we analyze whether the time-pressed are willing higher fees. We exploit a survey among 572 customers of two Belgian supermarket chains—both users and non-users. test our model three (increasingly narrow) samples: all respondents, respondents with non-zero WTP, current users. Our key finding relates latter sample. Surprisingly, if use WTP measure put forward in literature, answer research question is ‘no’: find no significant relationship between users’ perceived time pressure maximum service cost per order they pay. However, on closer scrutiny this ‘no’ fact means ‘yes’: implies that face increasing fees maintain their current, frequency as long other The total incur over given period thus higher. said, absence does limit opportunities e-grocers price discriminate, suggested literature. A further complication clear pattern specific slots.