As the revenues from online sales continued to grow significantly researchers identified different types of online shoppers, Rohm & Swaninathan identified four categories and named them "convenience shoppers, variety seekers, balanced buyers, and store-oriented shoppers".
They focused on shopping motivations and found that the variety of products available and the perceived convenience of the buying online experience were significant motivating factors.
This was different for offline shoppers, who were more motivated by time saving and recreational motives.