Social practices of using Online stores in consumer behavior

Akhmedova Angelina Rustamovna Assistant, Department of General Sociology and Conflictology, Altai State University 656049, Russia, Altai Territory, Barnaul, Dimitrova str., 66, room 520 axmedovaangelina@mail.ru Other publications by this author     Chukanova Tat'yana Viktorovna PhD in Sociology Associate Professor, Department of Social and Youth Policy, Altai State University 656011, Russia, Altai Krai, Barnaul, Dimitrova str., 66, office 515 chukanova@socio.asu.ru Other publications by this author     Vasilenko Irina Aleksandrovna PhD in Sociology Associate Professor; Institute of Humanities; Altai State University 66 Dimitrova str., 413 block, Barnaul, Russia, 656049 irina@plusweb.pro Other publications by this author

Mazailova Tatyana Aleksandrovna PhD in Sociology Associate Professor; Institute of Humanities; Altai State University 66 Dimitrova str., 503 block, Barnaul, Russia, 656049 socrabota@socio.asu.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

Nowadays, the modern consumer is faced with an increasing number of diverse technologies related to the purchase of goods and services, including on the Internet. Many products are available to consumers literally in one click, which has a twofold effect on consumer practices. On the one hand, it allows them to quickly meet existing requests and needs, on the other hand, it leads to impulsive purchases, the purchase of goods and services that are essentially completely unnecessary. Consequently, the development of online commerce has led to transformations and certain changes in the consumer practices of the modern citizen. The thing is that in the rural phenomenological world, shopping and online shopping are somewhat less important, while in urban phenomenological practices, the population has much more time to make such purchases.

In fact, the proliferation of online stores is not inherently bad or negative. With the right competencies, such stores are a versatile and convenient tool for purchasing goods and services from the comfort of your home. Moreover, the process of choosing goods takes place by an individual in a comfortable environment, without outside pressure from other people: sellers, sales floor workers, consultants, which is very valuable. Nevertheless, such a round-the-clock form of accessibility of all kinds of goods and services leads to the fact that an individual is literally completely immersed in the process of making purchases, as a result, the world of everyday life begins to be closely connected with the process of online shopping, visiting online stores, marketplaces, and so on. The possibility of purchasing goods at a lower price than in an offline store attracts a potential buyer, so he is a priori ready to purchase more goods and services than in the face-to-face format. All this certainly leads to some social deviations, such as shopaholism, etc.

All of the above allows us to conclude that online stores significantly influence the consumer behavior of the population, moreover, social actors feel this both on themselves and observe similar transformations around them. Another question is what the nature of this influence is, what it carries, and what consequences it can have in the short, medium, and long term. It is quite logical that uncontrolled consumption in the online format leads to materialism, to its extreme extent, which is a priori a deviation. On the other hand, online commerce and online shopping are just a convenient tool for making purchases from the comfort of your home, allowing you to simplify the lives of citizens. In fact, there are dichotomous contradictions between the beneficial effect of online stores on consumer behavior of the population and the harmful effect of online stores on consumer behavior of the population. This contradiction, as well as the transformation processes described above, determines the relevance of the research topic.

The degree of scientific elaboration of the problem. This topic has been developed in sufficient detail within the framework of modern socio-humanitarian knowledge. It is worth noting that consumer behavior is located at the junction of a number of disciplines such as sociology economics psychology, etc. Representatives of marginalism also considered the phenomenon of consumer behavior from the point of view of its individual usefulness in the life of an individual. The main authors of the concepts were K. Menger and L. Walras. From the point of view of psychological knowledge, such scientists as J. Katon, A. Tversky and others studied consumer behavior.

The phenomenon of consumer behavior was considered by representatives of foreign scientific schools. Thus, within the framework of T. Parsons' structural functionalism and R. Merton's theory of average rank, it was possible to fully characterize the essence, structure and functions of this socio-psychological phenomenon. From the point of view of J. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was able to examine the main components of consumer behavior, which are important and significant in the context of sociological knowledge. Also in his writings, J. Baudrillard considered consumer behavior from the point of view of the theory of consumer society, when interactions in this area occur due to irrational needs, in particular, to appear better and richer than other people.

The main theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of consumer behavior from the point of view of sociological knowledge were defined by V.I. Verkhovin and G.I. Sokolova. The main working definition of consumer behavior was formed by E.A. Bryantseva, and D.L. Patrushenko considered the key functions of an individual's consumer behavior in modern living conditions. At the same time, A.E. Kozyrenko identified the main functional purpose of the phenomenon of consumer behavior, and also revealed the dynamics of this process in the context of socio-economic transformations of consumer practices of modern man. In her writings, M.L. Bragina also determined the dynamics of consumer behavior from the point of view of economic sociology, and also identified key determinants that directly affect the effectiveness of consumer behavior practices.

Such scientists as E.Y. Gorshkova, S.S. Dedeneva, O.V. Zakharova, E.V. Ilyina and others studied online stores of their essence, functions and purpose. The key components of evolutionary processes in terms of the development of Online stores were considered by K.A. Gorbenko, L.I. Kakushina, Yu.A. Nosovets, and S.A. Zabara. Thus, the issue of the role of online stores in consumer behavior of the population has been considered in sufficient detail. Key methodological parameters related to these social phenomena are identified, key methodological relationships and constructs that directly affect consumer practices are identified. Nevertheless, there are no comprehensive local studies of the role of online stores in consumer behavior from the point of view of modern citizens, which explains the scientific novelty of the study.

The universality of the category of consumer behavior allows it to be considered from the point of view of economic, psychological and sociological science. Nevertheless, both economic and psychological approaches have certain disadvantages, which are eventually eliminated by sociological science. In particular, economics considers exclusively the objective side of consumer behavior. If we move into simpler categories, then the formula for considering the phenomenon of consumer behavior by economic science is as follows: how much money an individual has and what goods or services he spends them on ^[1]. Only the objective side of the issue and the resulting social interactions are considered. Moreover, economics often faces paradoxes, because an individual may have enough money, have a sufficient financial cushion, but at the same time he will not buy anything, which is typical of this affluent group. Psychological science is trying to resolve this paradox by addressing the essence of the subjective component of consumer behavior. Psychology draws attention to the condition of the individual making the purchase, what guided this individual when making the purchase, what was the dominant motive when making the purchase, and so on. The psychologization of the phenomenon of consumer behavior is not without drawbacks, since the objective essence of things is lost, for example, the income of a citizen, the population as a whole, the peculiarities of the economic and social situation in the country, and a number of other related indicators ^[2].

It is possible to successfully hybridize the objective and subjective nature of consumer behavior within the framework of a sociological approach. The thing is that within the framework of sociological knowledge, it is possible to clearly capture the objective nature of things that determine certain acts of consumer behavior, and there is also an opportunity to look at the subjective state of things, for example, the mood of an individual when buying, dominant motives, and so on. The uniqueness of the sociological approach is that by combining objective and subjective components, it is possible to identify heuristically valuable forms and variations of consumer behavior, for example, conspicuous consumption, rational consumption, consumption aimed at maximizing the savings of available resources ^[3]. Moreover, the sociological approach makes it possible to simultaneously use both quantitative methods, which are more typical of economics, and qualitative methods, which are more typical of psychological science. In fact, it turns out to be a fairly successful conglomerate that takes into account the advantages of the previously mentioned scientific disciplines, but at the same time avoids the totality of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Continuing to consider the essence of the sociological approach, it is important to identify a certain set of sociological determinants, which allows us to consider this approach as unique and the most correct. The thing is that the individual does not read that his benefit is a strict increase in the amount of resources consumed ^[4]. Often, the good is the process of competing with significant others, the opportunity to become better than them, richer than them, consume more of them, but there may not be an initial motive to increase consumption. Moreover, an individual often becomes extremely rational, choosing a certain product strictly according to the characteristics and categories of individual usefulness, regardless of possible social assessments, social races related to prestige, and so on. Only a sociological approach fully reveals the essence of the phenomenon of rationality and rational consumer behavior. The thing is that almost any act of consumption, purchase of goods and services is directly related to a system of objective parameters, for example, necessity, as well as subjective parameters, for example, the irrational desire to possess this thing ^[5].

A fairly simple and understandable example can be given in this regard. There is a certain middle-aged social subject who, on the whole, is well-off, has basic determinants of success, and does not deny himself anything, within reason. His consumer practices are strictly rationalized, and the purchase of other goods is possible only under favorable conditions, such as a holiday or a special occasion. But while walking through the mall, this subject took a liking to a soft toy, which he absolutely does not need, either by status or for any practical aspect of the activity. Nevertheless, this individual can purchase this toy, moving away from rational consumption practices. Here is a typical example of an irrational desire to possess one or another fragment of reality, although in reality there was absolutely no need to purchase this child's toy. Nevertheless, people are quite complex objects of reality, which sometimes tend to commit completely irrational acts later, trying to interpret them in one form or another ^[6].

It is impossible to ignore the fact that, as a rule, the consumer's autonomy in choosing certain goods and services is exclusively social in nature. After all, what does the choice of one thing or another consist of? From the social experience that an individual acquires in the process of socialization. Consequently, the phenomenon of individual sovereignty is conditioned by the process of socialization and social adaptation ^[7]. A person is in a state of permanent analysis and permanent reflection, which is why he monitors how other individuals like him and not like him act, after which he forms an individual trajectory for obtaining certain benefits, services, goods, and so on. Of course, reference groups have a significant impact on the process of choosing a particular product or service. The main merit of an individual's social autonomy when making purchases is that even at the stage of selecting consumption options, unnecessary options are cut off, both those that do not fit the category of utility and those that do not fit the category of price, if there are too expensive goods. Often, the orientation occurs on a set of advertising tricks, slogans that remain in the subconscious. An individual sometimes manifests them in the context of individualized social practices of going to the store or purchasing goods on marketplaces ^[8].

It is worth noting that social relationships also influence the consumer behavior of individuals. Individuals tend to purchase those goods and services for which there is the highest level of trust. This indicator can be increased by the use of this product by representatives of opinion leaders or close people of this individual. Moreover, every person is born into a certain cultural environment in which the purchase of some goods is encouraged, while other goods of all kinds are prohibited. Therefore, the institutionalization of consumer behavior practices occurs under the influence of a cultural factor, namely the category of decency. Obviously, consumption practices in the Altai Territory will differ markedly from consumption practices in the Republic of Chechnya. Moreover, the differences will manifest themselves both in the purchase of clothing, and in the purchase of food, as well as other durable goods. The whole set of economic indicators reflecting the nature of consumer behavior, as a rule, manifests itself in a fairly short period, while the individual's income coefficients and consumption practices may not have a linear correlation, but may not correlate at all, especially if the individual leads, for example, an ascetic lifestyle. But the opportunity to characterize consumer behavior in the medium and long term implies the use of a combination of sociological and socio-psychological components that will allow us to discover significant connections and isolate essential elements in this particular socio-cultural continuum.

So, let's summarize all of the above. The sociological features of reflection on consumer behavior are based on a set of psychological, economic, and sociological determinants, which makes it possible to form the final components of a product's choice. On the one hand, the description of consumer behavior practices is based on an analysis of price, purchasing power, and the degree of individual usefulness of the product. On the other hand, consumer behavior is based on a system of desires and motives related to the acquisition of a particular thing. Consumer behavior is also associated with the peculiarities of an individual's social status, his basic cultural foundations, value foundations, as well as the phenomenon of social continuity, and it does not matter which kind of continuity is being discussed: intergenerational or factual.

Methodology and research methods

The main methods of collecting empirical data are a focus group as a qualitative method, as well as a questionnaire in the form of a mass survey as a quantitative method. The need to apply quantitative and qualitative methods is due to the research necessity, due to the fact that it is necessary to collect a significant amount of empirical data in a relatively short time, and in addition, to solve the previously proposed tasks, as well as confirm or refute hypotheses. Also, the combination of the two methods increases the heuristic potential of sociological research. The focus group allows us to find out the essential features of social practices of using online stores, as well as the impact of these practices on consumer behavior. As part of the focus groups, it was possible to find out the main mechanisms of demand formation for such platforms, the key features of online trading platforms, and also to characterize those groups of goods that will never go to online platforms. The results collected as a result of the focus group will be used later in the analysis of the problem situation. It is important to characterize the main advantages of the focus group as a method of collecting empirical qualitative data. Firstly, data collection is carried out at a fairly high speed, a fairly wide audience is reached, the respondents' answers are detailed and complete, the interviewer has the opportunity to ask clarifying questions, as a rule, in the free reasoning of the focus group participant, one can draw out research elements that have a high heuristic and innovative potential for the entire study. Since there is no pressure on the participant of the focus group, he is free to express his position as he wants, even if the opinion of this participant is radically different from the generally accepted opinion. The quotes received from the focus group are usually accurate and succinct. At the same time, the focus group as a method of sociological research has a number of disadvantages, for example, it takes quite a lot of time for both the interviewer and the respondent, and secondly, the interviewer effect can play a negative role, especially if the researcher's competencies leave much to be desired.

The survey as a quantitative method of collecting empirical information was conducted in two forms, namely: face-to-face and online questionnaires. The combination of two methods of implementing the questionnaire method made it possible to collect the results extremely quickly, as well as quickly enter them into the database and begin processing. The survey is aimed at characterizing objective and subjective consumer behavior in the context of the implementation of social practices on online platforms. The questionnaire is a universal method of obtaining information, this method has a number of important advantages. For example, a questionnaire allows you to obtain comprehensive information on a specific issue with minimal time. Due to the fact that the questionnaire itself is anonymous, you can count on the sincerity of the respondent. In the case of the online questionnaire form, no financial costs are required to conduct it. But there are also a number of disadvantages to the questionnaire, for example, the questionnaire questions do not always allow to fully reveal the essence of the problem under study, and face-to-face questioning requires a lot of time and financial resources from the researcher. Moreover, in face-to-face questioning, the interviewer's effect can play a negative role, it all depends on his competence. Often, the questionnaire is filled out without the help of an interviewer, so there remains the possibility that the respondent will interpret certain questions in a different sense, which will lead to a distortion of the data obtained. The combined use of quantitative and qualitative methods will, on the one hand, eliminate the disadvantages of each method to one degree or another, and, on the other hand, increase the heuristic potential of the study and make it logically complete and complete.

The general population of this study includes all residents of the city of Barnaul. According to the Altaykraistat website, 632,372 people currently live in Barnaul.

The sample set of this study will be based on the principle of quota sampling with elements of spontaneous selection within each quota. The main quotas for the selection of respondents were gender and age. There were 5 age groups from 18 to 65 years old, in each of which 50 respondents were selected for the questionnaire, and the number of women and men surveyed was equal in each age group. It is also worth noting that 5 respondents were selected for the focus group, 1 representative from each age group. A total of 250 respondents were selected for the survey, and 5 respondents for the focus group, for a total of 255 respondents. Within certain quotas, respondents were randomly selected based on the principle of accessibility.

In this study, the main data collection tools are a questionnaire and a focus group form. The form consists of an introductory part, consisting of a greeting, an explanation of the purpose of the event and the rules of conduct; the main part, consisting of ten questions divided into three blocks according to operationalization; and the final part, which summarizes the preliminary results of the in-depth interview by the participants themselves and expresses gratitude for their participation. The first block is devoted to the practical experience of interacting with online platforms, the second block is devoted to the objective, and the third block is devoted to the objective component of consumer behavior. The data collected during the research is recorded on a dictaphone, the total time of conducting fourteen in-depth interviews is 112 minutes.

The second empirical data collection tool is a questionnaire. It is worth noting that the questionnaire consists of an introduction explaining the rules for completing the questionnaire, as well as the purpose of the survey, instructions, and 26 questions divided into three operationalization blocks. The operationalization blocks of the questionnaire and focus groups corresponded with each other, which increases the overall heuristic potential of the entire sociological study. The passport consists of three questions, which will include the respondent's gender, the respondent's age, and the respondent's level of education.

Thus, a methodology has been developed for the sociological study of the social practice of using online stores in consumer behavior. The analysis of the problematic situation revealed that this topic is quite relevant and insufficiently studied both from the point of view of theoretical and empirical levels of sociological knowledge. The sample consisted of 255 residents of Barnaul, of whom 5 were participants in the focus group, the rest were participants in a mass survey. The operationalization and interpretation of the basic concepts has been carried out, a questionnaire for conducting a survey, focus group questions and a focus group guide have also been developed.

Analysis of the results

To begin describing the results of a sociological study of the social practices of using online stores in consumer behavior, it is necessary to characterize the respondents' experience of interacting with online platforms for the sale of goods and services. First of all, let's look at whether respondents use online stores. The focus group participants noted: "Now most people use online stores in one way or another, because it is fast, convenient and allows them to make a purchase without leaving home," "The population is actively mastering the practice of selling online goods through the use of online platforms for the purchase of these very goods." It should be noted that 92% of the surveyed respondents use online stores, therefore, this practice is widespread among the population.

So, to the question "How often do you use online stores?" – the following responses were received. Every fifth respondent uses the services of online trading platforms on a daily basis – 20%, while 17% of respondents use online stores several times a week, and 36% of respondents use online stores several times a month. It is worth paying attention to the fact that 18% of respondents use online stores about once a month, one in twenty respondents uses online stores about once every three months, and 4% of respondents, in fact, an absolute minority, use online stores about once every six months. Consequently, the practices of using online stores are not only extremely common, but also often implemented.

Also, the social practices of using online stores in consumer behavior are reflected in the groups of goods that are purchased on the sites of online stores and marketplaces. For example, some product groups have been regularly purchased on online platforms, as it is more convenient and faster. However, many product groups continue to be purchased in classic offline stores. The focus group participants noted: "As a rule, the population purchases electronics, leisure goods, often tools, books, stationery and entertainment on the Internet.", "Most of my friends purchase souvenirs and gifts at online store sites, and less often they buy groceries and goods for personal housekeeping."

So, to answer the question "What groups of products do you purchase on the sites of the online store?" – the following responses were received. A minority of the surveyed respondents purchase food from online store sites, since products have a limited shelf life, and the marketplace cannot always deliver them promptly to the consumer on time - 6%. At the same time, almost every third respondent regularly purchases construction goods – 32%, and 55% of respondents regularly purchase electronics on marketplaces. Respondents are slightly less likely to purchase leisure goods – 41%, as well as tools – 28%, while goods for cottages and personal subsidiary farms are purchased noticeably less often, since the population prefers to choose these categories of goods live rather than focusing on customer reviews – 14% (see Figure 1). One in four The surveyed respondent prefers to purchase entertainment-related goods on websites and online stores, 41% of respondents regularly purchase books and stationery, and 72% of respondents purchase souvenirs and gifts: "On many Internet sites it is noticeably cheaper to purchase souvenirs or gifts for relatives and friends than in traditional offline stores.. It seems to me that it's all about noticeably lower costs...".

Fig. 1. Distribution of respondents' responses to the question "Which groups of goods do you purchase on the sites of the online store?", %.

Next, let's pay attention to the social practices of purchasing goods and services. The thing is that, based on how often an individual makes purchases in a particular place, it is possible to judge the degree of integration of online stores into the lives of individuals. The focus group participants noted: "Food is usually purchased in traditional stores, but things, some tools, and electronics are often ordered from marketplaces," "All perishable products are purchased in regular stores, and they also purchase goods that are needed here and now, while online stores purchase goods that are not urgently needed, as well as items of clothing, shoes, and so on."

Focus group participants noted that since order pick-up points began to actively spread, the practice of purchasing goods and services in online stores has become more frequent. The participants also noted: "Many of my friends have been purchasing goods and services online for several years," "I ordered many goods online for my first child, and he is already five years old. Accordingly, I also order goods exclusively online for my second child."

So, the following answers were received to the question "How long have you been using online stores to purchase goods and services?" Only 2% of the surveyed respondents have just started using online stores to purchase goods and services, and these are people, as a rule, over retirement age. It should be noted that 1% of the respondents use online stores to purchase goods and services for only 2 weeks, and 3% of the respondents have already been using online stores for a month. One in ten respondents uses online stores to purchase goods or services for three months (10%), while 13% of respondents use online stores to purchase goods and services for six months, and 20% of respondents use online stores to purchase goods and services for a year. The majority of respondents, namely 40%, have been using online stores to purchase goods and services for more than two years, and almost every tenth respondent has been using online stores to purchase goods and services for two years - 11%. Consequently, the social practices of using online stores have already become firmly established in the everyday life of the population, which is why they can be fully considered as elements of influence on consumer practices, as well as as components of the transformation of consumer practices (see Fig.2).

Fig. 2. Distribution of respondents' responses to the question "How long have you been using online stores to purchase goods and services?", %.

Next, let's look at exactly how individuals came to use online stores on an ongoing basis, within the framework of their own phenomenological practices. The focus group participants noted: "It is almost impossible not to come to the practice of using online stores. The thing is that online commerce is actively advertised, actively used by citizens in daily activities, and so on." "The age strata of the population are taught all the basic wisdom of using online stores by their children, and these children themselves either began to use online stores on their own, or on the advice of friends or advertising began to use online - shops."

Next, let's look at whether the online store is able to fully satisfy the needs of consumers. The focus group participants noted: "It seems to me that the online store is already able to meet most of the needs and requests of an individual. In any case, in terms of goods without an expiration date, that's for sure.", "It seems to me that currently in developed cities online stores are able to meet all possible needs and requests, because there is already a delivery of fresh food, all kinds of products and other goods, of course, such abundance helps to satisfy requests for goods and services."

So, to the question "Do you think an online store is capable of meeting all your requests for goods and services?" – the following responses were received. The majority of respondents noted that online stores are more likely to be unable to meet all requests and needs in relation to goods and services - 48%. The population is quite skeptical about the practices of using online stores, since they have not yet become firmly embedded in the social practices of purchasing goods and services. At the same time, 8% of the surveyed respondents note that the online store is definitely not able to satisfy all requests for goods and services. It is noteworthy that there is a fairly significant number of representatives of modern citizens who, in general, note that online stores are more likely to be able to satisfy all basic requests for goods and services - 27%, and 17% of respondents, almost every fifth respondent, noted that online stores They are definitely able to satisfy all requests for goods and services. Within the framework of consumer practices of citizens, online stores have already occupied a fairly significant place, accounting, on average, for at least a third of the total turnover of a citizen. Of course, this state of affairs affects overall consumer activity, the specifics of choosing goods and services, as well as key criteria for choosing goods and services.

Next, let's pay attention to the social aspect of the practices of purchasing goods in online stores, namely the presence of acquaintances and friends who shop online. In general, the more friends, acquaintances, and companions make purchases using the Internet, the more likely it is that an individual will also make purchases online. Acquaintances and friends will constantly share information with a person about what cheap and high-quality goods they purchased in an online store. Eventually, this individual will use the services of online stores to the fullest extent. The focus group participants noted: "The practice of purchasing goods and services via the Internet is quite common among young people, so I can say that among my friends there are also a lot of people who make purchases and purchase goods online," "Although I am a pensioner, I am my children, and my friends, their children, were hooked on these marketplaces. I regularly buy certain household goods, for fishing, which is very convenient, and I can choose gifts for my grandchildren..."

So, to the question "Are there many acquaintances and friends in your circle who regularly purchase goods online?" – The following responses were received from the respondents. Almost half of the respondents noted that there are a lot of acquaintances in their circle who regularly purchase goods online – 47%, while 19% of respondents, almost every fifth respondent noted that there are a couple of three people among their acquaintances, and 24% of respondents have one or two acquaintances who regularly purchase products on the Internet. Moreover, attention should be paid to the fact that young people have the largest number of acquaintances who purchase goods on the Internet, while older people have noticeably fewer acquaintances, friends and comrades who purchase goods on the Internet. This is not least due to the conservative traditions of the boomer generation, although generation X and generation Y are already moving away from these traditions in full. One in ten respondents did not have any acquaintances and friends who regularly purchase goods on the Internet – 10%. As a rule, these are extremely elderly people who are skeptical about any manifestations of modern technology, including online trading (see Fig.3).

Fig.3. Distribution of respondents' responses to the question "Are there many acquaintances and friends in your circle who regularly purchase goods online?", %.

Let's pay attention to the respondents' answers as to whether online stores are a full-fledged alternative to traditional stores. Nevertheless, there are a number of factors that prevent online stores from being considered a full-fledged alternative to traditional stores, among such factors are: the need to view and check certain categories of goods live before buying, consumer preferences about purchasing goods and services live, the need for the help of a consultant in one case or another, is also sometimes important efficiency, that is, to buy goods here and now, but it is not always possible. The participants of the focus group noted: "It is important for me to be consulted before buying, to be told which product should be purchased, and which product should be refused. This is especially true in areas where I do not understand," "I have been building houses for many years. So it turns out that building materials are needed in principle here and now. Of course, I'm not ready to wait a few days, much less weeks, for a certain product or service to be delivered to me."

So, to the question "Do you think online shopping is a full-fledged alternative to traditional shopping?" – the following responses were received. The majority of respondents agree that online shopping is rather not a full–fledged alternative to traditional stores - 52%, while 34% of respondents, almost every third respondent is convinced that online shopping is definitely not a full-fledged alternative to traditional stores. Only 4% of respondents are convinced that online shopping is definitely a full-fledged alternative to traditional stores, while one in ten respondents believes that online shopping is more likely to be a full-fledged alternative to traditional stores – 10%. Moreover, young people under the age of 30 are the most progressive, while all respondents aged 30 and older are more conservative. This is due to the peculiarities of the worldview of generations of zoomers, mellinials and other generations.

An additional aspect that suggests that online stores have not become a full-fledged alternative to traditional stores is the following fact. The thing is that the population, if it is possible to buy the same thing in a store or on an online platform for the same price and on the same terms of purchase, would prefer a traditional store in 95% of cases rather than an online store. Consequently, respondents, regardless of age, trust and use traditional stores to a greater extent in the old-fashioned way, especially if it is possible to purchase the same thing for the same price. Nevertheless, traditional forms of offline trading have a set of certain advantages that determine this choice of respondents.

Research interest is aroused by the fact that consumer tastes change markedly after the population began to actively use online stores. The thing is that a person receives a larger number of similar products designed to meet their needs in one volume or another format. Of course, such accessibility of everything and everything contributes to some kind of change and certain transformations, the dynamics of consumer tastes due to the presence of practices of using online stores. The focus group participants noted: "Of course, such a variety of goods and services as in online stores contributes to changes and transformations of consumer tastes, and more than noticeably," "I personally felt the changes in my tastes, both in food and clothing, as well as in preferences in terms of recreation and so on."

So, to the question "Have your consumer tastes changed after you started using online stores?" – the following responses were received. More than a third of the surveyed respondents noted that their consumer tastes definitely changed after they started using online stores - 37%, while 40% of the surveyed respondents noted that consumer tastes rather changed after they started using online stores. It is worth noting that one in five respondents noted that consumer tastes did not change after they started using online stores - 20%, and 3% of respondents, in fact, an absolute minority, did not notice a change in consumer tastes after they started using online stores (see table 1).

Table 1. Distribution of respondents' responses to the question "Have your consumer tastes changed after you started using online stores?", %.

The above conclusions are confirmed by the fact that the majority of respondents began to order those goods and services that they had not previously known about. And it was thanks to the advent of online stores that it became possible to order goods and services of this kind. The focus group participants noted: "I personally began to order completely different items of clothing, shoes, as well as completely different food products compared to the recent past. Therefore, I can confidently say that online stores definitely affect not only consumer behavior, but also consumer habits," "It seems to me that anyone who is faced with such a variety of goods and services will seek to purchase them for personal use."

So, to the question "Did you start ordering those goods and services that you didn't know about before, thanks to the advent of online stores?" the following answers were received. One in ten respondents noted that there are quite a lot of such goods, which individuals began to order after the online store became freely available - 10%. At the same time, 18% of the respondents surveyed, and almost one in five noted that, yes, there were several types of goods that had not been ordered before, but were now being purchased as usual. At the same time, 50% of the surveyed respondents, in fact half of the respondents, noted that there are absolutely not many such goods, or to be precise, there are units of such goods that began to be ordered only after the advent of online stores. More than a fifth of the surveyed respondents noted that there are practically no such products in use – 22%. Despite the significant part of those respondents who did not have new products in their consumer basket, it is impossible to deny the fact that many goods and services began to be purchased by people only because they found out about them. Examples include various multifunctional oxygen cleaners, certain household products such as steam mops, and so on. Accordingly, the greater the abundance of goods offered to an individual in the framework of online trading, the more goods he begins to desire for personal purchase. Moreover, if there were no such needs before, then due to the presence of a certain diversity, such needs appear (see Fig.4).

Fig.4. Distribution of respondents' responses to the question "Did you start ordering those goods and services that you didn't know about before due to the advent of online stores?", %.

Online stores owe their popularity to a combination of factors. Firstly, it is the availability of goods and services at any time of the day or night, as well as on any day of the week. Secondly, it is the convenience of using online stores, since an individual gets into an interactively understandable interface, where he already successfully travels through the expanses of an online mega-market. Thirdly, the availability of various forms of payment, including various loans of payment forms, only increase the popularity of online stores, as well as contribute to an increase in the convenience of their work. The focus group participants noted: "For me, using online stores is a very convenient resource for purchasing various goods and services, I can quickly, without unnecessary paperwork, purchase the product I am interested in, while waiting for home delivery," "It seems to me that online stores have a lot of amenities, which ultimately affects the individual's lifestyle he devotes more time to online trading services, as well as those services that are interconnected with them."

Based on the conducted empirical research, the following recommendations were formulated.

1. Given the fact that the population of Barnaul often spends significantly more money visiting online stores than originally planned, it is necessary to make a list of important things that need to be bought and viewed for a potential purchase of only these things, without being distracted by anything else.

2. To prevent excessive spending of money in online stores, it is necessary to control the time spent on such online resources, especially if visiting an online store is a form of leisure. It is important to devote no more than 15 minutes a day to the online store, and spend no more than 5 minutes of time in one visit, which will avoid impulsive purchases.

3. Among people of retirement and pre-retirement age, the practice of using online stores is quite rare, in fact, forced. This state of affairs is due to the skeptical attitude of older people towards online commerce. It is necessary to develop pamphlets together with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Altai Territory, as well as with design students of Altai State University, to help reduce the level of skepticism of older people towards online commerce.

Conclusion

A sociological study of the social practices of using online stores in consumer behavior was conducted. By identifying the objective side of consumer behavior, the subjective side of consumer behavior, and the social experience of using online stores, it was possible to examine the social practices of using online stores in consumer behavior. Moreover, to identify both the objectively positive sides of such social practices and the negative sides of such social practices.

The analysis of social practices of using online stores in consumer behavior should begin with the disclosure of the practical experience of interaction between the respondent and the online shopping system. The vast majority of respondents use online shopping on a regular basis due to the fact that it is convenient, fast and does not require leaving home. As a rule, respondents use the services of an online store several times a month, and a fifth of Barnaul residents use online stores literally every day. The main groups of goods that respondents purchase in online stores are souvenirs and gifts, as well as electronics, leisure goods, books, stationery, and construction goods. Various entertainment options, as well as goods for cottages and private households, are noticeably less popular due to the generational characteristics of the target audience of these products. Products are practically not popular, since their potentially rapid expiration date does not allow respondents to fully enjoy all the advantages of online stores.

Despite the presence of a number of indisputable advantages of online stores, the population is more likely to purchase goods and services in traditional offline stores than in online stores. At the same time, only one in three respondents purchases goods equally often both in offline and online stores. The purchase of goods in online stores for the population is not an innovation. The thing is that over the past few years, the practice of purchasing goods in online format has become increasingly common. Therefore, the population is quite actively purchasing goods in online stores. The majority of respondents of different ages have been using online stores for a long time to purchase goods and services, namely for more than two years. The vast majority of respondents have been using online stores to purchase goods and services for at least more than one year. In principle, the introduction of online shopping practices takes place in an evolutionary way.: 40% of respondents come to this by themselves, and 30% of respondents come to purchase goods online through advertising or media reports, noticeably fewer people are interested in purchasing goods in online stores thanks to the advice of acquaintances or friends.

In the social practices of using online stores, respondents identify a number of advantages. Thus, the main advantages are the following aspects: prices are lower compared to offline stores, respondents have access to more goods and services, in addition, it becomes possible to choose products in a relaxed environment, without the pressure of sales consultants. For half of the respondents surveyed, it is important to have the opportunity to return the product if it does not fit, as well as the opportunity to purchase goods at any time. At the same time, the practices of using online stores are not without drawbacks. In particular, we are talking about the following aspects: often the product arrives defective and unusable, consumers often encounter fictitious promotions and offers, in addition, there is no way to view and test the product before buying, and money is spent noticeably more than originally planned. In the structure of a modern person's budget, online stores confidently account for about a quarter of monthly income. Moreover, these are not purchases without any purpose, they are a form of transformation of consumer practices of certain product groups from offline to online platforms. Moreover, there are respondents who spend absolutely most of their income on online shopping.

Due to a number of disadvantages of online stores, they are not fully capable of meeting all possible requests and needs for individual goods and services. Regardless of the form of purchase of goods, the most important and significant aspects are the price of the goods and the quality of the goods. Such components as the ability to exchange the purchased product, the availability of a guarantee, as well as the ability to exchange the purchased product fade into the background. Purchases in online stores are associated with positive emotions for the majority of respondents, they perceive the possibility and practice of making online purchases absolutely positively. Most of the surveyed respondents have a lot of acquaintances and friends in their social circle who actively purchase various groups of goods on the Internet. At the same time, it cannot be argued that online stores have become a full-fledged alternative to online stores, since the absolute majority of respondents, all other things being equal, would prefer an online store, moreover, 86% of respondents do not consider online stores to be a full-fledged alternative to traditional stores.

An important and significant disadvantage of online stores is the fact that the population spends significantly more money than planned in advance. Due to a number of phenomenological features of spending money, namely the lack of cash, the lack of an accurate card balance in front of your eyes, the lack of a specific action that anticipates the debit of card funds – all this creates the psychological illusion that goods are available for almost free, respectively, you can purchase a noticeably larger number of goods and services than originally planned. Moreover, for the majority of respondents, visiting online stores is a form of leisure, which means that time flies very quickly, and accordingly, more purchases are made than in a traditional offline store. Accordingly, the practices of using online stores lead to some changes and transformations of consumer tastes, which ultimately change all possible consumer practices of the population. The above conclusions are confirmed by the fact that the majority of respondents began to order those goods and services that they had not previously known about. And it was thanks to the advent of online stores that it became possible to order goods and services of this kind. With the advent of online stores, the population began to order more goods and services that they had not previously known about. Of course, online shopping is considered by modern citizens to be definitely a convenient shopping tool, but at the same time, the traditional offline store does not lose its relevance.