E-Commerce Shopping Diary Study: 14-Day Behavioral Log

Welcome to this 14-day online shopping diary study. Over the next two weeks, you will complete 3 brief entries — each logged shortly after a real online shopping session (browsing or purchasing). Each entry takes approximately 15 minutes. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers — we are interested only in your honest experiences. All responses are confidential and will be reported in aggregate for research purposes. Please be specific and describe what actually happened. Avoid hypothetical scenarios.

In the last 30 days, approximately how many times did you shop online (browsing or purchasing)?

• 0 times
• 1-2 times
• 3-5 times
• 6-9 times
• 10+ times

Which product categories do you typically shop for online? Select all that apply.

• Groceries
• Electronics
• Fashion and apparel
• Home and DIY
• Beauty and personal care
• Digital subscriptions or services
• Sports and outdoors
• Toys and baby
• Books and media
• Other (please specify)

Entry 1: Please describe a real online shopping session from today or this week. Focus on what actually happened.

When did this shopping session occur?

• Today
• Yesterday
• 2-3 days ago
• 4-7 days ago
• More than a week ago

What prompted this shopping session, and what were you trying to accomplish?

Where were you during this session?

• At home
• At work
• Public place (e.g., café, library)
• Commuting
• In a physical store
• Outdoors
• Other (please specify)

Approximately how long did this session take?

• Under 5 minutes
• 5-15 minutes
• 15-30 minutes
• 30-60 minutes
• Over 1 hour

Briefly describe the key steps you took during this session, including any obstacles or friction you encountered.

Which of the following issues, if any, did you encounter during this session? Select all that apply.

• None
• Slow site or app performance
• Confusing navigation
• Out-of-stock or sizing issues
• Unclear fees or taxes
• Payment or card problems
• Account or login trouble
• Other (please specify)

Overall, how satisfied were you with this shopping session?

How easy or difficult was it to complete what you set out to do?

Entry 2: Please describe another real online shopping session from a different day. Focus on what actually happened.

When did this shopping session occur?

• Today
• Yesterday
• 2-3 days ago
• 4-7 days ago
• More than a week ago

What prompted this shopping session, and what were you trying to accomplish?

Where were you during this session?

• At home
• At work
• Public place (e.g., café, library)
• Commuting
• In a physical store
• Outdoors
• Other (please specify)

Approximately how long did this session take?

• Under 5 minutes
• 5-15 minutes
• 15-30 minutes
• 30-60 minutes
• Over 1 hour

Briefly describe the key steps you took during this session, including any obstacles or friction you encountered.

Which of the following issues, if any, did you encounter during this session? Select all that apply.

• None
• Slow site or app performance
• Confusing navigation
• Out-of-stock or sizing issues
• Unclear fees or taxes
• Payment or card problems
• Account or login trouble
• Other (please specify)

Overall, how satisfied were you with this shopping session?

How easy or difficult was it to complete what you set out to do?

Entry 3: Please describe one more real online shopping session to complete your diary. Focus on what actually happened.

When did this shopping session occur?

• Today
• Yesterday
• 2-3 days ago
• 4-7 days ago
• More than a week ago

What prompted this shopping session, and what were you trying to accomplish?

Where were you during this session?

• At home
• At work
• Public place (e.g., café, library)
• Commuting
• In a physical store
• Outdoors
• Other (please specify)

Approximately how long did this session take?

• Under 5 minutes
• 5-15 minutes
• 15-30 minutes
• 30-60 minutes
• Over 1 hour

Briefly describe the key steps you took during this session, including any obstacles or friction you encountered.

Which of the following issues, if any, did you encounter during this session? Select all that apply.

• None
• Slow site or app performance
• Confusing navigation
• Out-of-stock or sizing issues
• Unclear fees or taxes
• Payment or card problems
• Account or login trouble
• Other (please specify)

Overall, how satisfied were you with this shopping session?

How easy or difficult was it to complete what you set out to do?

Looking across all three sessions, rank the factors that most influenced your shopping decisions.

1. Price or value
2. Shipping speed or cost
3. Product details and images
4. Customer reviews or ratings
5. Brand trust
6. Return or refund policy

Looking across all three of your diary entries, what patterns or recurring themes did you notice in your online shopping experiences?

Based on your diary entries, please share any additional thoughts or reflections about your online shopping experiences.

What is your age range?

• 18-24
• 25-34
• 35-44
• 45-54
• 55-64
• 65+
• Prefer not to say

What is your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer to self-describe
• Prefer not to say

What country or region do you live in?

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Australia
• Germany
• France
• India
• Brazil
• Japan
• Other (please specify)

Thank you for completing this diary study! Your responses have been recorded and will help us understand real online shopping experiences. You may now close this window.