Neha Sharma: Assistant professor in marketing at Bimtech
Himanshu Sharma: Assistant professor in IT at BIMTECH
Pratibha Singh: Assistant professor in marketing at Tapmi Manipal
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands are becoming increasingly popular in India, especially in the fashion industry. While many consumers visit these websites, a large number leave without making a purchase. Most studies explain this through pricing or website-related issues. Our research looks beyond these factors and focuses on the consumer's mental experience while shopping. We examine how different challenges during the shopping journey create mental fatigue, which eventually leads consumers to postpone or avoid making a purchase.
Today's consumers are used to shopping on platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, where buying products is usually quick and convenient. Naturally, they expect the same experience from DTC brand websites. However, many DTC platforms still require extra effort. Consumers often have to compare too many similar products, deal with repeated advertisements on social media, read lengthy product information, and understand return policies before making a decision.
Previous research has mainly focused on checkout issues or cart abandonment. Very little attention has been given to what consumers actually experience throughout the shopping journey. Our study fills this gap by understanding the psychological reasons behind purchase avoidance. We first interviewed consumers to identify the common challenges they face while shopping from DTC apparel brands. We then validated these findings through a survey of 569 Indian consumers to understand how these experiences influence their buying decisions.
Key Research Findings
Our study identified three major reasons why consumers feel stressed while shopping on DTC websites.
The first is too many choices. When several brands offer similar products, consumers spend more time comparing options, making shopping tiring instead of enjoyable. The second is social media fatigue. Constant advertisements, influencer promotions, and repeated brand recommendations make consumers feel mentally exhausted even before they visit the website. The third is shopping hassles. Consumers often spend extra time checking product sizes, reading reviews, understanding return policies, and worrying about delivery or customer support.
Together, these experiences create mental fatigue. When consumers become mentally tired, they are more likely to leave the website or postpone their purchase, even if they like the product. Our research also found that frugal consumers, who carefully compare products before spending money, experience even higher levels of mental fatigue because they invest more time and effort in making the right decision. The findings show that purchase avoidance is not only caused by price or website design. A stressful shopping journey itself can discourage consumers from completing a purchase.
Conclusion
The study shows that a consumer's shopping experience plays an important role in deciding whether they complete a purchase on a DTC platform. Too many choices, continuous promotional content, and uncertainty about product information or returns gradually make consumers mentally tired, leading them to leave without buying. For DTC brands, the message is simple. Making the shopping journey easy, clear, and hassle-free can improve customer satisfaction and increase sales. Providing better product information, reducing unnecessary complexity, simplifying return policies, and avoiding excessive promotional content can help consumers make decisions with confidence.
As DTC brands continue to grow in India, understanding the psychological side of online shopping will become even more important. Our study highlights that reducing mental fatigue is just as important as offering quality products and competitive prices. A simple and enjoyable shopping experience can help brands build stronger customer relationships and encourage repeat purchases.
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