Contemporary American teens are the first generation to grow up exposed to both the Internet and the mall as shopping channel choices.  Thus, they are potentially aware of how to be consumers in each shopping venue.  Furthermore, the consumer habits formed in adolescence are likely kept as one enters the high spending years of young adulthood.  Both mall and Internet retailers must attract consumers during their developmental adolescent years.  This can ensure that a developing consumer becomes and remains a mall or Internet shopper in the midst of multiple shopping channel choices.  Therefore, we ask: What are the socialization factors that influence a young consumer’s choice to shop and purchase via the mall or the Internet? 

To address this issue, we apply the consumer socialization (CS) perspective.  CS is the process by which young people acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to become functioning consumers in the marketplace (Ward 1974).  According to this perspective, the life-cycle position (LCP) of the individual (or point in the consumer development process) influences his or her propensity to interact with various socialization agents (family, peers), and the young consumer thereby acquire values and behaviors necessary to perform a given consumer role (Moschis and Churchill 1978).  Thus, this perspective suggests that a consumer’s behavior is acquired through interactions with various agents in specific settings. 

Our general research question is investigated via a survey given to high school students.  The results indicate that there are five significantly influential CS factors for both the mall and the Internet.  First, the strongest finding is that involvement with either the mall or the Internet as a shopping channel has a heavy influence on the following: communication with socialization agents (both peer and family) about shopping and purchasing in a channel, money spent purchasing in a channel, time spent shopping in a channel, and intentions to shop and purchase in a channel in the future.  The second factor we note for both channels is that access to a shopping channel increases the amount of agent (peer and family) communication about shopping and purchasing in the channel.  The third socialization factor that applies to both channels is that time spent shopping in a channel increases spending levels and future intentions to shop and purchase in the channel.  The fourth aspect consistent across the channels is that peer communication about shopping and purchasing via the channel has a positive influence on shopping time in that channel.  The final socialization factor affecting both channels is that access to funds positively influences spending levels in each channel. 

We also identified influential channel-specific CS factors that might reveal three fundamental differences between the uses of the two channels.  First is the amount of information available to a consumer.  In effect, a particular mall has relatively stable retailing choices.  Thus, a consumer can quickly achieve information saturation about the retailing options available.  The Internet, on the other hand, has virtually an unlimited number of retailing choices to shop that can change daily or within a single online shopping excursion based on the search engines used.  It is very difficult for an online consumer to reach information saturation.  Hence, the consumer with Internet access perhaps has the incentive to spend more time shopping via this channel.  Second, the Internet is at an earlier consumer adoption stage than the mall.  Therefore, teens of all ages intend to shop and purchase via the Internet in the future.  Third, the effects could be age-relevant.  Younger adolescents, with more limited mall access (and not yet at the information saturation point), express greater intentions to shop and purchase at the mall in the future while older adolescents, with greater mall access (and already at the information saturation point), intend to shop and purchase less at the mall. 

When we specifically consider the influence of socialization agents (peers and family), we find that peer communication is important for both the mall and the Internet for time spent shopping in a channel.  Furthermore, peer communication has an influence on spending levels on the Internet and future intentions to shop and purchase at the mall.  Thus, it appears that peers are the more influential socialization agent across both channels. 

Based on our findings, Internet retailers should increase Internet shopping involvement by creating more interactivity on their website or online communities.  Overall, this could increase Internet shopping involvement and produce more time shopping, greater intentions to shop and purchase via the Internet in the future, and more money spent with Internet retailers.  Additionally, a consumer must have Internet access in order to shop via the Internet both now and in the future.  Internet access, therefore, becomes a variable of interest in the continued growth and development of consumer electronic commerce.  A practitioner seeking a strong Internet presence should find ways to help facilitate Internet access.  Also, Internet retailers would benefit by encouraging peer communication about their offerings (i.e., tell-a-friend offers, etc.) as peers have a strong influence on whether a teen uses the Internet as a shopping channel. 

Furthermore, mall retailers should increase mall shopping involvement as this could result in increased shopping time, spending, and intentions to shop and purchase at the mall in the future.  Also, getting consumers to spend more time mall shopping will lead to increases in spending, and intentions to mall shop and purchase in the future.  One way to accomplish this is by encouraging both peer and family communication about mall shopping and purchasing, as both of these agents have an influence on whether a teen uses the mall.  Additionally, providing a family-oriented environment to encourage parents to bring children to the mall may increase socialization at an even earlier age to ensure the child becomes and remains a mal