Does e-shopping for intangible services attenuate the effect of spatial attributes on travel distance and duration?

E-shopping for intangible services (e.g., eating out services, hairdressing, and visits to movie theatres) refers to searching and paying for services online, but it requires e-shoppers to travel to use these services. In theory, e-shoppers' search space via the internet is less constrained by spatial attributes. As a result, spatial attributes may barely affect the distance and duration of trips resulting from e-shopping for intangible services. The present study used data from 714 valid face-to-face interviews in Beijing, China, to verify this hypothesis. The results showed that e-shoppers were likely to travel farther after purchasing intangible services online. The effect of spatial attributes on the distance of a single trip was largely attenuated due to online purchases of these services, and the effect on the duration was correspondingly weaker to a limited extent. Therefore, spatial interventions aiming to moderate travel distances and durations may not be as effective in the age of online shopping.